Collaborative Research: Artificial Photosynthesis Based on Archaeal Lipids and Proteins for Biofuels

该项目的目标是开发一种人工光合作用装置，最终能够直接从二氧化碳和阳光中生产可发酵糖。这些糖将作为生产生物燃料的可再生原料。将光捕获蛋白和光合作用的能量转换酶重新构建成脂膜，用于光驱动合成二氧化碳制糖所需的化学能量载体的概念多年来已为人所知。然而，低能量转换效率和较差的长期稳定性阻碍了该方法的进一步发展。该项目将使用新的生物材料制造新的人工光合作用装置，大大提高长期稳定性和能量转换效率。研究活动还将为培养研究生和本科生提供多学科项目。这是坦普尔大学、北卡罗来纳州立大学和德雷克塞尔大学的合作项目。技术描述该项目的目标是开发一种人工光合作用平台，该平台使用从嗜热古生物中分离出来的双极性四醚类脂和膜蛋白。集成到微流控设备中。这项研究将研究这一人工光合作用平台的生化和生物物理性质，并开发一种微流控装置，作为设计、制造和评估潜在高效和持久的基于膜的人工光合作用系统的工具。该系统将支持开发一种能够将阳光、二氧化碳和水转化为碳水化合物的工艺，用于生产生物燃料。从古生菌Sulfolobus acidocardarius中分离得到的极性脂组分E将作为膜基质。这些脂质非常稳定，而且无毒。还将从同一嗜热菌中分离出一种ATP合成酶，旨在为重组蛋白膜系统提供稳定性，并提高ATP合成的总体产率。微流控芯片将被开发来适应细菌视紫红质/三磷酸腺苷合成酶/古菌脂膜系统。分别测量细菌视紫红质在古细菌脂平面膜上的质子泵效率、体系的ATP合成效率以及从ATP到甘油醛-3-磷酸的固碳效率，以评估人工光合作用平台的性能。研究活动还将为培养研究生和本科生提供多学科项目。

Principal Investigator: Parkson ChongNumber: 1437930Nontechnical DescriptionThe goal of this project is to develop an artificial photosynthesis device to ultimately enable the production of fermentable sugars directly from carbon dioxide and sunlight. These sugars would serve as the renewable feedstock for biofuels production. The concept of reconstituting light harvesting proteins and energy conversion enzymes of photosynthesis into lipid membranes for light driven synthesis of chemical energy carriers required to make sugars from carbon dioxide has been known for many years. However, the low energy conversion efficiency and poor long term stability have hindered further development of this approach. This project will make new artificial photosynthesis devices using novel biomaterials with much improved long-term stability and energy conversion efficiency. The research activities will also provide multidisciplinary project for training graduate and undergraduate students. This is a collaborative project between Temple University, North Carolina State University, and Drexel University.Technical DescriptionThe goal of this project is to develop an artificial photosynthesis platform that uses bipolar tetra-ether lipids and membrane proteins isolated from thermoacidophilic archaea.integrated into a microfluidic device. The research will study the biochemical and biophysical properties of this artificial photosynthesis platform, and develop a microfluidic device that will serve as a tool to design, fabricate, and evaluate a potentially efficient and durable membrane-based artificial photosynthesis system. This system would support the development of a process that would be capable of converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into carbohydrates for the production of biofuels. The polar lipid fraction E isolated from the archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius will be used as the membrane matrix. These lipids are extremely stable and non-toxic. An ATP synthase will also be isolated from the same thermoacidophile, which is intended to provide stability to the reconstituted protein membrane system and enhance the overall yield of ATP synthesis. Microfluidic chips will be developed to accommodate the bacteriorhodopsin/ATP synthase/archaeal lipid membrane system. The proton pumping efficiency of bacteriorhodopsin in archaeal lipid planar membranes, the ATP synthesis efficiency of the system, and the carbon-fixation efficiency from ATP to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate will be individually measured to assess the performance of the artificial photosynthesis platform. The research activities will also provide multidisciplinary project for training graduate and undergraduate students.