• Structure function relationships in rhodopsin and the cone pigments.
• Use of bacteriorhodopsin and proteorhodopsin in artificial retinas, holographic associative memories, photovoltaic solar energy converters, high-speed sensors and three-dimensional memories.
• Use of directed evolution to optimize proteins for device applications.
• Large-scale molecular orbital theory of protein structure and function.

Awards

• Connecticut Medal of Science for 2009, May, 2009.
• 3M Award of Canada for 2001-2002 in Physical Chemistry, March 2002.
• Connecticut Innovations 2001 Annual Technology Award, September 25, 2001.
• Time Digital Top 50 Cyber Elite, Time Incorporated, October, 1997.
• American Chemical Society Sectional Awards for Research: 1983, 1988, 1993.

Publications

Tunable Photocycle Kinetics of a Hybrid Bacteriorhodopsin/Quantum Dot System. T. J. Wax, J. A. Greco, S. Chen, N. L. Wagner, J. Zhao, and R. R. Birge. (2019) Nano Res. 12, 365-373

Light Harvesting by Equally Contributing Mechanisms in a Photosynthetic Antenna Protein. M. J. Guberman-Pfeffer, J. A. Greco, R. R. Birge, H. A. Frank, and J. A. Gascon. (2018) J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 9, 563-568

The Forbidden 11Bu– Excited Singlet State of Peridinin and Peridinin Analogues. J. A. Greco, N. L. Wagner, H. A. Frank, and R. R. Birge. (2018) J. Phys. Chem. A 122, 130-139

Purification and Characterization of RhoGC, a Retinylidene/Guanylyl Cyclase Fusion Protein from Blastocladiella emersonii. M. M. Trieu, E. L. Devine, L. B. Lamarche, A. E. Ammerman, J. A. Greco, R. R. Birge, D. L. Theobald, and D. D. Oprian. (2017) J. Biol. Chem. 292, 10379-10389

Pixel Characterization of a Protein-Based Retinal Implant Using a Microfabricated Sensor Array. J. A. Greco, L. A. L. Fernandes, N. L. Wagner, M. Azadmehr, P. Hӓfliger, E. A. Johannessen, and R. R. Birge. (2017) Int. J. High Speed Electron. Syst. 26, 1740012-1-1740012-20

Bacteriochlorins with a Twist: Discovery of a Unique Mechanism to Red-shift the Optical Spectra of Bacteriochlorins. M. J. Guberman-Pfeffer, J. A. Greco, L. P. Samankumara, M. Zeller, R. R. Birge, J. A. Gascon, and C. Bruckner. (2017) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 139, 548-560

Spectroscopic Investigation of the Carotenoid Deoxyperidinin: Direct Observation of the Forbidden S0 to S1 Transition. J. A. Greco, A. M. LaFountain, S. Katsumura, N. M. Magdaong, D. M. Niedzwiedzki, R. R. Birge, and H. A. Frank. (2016) J. Phys. Chem. B 120, 2731-2744

Spectroscopic Investigation of a Brightly Colored Psittacofulvin Pigment from Parrot Feathers. A. František, J. A. Greco, A. M. LaFountain, N. M. Magdaong, M. Fuciman, R. R. Birge, T. Polivka, and H. A. Frank. (2016) Chem. Phys. Lett. 648, 195-199

Effects of Strong Electronic Coupling in Chlorin and Bacteriochlorin Dyads. H. S. Kang, N. N. Esemoto, J. R. Diers, D. M. Niedzwiedzki, J. A. Greco, J. Akhigbe, Z. Yu, C. Pancholi, G. V. Bhagvathy, J. K. Nguyen, C. Kirmaier, R. R. Birge, M. Ptaszek, D. Holten, and D. F. Bocian. (2016) J. Phys. Chem. A 120, 379-395

Two-Photon Spectroscopy of the Q-Bands of meso-Tetraphenyl-Porphyrin and –Chlorin Framework Derivatives. J. A. Greco, S. Shima, N. L. Wagner, J. R. McCarthy, K. Atticks, C. Bruckner, and R. R. Birge. (2015) J. Phys. Chem. C 119, 3711-3724