Spatio-Temporal Supercontinuum Growth Spectroscopy of Rhodobacter Sphaeroides

The primary steps of photosynthesis involve energy transport operating near the theoretical quantum limits in efficiency. These steps are the focus of intense research utilizing powerful laser spectroscopic tools. However, new measurements are needed to bridge the microscopic energy transport processes and the macroscopic cellular function with precise excitation control. Here, we present a novel method, called Spatio-Temporal Supercontinuum Growth Spectroscopy (STSGS), that combines broadband supercontinuum excitation and real-time laser probes of microbial growth in highly controlled environments. We demonstrate our data-intensive approach by measuring the growth of highly characterized and metabolically diverse bacteria, Rhodobacter sphaeroides, at each supercontinuum laser wavelength from 400 nm to 2300 nm. This method results in a high-resolution, spatial, temporal, and spectral characterization of microbial growth. Our highly parallel approach provides a novel, high throughput method to analyze cellular population growth under diverse illumination conditions from the visible to mid-infrared. Such a data-intensive technique allows us to unravel the complexities of photosynthesis with a comprehensive observation of the organisms’ macroscopic behavior.