Lloyd International Honors College

Dr. Alice Haddy

Chemistry & Biochemistry

Dr. Alice Haddy is Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry. She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan  in 1988 and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, and they Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Research in the Haddy Lab at UNCG is on the catalytic production of oxygen by photosystem II (PSII) during photosynthesis by plants and cyanobacteria.  The evolution of O2 occurs as a result of the biological conversion of solar energy into chemical energy.  Because of its key role in the natural energy cycle of the earth, catalytic O2 production in plants is an important model for artificial solar energy systems.  In photosystem II, H2O is oxidized to O2 at a Mn4Ca cluster with electrons donated to the electron transport process driven by light absorption within the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts.  In our laboratory, we are interested in how this complex catalytic reaction is promoted by the Ca2+ ion of the Mn4Ca cluster and two nearby Cl- ions.  To carry out this research, we combine biochemical techniques such as protein purification and enzyme kinetics assays with physical techniques, particularly electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopic.  Projects in our lab have been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Dreyfus Foundation, and the Research Corporation.