NIH Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard University, 1973-75 Ph.D. Wesleyan University B.S. Yale University

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.

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

Low-Temperature Trapping of Photointermediates of the Rhodopsin E181Q Mutant. M. N. Sandberg*, J. A. Greco*, N. L. Wagner, T. L. Amora, L. A. Ramos, M.-H. Chen, B. E. Knox, and R. R. Birge (2014) SOJ Biochem. 1, 1-12 (*These authors contributed equally to this work.)

High Efficiency Light-Harvesting by Carotenoids in the LH2 Complex from Photosynthetic Bacteria: Unique Adaptation to Growth Under Low-Light Conditions. N. M. Magdaong, A. M. LaFountain, J. A. Greco, A. T. Gardiner, A.-M. Carey, R. J. Cogdell, G. N. Gibson, R. R. Birge, and H. A. Frank (2014) J. Phys. Chem. B 118, 11172-11189

Diels-Alder polysulfones as dielectric materials: Computational guidance & synthesis. R. G. Lorenzini, J. A. Greco, R. R. Birge, and G. A. Sotzing (2014) Polymer 55, 3573-3578

A Spectroscopic and Theoretical Investigation of a Free-Base meso-Trithienylcorrole. J. A. Greco, A. Rossi, R. R. Birge, and C. Bruckner (2014) Photochem. Photobiol. 90 402-414

Photochromic Bacteriorhodopsin Mutant with High Holographic Efficiency and Enhanced Stability via a Putative Self-Repair Mechanism. M. J. Ranaghan, J. A. Greco, N. L. Wagner, R. Grewal, R. Rangarajan, J. F. Koscielecki, K. J. Wise, and R. R. Birge (2014) ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 6, 2799-2808

Excited state properties of a short π-electron conjugated peridinin analogue. N. M. Magdaong, D. M. Niedzwiedzki, J. A. Greco, H. Liu, K. Yano, T. Kajikawa, K. Sakaguchi, S. Katsumura, R. R. Birge, and H. A. Frank (2014) Chem. Phys. Lett. 593, 132-139

A Conserved Aromatic Residue Regulating Photosensitivity in Short-Wavelength Sensitive Cone Visual Pigments. C. M. Kuemmel, M. N. Sandberg, R. R. Birge, and B. E. Knox (2013) Biochemistry 52, 5084-5091

Directed evolution of bacteriorhodopsin for applications in bioelectronics. N. L. Wagner, J. A. Greco, M. J. Ranaghan, and R. R. Birge (2013) J. R. Soc., Interface 10, 20130197 (PDF available upon request)

Photoactive Yellow Protein Terahertz Response: Hydration, Heating and Intermediate States. D. K. George, J. R. Knab, Y. He, M. Kumauchi, R. R. Birge, W. D. Hoff, and A. G. Markelz (2013) IEEE Trans. Terahertz Sci. Technol. 3, 288-294

The Nature of the Intramolecular Charge Transfer State in Peridinin. N. L. Wagner, J. A. Greco, M. M. Enriquez, H. A. Frank, and R. R. Birge (2013) Biophys. J. 104, 1314-1325

Energetics and Dynamics of the Low-Lying Electronic States of Constrained Polyenes: Implications for Infinite Polyenes. R. L. Christensen, M. M. Enriquez*, N. L. Wagner*, A. Y. Peacock-Villada, C. Scriban, R. R. Schrock, T. Polivka, H. A. Frank, and R. R. Birge (2013) J. Phys. Chem. A 117, 1449-1465 (*These authors contributed equally to this work.)

Effect of Molecular Symmetry on the Spectra and Dynamics of the Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT) State of Peridinin. M. M. Enriquez, S. Hananoki, S. Hasegawa, T. Kajikawa, S. Katsumura, N. L. Wagner, R. R. Birge, and H. A. Frank (2013) J. Phys. Chem. B 116, 10748-10756

Visual Resotoration Using Microbial Rhodopsins. N. L. Wagner, J. A. Greco, and R. R. Birge, in Bionanotechnology: Biological Self-Assembly and Its Applications, B. H. A. Rehm, ed. Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, United Kingdom (2013), pp. 205-240

Fourier Transform Holographic Associative Processors Based on Bacteriorhodopsin. J. A. Greco, N. L. Wagner, and R. R. Birge (2012) Int. J. Unconventional Comput. 8, 433-457

meso-Arylporpholactones and their Reduction Products. C. Bruckner, J. Ogikubo, J. R. McCarthy, J. Akhigbe, M. A. Hyland, P. Daddario, J. L. Worlinsky, M. Zeller, J. T. Engle, C. J. Ziegler, M. J. Ranaghan, M. N. Sandberg, and R. R. Birge (2012) J. Org. Chem. 77, 6480-6494

Biomolecular Electronics and Protein-Based Optical Computing. J. A. Greco, N. L. Wagner, M. J. Ranaghan, S. Rajasekaran, and R. R. Birge, in Biomolecular Information Processing: From Logic Systems to Smart Sensors and Actuators, E. Katz, ed. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany (2012), pp. 33-59

Rapid Release of Retinal from a Cone Pigment following Photoactivation. M-. H. Chen, C. Kuemmel, R. R. Birge, and B. E. Knox (2012) Biochem. 51, 4117-4125

Optical Applications of Biomolecules. M. J. Ranaghan, N. L. Wagner, M. N. Sandberg, and R. R. Birge, in Optical biomimetics: Materials and applications, M. Large, ed. Woodhead Publishing, Cambridge, United Kingdom (2012), pp. 20-78

MNDO-PSDCI Theory and the Excited States of Biological Chromophores. D. J. Sandberg, N. L. Wagner, M. N. Sandberg, J. M. Crowley, and R. R. Birge, in Comprehensive Biophysics, E. Egelman, ed. Academic Press, (2012), pp. 162-189