Collaborative Research: Novel Bicarbonate Transporters in the Chlamydomonas CO2-Concentrating Mechanism

知识价值：藻类在气候变化和可再生生物燃料这两个全球关注的领域发挥着重要作用，这两个领域正成为世界舞台上的主要话题。所有类型的藻类约占从大气中回收的二氧化碳(CO2)的一半，并通过光合作用固定为糖、蛋白质和有机物质，为地球上所有活着的有机体，包括人类所需。因此，藻类对于维持大气中二氧化碳的低水平至关重要，二氧化碳是一种强有力的温室气体。许多生长迅速、易于养殖的藻类也富含石油，这一事实最近吸引了世界各地的科学家和工程师的注意，即有可能将藻类作为一种丰富、潜在廉价的可再生和可持续生物燃料来源，以减少对高污染、昂贵和不环保的化石燃料的需求。内布拉斯加州大学林肯分校的唐·威克斯博士和爱荷华州立大学的马丁·斯伯丁博士的实验室将合作进行这项研究，旨在阐明藻类作为超级海绵的潜在机制。从环境中释放出二氧化碳。Spalding/Week实验室最近发现了两种蛋白质，HLA3和LcIA，这两种蛋白质为莱茵衣藻细胞提供了从其水环境中清除非常低水平的无机碳(二氧化碳和碳酸氢盐)的能力。由NSF赞助的正在进行的研究将侧重于这些无机碳转运体工作的分子机制，它们在细胞中的位置，以及这些分子如何与细胞的其他组成部分相互作用，以实现高效的二氧化碳吸收和利用，以进行光合作用。此外，还将探索利用新发现的无机碳转运体来增强参与生物燃料生产的藻类细胞对二氧化碳的吸收和光合作用效率。广泛的影响：这项研究将对爱荷华州立大学和内布拉斯加大学参与该项目的本科生、研究生和博士后助理的培训做出重大贡献。它还将有助于扩大将参加暑期实习和夏令营的高中生和本科生以及高中生物教师的教育。由于代表不足的群体(例如，非洲裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人和美洲原住民)的成员是专门为高中和本科实习招募的，这项研究也将为这些群体提供扩大教育经验的机会。在我们的项目中接受培训的博士后助理和学生将在专注于藻类生物学和生物技术及其应用于关键社会需求的学术和工业职位上找到大量机会。

Intellectual Merit:Algae play a major role in two areas of global concern, climate change and renewable biofuels, are emerging as prime topics on the world stage. Algae of all types account for approximately one-half of carbon dioxide (CO2) recycled from the atmosphere and 'fixed' via photosynthesis into sugars, proteins, and organic substances needed by all living organisms on earth, including humans. Thus, algae are critical to maintaining low levels of atmospheric CO2, a potent greenhouse gas. The fact that many fast growing, easy to culture algae also are oil-rich has recently drawn the attention of scientists and engineers around the globe to the possibility of using algae as an abundant, potentially inexpensive, source of renewable and sustainable biofuels that will lessen the needs for highly polluting, expensive and environmentally nonfriendly fossil fuels. Research to be conducted collaboratively between the laboratories of Dr. Don Weeks at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Dr. Martin Spalding at Iowa State University is aimed at elucidating the mechanisms underlying the ability of algae to serve as ?super sponges? of CO2 from the environment. The Spalding/Weeks laboratories recently discovered two proteins, HLA3 and LCIA, which provide the algal cell, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, with the ability to scavenge very low levels of inorganic carbon (CO2 and bicarbonate) from their aquatic environment. Ongoing research sponsored by NSF will focus on the molecular mechanisms by which these inorganic carbon transporters work, where in the cell they are located and how these molecules interact with other components of the cell to allow efficient CO2 uptake and utilization for photosynthesis. In addition, the use of the newly discovered inorganic carbon transporters to augment CO2 uptake and photosynthetic efficiency in algal cells involved in biofuel production will be explored.Broader Impacts: This research will contribute significantly to the training of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral associates participating in the project at both Iowa State University and at the University of Nebraska. It also will contribute to broadening the education of high school and undergraduate students and of high school biology teachers that will participate during summer internships and camps. Because members of underrepresented groups (e.g., African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans) are specifically recruited for the high school and undergraduate internships, this research also will provide opportunities for broadening educational experiences for these groups. Postdoctoral associates and students trained in our projects will find ample opportunities in academic and industrial positions focused on algal biology and biotechnology and its application to critical societal needs.