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VPL Biological Pigments database

A database of the spectral properties of biological pigments, including absorbance, transmittance, or reflectance. Spectra can be of whole cells, intact membranes, and pigments in solvent extracts. Subjects may include photosynthetic pigments, protective pigments for a variety of functions, cells grown in different environmental treatments, and others.

By downloading a dataset, the user agrees to cite sources for each dataset used.
For questions please contact Dr. Nancy Y. Kiang (Nancy.Y.Kiang *at* nasa *dot* gov )

Instructions for Contributors.



Absorbance Data

Data Set Name Medium Type Description Absorbance Plot
Acaryo625nm_Chen whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Acaryo720nm_Chen whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Alanine-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Antheraxanthin_AllTrans_Janik_2007 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Astaxanthin_Methanol_Gorton_2001 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Astaxanthin_pure_Gorton_2003 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
BCarotene_hexane_Dixon_2005 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
BChla_Cogdell_2003 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
BChlb_Cogdell_2003 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
BChlc_invivo_Frigaard_2002 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
BChlc_Frigaard_2004 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
BChld_invitro_Frigaard_1996 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
BChle_Frigaard_2004 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Betanidin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Betanin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Chla_methanol_Chen in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Chla_ether_Du_1997 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Chlb_ether_Du_1997 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Chlb_methanol_Chen in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Chlc_ether_Jeffrey_1963 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Chld_methanol_Chen in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Chlf_methanol_Chen in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
DOPA-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Diadinoxanthin_solvent_LaFountain_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Diatoxanthin_solvent_LaFountain_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Dopamine-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Glutamic-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Histidine-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Leucine-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Lutein_Acetone_Alekseichuk_2008 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Lutein_Ether_Alekseichuk_2008 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Lutein_Janik_2007 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Lutein_solvent_LaFountain_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Methionine-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Neoxanthin_solvent_LaFountain_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Phenylalanine-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Pheophytinc_ether_Jeffrey_1963 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Pheophytinf_Chen_2010 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Proline-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Protocyanin_Takeda_2005 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Scytonemin_invitro_Mueller_2005 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Tyramine-betaxanthin_Gandia-Herrero_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot
Violaxanthin_solvent_LaFountain_2009 in vitro Description ASCII Data Plot


Transmittance Data

Data Set Name Medium Type Description Transmittance Plot
Chlorobium_tepidum_transm_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Rhodobacter_sphaeroides_transm_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Rhodopseudomonas_palustris_aerobic_transm_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Rhodopseudomonas_palustris_anaerobic_transm_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot


Reflectance Data

Data Set Name Medium Type Description Reflectance Plot
Brevibacterium_aurantiacum_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Chlorobium_tepidum_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Deinoccocus_radiodurans_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Halobacterium_salinarum_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Janthinobacterium_lividum_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Micrococcus_luteus_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Phaeobacter_inhibens_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Rhodobacter_sphaeroides_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Rhodopseudomonas_palustris_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Rubrobacter_radiotolerans_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot
Serratia_marcescens_ref_Schwieterman_2015 whole cell Description ASCII Data Plot