Engineering an Efficient Electron Pathway for Photosynthetic Hydrogen Production

[1264289]斯沃茨，詹姆斯r .这个项目的长期目标是设计自我复制的细菌系统，以有效地吸收阳光并利用能量分解水并产生氢。这个重要的子项目旨在为设计电子转移途径以及特定光合作用产氢途径的工程和进化提供基本的见解。该项目将开发和应用方法，使融合蛋白能够在类囊体膜上与光系统I对接。融合蛋白也将被改造和进化，以有效地将电子从光系统转移到[FeFe]氢化酶。具体目标包括：(i)开发一种高通量的体外筛选方法，用于光合作用驱动的制氢；（ii）通过与光系统I偶联产生氢的铁氧化还原蛋白-氢化酶融合酶的工程设计和（iii）工程光合制氢系统的生产力和氧敏感性的表征。更广泛的影响对培训和技术应用都是重大的。它将向包括少数民族在内的不同群体的学生教授协作、团队合作和沟通技巧。该计划所揭示的原则的广泛应用可以重塑能源和化学工业，并有助于提供一个可持续的全球社会经济体系。

1264289 Swartz, James R.The long-term goal of this program is to engineer self-replicating bacterial systems to efficiently absorb sunlight and use the energy to split water and produce hydrogen. This crucial subproject is designed to provide fundamental insights required for the design of electron transfer pathways generally as well as the engineering and evolution of a specific photosynthetic hydrogen-producing pathway. The project will develop and apply methods that enable the evolution of a fusion protein that docks at photosystem I on a thylakoid membrane. The fusion protein will also be engineered and evolved to efficiently transfer electrons from the photosystem to an [FeFe] hydrogenase. The specific aims include (i)development of a high-throughput in vitro screen for hydrogen production driven by photosynthesis; (ii)engineering of a ferredoxin-hydrogenase fusion enzyme that produces hydrogen by coupling to photosystem I and (iii) the characterization of the productivity and oxygen sensitivity of the engineered photosynthetic hydrogen production system. The broader impacts are significant both for training and technological applications. It will teach collaboration, teamwork and communication skills to a diverse group of students including minorities. The broader application of the principles revealed by this program could reshape the energy and chemical industries and help to provide a sustainable global socio-economic system.