2026 Robert E. Blankenship: Plant Science and Agronomy Researcher – H-Index, Publications & Awards

D-Index & Metrics

Discipline name	D-Index	World Ranking	Current World Ranking	National Ranking	Current National Ranking	Publications	Citations
Chemistry	86	2480	2238	870	732	447	38599
Plant Science and Agronomy	88	302	281	106	99	453	42216

Discipline name

D-Index

World Ranking

Current World Ranking

National Ranking

Current National Ranking

Publications

Citations

Chemistry

2480

2238

870

732

447

38599

Plant Science and Agronomy

302

281

106

453

42216

Chemistry

D-Index

Citations

38599

World Ranking

2480

National Ranking

870

Plant Science and Agronomy

D-Index

Citations

42216

World Ranking

302

National Ranking

106

Research.com Recognitions

2026 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in United States Leader Award
2004 - Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Overview

Robert E. Blankenship is affiliated with Washington University in St. Louis in the United States. Their research primarily falls within the field of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, with a particular focus on Molecular Biology.

The subfields of study related to their work include:

Molecular Biology
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Ecology
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Major topics addressed in their research are:

Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
Algal biology and biofuel production
Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
Photoreceptor and optogenetics research
Spectroscopy and Quantum Chemical Studies
Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation

Recent publications demonstrate a focus on photosynthesis, quantum effects, and structural biology. Some of the papers authored or co-authored by Robert E. Blankenship include:

"Photosynthesis tunes quantum-mechanical mixing of electronic and vibrational states to steer exciton energy transfer," 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
"Structure of cyanobacterial phycobilisome core revealed by structural modeling and chemical cross-linking," 2021, Science Advances
"Redox conditions correlated with vibronic coupling modulate quantum beats in photosynthetic pigment-protein complexes," 2021, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
"Cryo-EM structures of the air-oxidized and dithionite-reduced photosynthetic alternative complex III from Roseiflexus castenholzii," 2020, Science Advances
"Analysis of the Complete Genome of the Alkaliphilic and Phototrophic Firmicute Heliorestis convoluta Strain HHT," 2020, Microorganisms

Their work has appeared frequently in several publication venues, including:

Photosynthesis Research
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Science Advances
Microorganisms
Plant Communications

Robert E. Blankenship has collaborated often with several researchers, notably:

Yueyong Xin
Xiaoling Xu
Haijun Liu
Huimin He
Yang Shi

Among the distinctions received, Robert E. Blankenship was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2004.

Best Publications

Evidence for wavelike energy transfer through quantum coherence in photosynthetic systems

Gregory S. Engel;Gregory S. Engel;Tessa R. Calhoun;Tessa R. Calhoun;Elizabeth L. Read;Elizabeth L. Read;Tae-Kyu Ahn;Tae-Kyu Ahn

3939
Citations
Molecular mechanisms of photosynthesis

Robert E. Blankenship

2589
Citations
The Physcomitrella Genome Reveals Evolutionary Insights into the Conquest of Land by Plants

Stefan A. Rensing;Daniel Lang;Andreas D. Zimmer;Astrid Terry

2104
Citations
Comparing photosynthetic and photovoltaic efficiencies and recognizing the potential for improvement.

Robert E. Blankenship;David M. Tiede;James Barber;James Barber;Gary W. Brudvig

1893
Citations
Anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria

Robert E. Blankenship;Michael T. Madigan;Carl E. Bauer

1564
Citations
Two-dimensional spectroscopy of electronic couplings in photosynthesis

Tobias Brixner;Tobias Brixner;Jens Stenger;Jens Stenger;Harsha M. Vaswani;Harsha M. Vaswani;Minhaeng Cho

1451
Citations
Long-lived quantum coherence in photosynthetic complexes at physiological temperature

Gitt Panitchayangkoon;Dugan Hayes;Kelly A. Fransted;Justin R. Caram

1294
Citations
Redesigning photosynthesis to sustainably meet global food and bioenergy demand

Donald R. Ort;Donald R. Ort;Sabeeha S. Merchant;Jean Alric;Alice Barkan

1103
Citations
The Natural History of Nitrogen Fixation

Jason Raymond;Janet L. Siefert;Christopher R. Staples;Robert E. Blankenship

1100
Citations
Evolution of Photosynthesis

Martin F. Hohmann-Marriott;Robert E. Blankenship

898
Citations
Origin and early evolution of photosynthesis.

Robert E. Blankenship

660
Citations
Contribution of aerobic photoheterotrophic bacteria to the carbon cycle in the ocean.

Zbigniew S. Kolber;F. Gerald;Plumley;Andrew S. Lang

534
Citations
Expanding the solar spectrum used by photosynthesis.

Min Chen;Robert E. Blankenship

450
Citations
The origin and evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis

Robert E. Blankenship;Hyman Hartman

449
Citations
An obligately photosynthetic bacterial anaerobe from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent

J. Thomas Beatty;Jörg Overmann;Michael T. Lince;Ann K. Manske

438
Citations
Early Evolution of Photosynthesis

Robert E. Blankenship

438
Citations
Phycobilisomes Supply Excitations to Both Photosystems in a Megacomplex in Cyanobacteria

Haijun Liu;Hao Zhang;Dariusz M. Niedzwiedzki;Mindy Prado

369
Citations
The structural basis for the difference in absorbance spectra for the FMO antenna protein from various green sulfur bacteria.

Dale E. Tronrud;Dale E. Tronrud;Jianzhong Wen;Robert E. Blankenship

360
Citations
Whole-Genome Analysis of Photosynthetic Prokaryotes

Jason Raymond;Olga Zhaxybayeva;J. Peter Gogarten;Sveta Y. Gerdes

304
Citations
Spectral Signatures of Photosynthesis. I. Review of Earth Organisms

Nancy Y. Kiang;Janet Siefert;Janet Siefert;Govindjee;Robert E. Blankenship

293
Citations
Antenna Complexes from Green Photosynthetic Bacteria

Robert E. Blankenship;John M. Olson;Mette Miller

288
Citations