BACTERIORHODOPSIN VARIANTS FOR OPTICAL INFORMATION PROCESSING

Abstract

Bacteriorhodopsin (BR)is a biological photochromecontained in the purple membrane (PM) from Halobacterium halobium. BR-films can be used as reversible recording materials for holography. Mutagenesis of the halobacterial gene coding for the bacterio-opsin protein is the key to generate BR-variants with modified optical properties. BR-films with improved holographic characteristics, i.e. increased diffraction efficiency and sensitivity, containing mutated bacteriorhodopsins have been used in dynamic holographic recording, real time interferometry and holographic pattern recognition.