Colin Allen Wraight, a central figure in photosynthetic electron transfer research since the 1970s, died in Urbana, Illinois, on July 10, 2014. Born in London, England, on November 27, 1945, he had only recently retired from his position as a Professor in Biochemistry, Biophysics & Quantitative Biology, and Plant Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Wraight was known especially for his pioneering studies on electron and proton transfer in the photochemical reaction center, and for his careful quantitation of the remarkable quantum efficiency of this device.
Keywords: Chemiosmosis; Electron transfer; Proton motive force; Quantum yield of primary photochemistry; Rhodobacter sphaeroides; Two-electron gate.