Biochemistry Questions Biochemistry Questions / Describe the process of FaRLiP in cyanobacteria and its adaptation to far-red light. How does the synthesis of chlorophyll d and f in response to far-red light enhance the organism's competitiveness?

Far-red light photo-acclimatisation, FaRLiP, is the process cyanobacteria are capable of doing in response to a red-shifting in the light available. By upregulating far-red chlorophylls, the cyanobacteria can absorb lower energy solar radiation, allowing them to grow in different ecological niches.

Far-red light is capable of penetrating deeper into soil, and through some rocks. If a cyanobacteria is able to live in these environments, it would have much less competition. Chlorophyll d and f are both far-red chlorophylls, absorbing between 700 and 800 nm. Few other species are capable of photosynthesising in these wavelengths.

However, in order to do FaRLiP, the bacteria must remodel its existing photosystems to accommodate the new chlorophylls.