CRC: Collaborative Research: Chemistry of Microbially-Produced Biosurfactants

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Jeanne Pemberton, Raina Maier, Robin Polt, Maria-Teresa Velez, Robert Bates (University of Arizona) and Jani Ingram (Northern Arizona University) are jointly supported to study the fundamental surface and interfacial chemistry of biosurfactants, particularly the rhamnolipids, siderolipids, surfactins and sophorolipids. Synthetic analogues to the microbially-produced biosurfactants will also be studied. The project will incorporate chemical synthesis, surface and interface analysis, theory and modeling, as well as a microbiology component to study the biosynthetic pathways and molecular environments that influence which biosurfactants are made under what conditions. Biosurfactants are known to aggregate in solution at low concentrations and exhibit powerful surfactant activity at both liquid and solid surfaces. Each individual biosurfactant can have remarkably different properties, because their interactions are driven by the interplay of van der Waals forces, dipole-dipole interactions, and solvation effects. Biosurfactants will be characterized in solution using light scattering, the vibrational spectroscopies, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and surface tension measurements, while biosurfactant assemblies at interfaces and on surfaces will be characterized using a combination of the vibrational spectroscopies and atomic force microscopy.This project is funded through the Collaborative Research in Chemistry Program (CRC) and the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences. Biosurfactants have potential applications in industrial, medical, pharmaceutical and environmental applications. This interdisciplinary research project will be used as a platform to improve the recruitment and participation of underrepresented students, especially Hispanics and Native Americans, in scientific careers in chemistry and environmental science. This award provides collaborative training and research opportunities for K-12 teachers and students, and undergraduate and graduate students at both institutions.