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

合作研究：衣藻二氧化碳浓缩机制中的新型碳酸氢盐转运蛋白

• 批准号: 0952533
• 负责人: Donald Weeks
• 金额: $ 54万
• 依托单位: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-03-15 至 2014-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0952533&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Novel; Bicarbonate; Transporters

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.

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，这两个领域正在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的一半，并通过光合作用“固定”为地球上所有生物（包括人类）所需的糖、蛋白质和有机物质。因此，藻类对于维持大气中二氧化碳（一种强效温室气体）的低水平至关重要。许多生长迅速、易于培养的藻类也富含石油，这一事实最近引起了全球科学家和工程师的注意，即利用藻类作为一种丰富、潜在廉价的可再生和可持续生物燃料的可能性，这种生物燃料将减少对高污染、昂贵和对环境不友好的化石燃料的需求。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一项研究，目的是阐明藻类作为细菌的能力背后的机制。超级海绵?从环境中吸收二氧化碳斯伯丁/威克斯实验室最近发现了两种蛋白质，HLA3和LCIA，它们为莱茵衣藻细胞提供了从水生环境中清除极低水平无机碳（二氧化碳和碳酸氢盐）的能力。由美国国家科学基金会资助的正在进行的研究将集中在这些无机碳转运体的分子机制上，它们在细胞中的位置，以及这些分子如何与细胞的其他成分相互作用，从而有效地吸收和利用二氧化碳进行光合作用。此外，将探索利用新发现的无机碳转运体来增加生物燃料生产中藻类细胞的二氧化碳吸收和光合效率。更广泛的影响：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、研究生和博士后的培训做出重大贡献。对参加暑期实习和夏令营的高中生、大学生和高中生物教师的教育也将有所帮助。因为代表性不足的群体（如非洲裔美国人、西班牙裔美国人和印第安人）的成员是专门为高中和本科实习而招募的，所以本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和学生将在藻类生物学和生物技术及其在关键社会需求中的应用的学术和工业职位上找到充足的机会。