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Phycoerythrin

Phycoerythrin is used by red, blue-green, and cryptomonad algae in photosynthesis. It is a red protein and belongs to the phycobiliproteins family, all of which are light harvesters. Phycoerythrin absorbs blue light and reflects red light, thus it has a reddish appearance.

In algae, phycoerythrin is only an accessory pigment to the chlorophyll pigments used in photosynthesis; this is because it is not as efficient as chlorophyll. In bacteria, it is often the primary light-processing pigment in the cell.

In the laboratory, it is often used as a fluorescent indicator for the presence of cyanobacteria; it can also be genetically extracted and used to mark antibodies and other biological elements in laboratory testing. It's an important dye used in FACS testing. It is particularly effective in situations requiring a water-soluble pigment, and it is easy to filter out after testing. Western blot tests are one of the best places to use phycoerythrin.

Web Resources On Phycoerythrin

Production of Phycoerythrin from Spirulina
PE conjugation of Antibodies

Book Resources On Phycoerythrin

Contribution of phycoerythrin-containing phytoplankton... by Maria Vernet
Phytoplankton Productivity: Carbon Assimilation in Marine and Freshwater Ecology by Williams, et al

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