A large proportion of mutants with altered pigment features have been obtained via exposure to heavy-ion beams,a technique that is efficient for trait improvement in the breeding of plants and algae.However,little is known about the changes of the photosynthetic response of microalgae after exposure.In our group,six progenies of Scenedesmus quadricauda deficient in chlorophyll a were isolated after carbon-ion exposure that were provided by the heavy ion research facility in Lanzhou(HIRFL),China.Two progenies were picked up because their photosynthetic efficiency and the photoprotection ability were markedly different from the wild type.