JTS-150

The JTS-150 from Spectrologix is a dedicated flash photolysis spectrometer for measuring transient absorption changes following pulsed light excitation, widely used in photosynthesis research for studying electron transport, pigment dynamics, and photoactivation kinetics.

Measurement principle:
– Actinic light flash (Xe flash lamp or laser) triggers photochemical reaction
– Probe light measures sample absorbance as function of time
– PMT detector monitors absorbance changes at selected wavelength
– Time resolution: 1 µs (Xe lamp) to 10 ns (laser); range up to seconds

Key measurement targets in photosynthesis:
– P700 (PSI reaction center): oxidation/reduction at 700 nm
– P680 (PSII reaction center): photobleaching at 680 nm
– Carotenoid electrochromic shift (ECS): membrane potential proxy
– NADH/NADPH: 340 nm transient changes
– Cytochrome b6f: 554/524 nm absorbance changes
– Chlorophyll fluorescence: complementary channel

Instrument configuration:
– Probe light: tungsten-halogen lamp with monochromator
– Actinic light: Xe flash lamp (standard) or external laser
– Detection: PMT (single wavelength per acquisition)
– Signal averaging: 100-10000 flashes for low S/N signals
– Software: built-in kinetics analysis with multi-exponential fitting

Applications:
– Photosystem I/II electron transport rates
– Plastoquinone pool redox state
– Membrane potential (ECS) under physiological conditions
– In vitro isolated complexes and intact leaves

NewRoad provides Spectrologix JTS-150 in Israel for photosynthesis and photochemistry research groups.