Contributions by Christa Critchley to photosynthesis research and to plant ecophysiology

Abstract

Christa Critchley is a distinguished researcher in basic and applied photosynthesis research. Her research has centered on the structure and function of chloroplasts and the application of chlorophyll a fluorescence to understanding the way PSII works. In her research, she used two biophysical tools, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Chlorophyll (Chl) a fluorescence, as well as several other biochemical and plant physiological methods. Later in her career, she pioneered research in artificial photosynthesis (AP) focusing on the process of light-mediated water splitting and oxygen evolution. Here, only a glimpse of her life and some selected research is included.

Keywords: 12th International Congress on Photosynthesis; Nuclear Magnetic Resonance; chlorophyll fluorescence; photoinhibition; photosystem II; women in science.

Fig. 1. A photograph of the emblem for the 12^th International Congress on Photosynthesis Research. The title of the painting was ‘The Mourning Sun’ (Sun as a distraught mother looking for her child, according to one ancient culture). Christa Critchley had shown the artist Mun Mun (Ramona Cavanagh) a leaf cross section with stomata on the underside (see the lower left) with chloroplasts in mesophyll cells and the vascular architecture of the mid rib. Grasping the totality of the photosynthetic apparatus from leaf cells to the environment, the artist had used her traditional dot painting technique to translate the upper epidermis into fields of green (middle), and golden grain under the rising sun in the distance (top). Thus, this artist linked our search into solar energy transduction in photosynthesis to the legend of a mother (left horizon) in search of her lost child (lower right). This remarkable work of art is a tribute to Christa Critchley's ability to enthuse everyone about photosynthesis research. Source: Barry Osmond.

Fig. 2. Left to right: G. Govindjee, Christa Critchley, and David Knaff at a late 1980s Gordon Conference on Photosynthesis. Source: Personal collection of G. Govindjee.