Electrostatics of photosynthetic reaction centers in membranes

Photosynthetic reaction centers are integral membrane complexes. They have potential application as molecular photovoltaic structures and have been used in diverse technological applications. A three-dimensional electrostatic model of the Photosystem I reaction center (PSI) embedded in a lipid membrane is presented. The potential is obtained by solving the Poisson-Boltzmann equation with the finite element method (FEM). Simulations showing the potential distribution in a vesicle containing PSI reaction centers under different conditions are presented. The results of the simulations are compared with previous findings and a possible application of PSI to provide light activation of voltage-gated ion channels is discussed.