CAREER: Harnessing the Power of the Phosphate-Binding Protein PstS to Recover Phosphorus

1554511MayerOn在全球范围内，废磷过多，同时缺乏商业上可用的磷。这种矛盾源于磷对所有生物有机体、植物和动物的生长起着至关重要的作用。作为一种限速营养物质，环境中过量的磷是富营养化的原因，富营养化是淡水损害的主要原因。相反，磷对全球粮食安全至关重要，因为它维持着高农业生产率。最坏的情况估计表明，迅速减少的可开采磷储量可能在一个世纪内耗尽，超出经济上可行的开采范围。面对这一迫在眉睫的危机，从废水和环境地表水中回收“废”磷不再是一种奢侈，而是迫切需要，这是本项目的重点。不幸的是，传统的废水处理无法满足捕获低水平磷并将其作为宝贵资源回收的新的可持续性指标。因此，该项目的总体目标是阐明磷特异性高亲和力磷酸盐结合蛋白的基本原理，并评估磷的去除和回收效率。这与首席研究员（PI）的职业发展轨迹直接相关，因为它整合了营养恢复、环境微生物学、可持续性和STEM教育。追求相互加强的研究和教育目标，为PI未来的研究发现和教育进步奠定了坚实的基础。该研究将首次在磷吸附和解吸的背景下探索磷特异性高亲和力磷酸盐结合蛋白，用于控制磷回收应用。本研究将阐明磷特异性高亲和性磷酸盐结合蛋白的基本原理，并利用两种基于蛋白质的系统来量化磷的去除和回收：1)通过工程改造的大肠杆菌表面表达磷特异性高亲和性磷酸盐结合蛋白，2)在合成培养基上固定化磷特异性高亲和性磷酸盐结合蛋白。初步数据表明，磷特异性高亲和性磷酸盐结合蛋白可以去除磷，但对磷特异性高亲和性磷酸盐结合蛋白结合的基础及其磷回收潜力的了解还需要进行基础研究。通过加强对磷特异性高亲和力磷酸盐结合蛋白能力的基础科学理解，该项目将在磷去除和回收的联合标准背景下大大推进可持续处理。这项工作的新颖之处在于，将首次研究在水和废水中使用固定化和表面显示的磷特异性高亲和力磷酸盐结合蛋白系统进行控制磷去除和回收的潜力。拟议的研究促进了更广泛的社会成果，包括提高对可持续技术的理解；增加少数族裔对STEM的参与；发展一支多元化的、具有全球竞争力的STEM劳动力队伍。研究结果将促进可持续仿生学启发的磷回收技术的开发和评估。这一努力对环境水质、废水基础设施、采矿、全球粮食安全以及相关的经济和社会政治影响具有更广泛的影响。

1554511MayerOn a global scale, there is an overabundance of waste phosphorus with a simultaneous lack of commercially available phosphorus for use. This contradiction stems from the crucial role of phosphorus for the growth of all biological organisms, plants and animals. As a rate-limiting nutrient, excess phosphorus in the environment is responsible for eutrophication, the leading cause of freshwater impairment. Conversely, phosphorus is vital to global food security as it sustains high agricultural productivity. Worst-case estimates suggest that rapidly diminishing mineable phosphorus reserves could be depleted beyond the realm of economically feasible extraction within a century. In the face of this looming crisis, the recovery of "waste" phosphorus from wastewater and environmental surface waters is no longer a luxury, but an urgent imperative that is the focus of this project.Unfortunately, conventional wastewater treatment is incapable of satisfying new sustainability metrics of capturing phosphorus at low levels and recovering it as a valuable resource. Therefore, the overarching project objective is to elucidate the fundamentals of phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein and evaluate phosphorus removal and recovery efficiency. This is directly relevant to the principal investigator's (PI's) career trajectory as it integrates nutrient recovery, environmental microbiology, sustainability, and STEM education. The pursuit of mutually reinforcing research and educational objectives establishes a strong foundation for the PI's future portfolio of research discoveries and educational advancements. The proposed research will provide the first exploration of phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein in the context of phosphorus sorption and desorption for controlled phosphorus recovery applications. The study will elucidate the fundamental basis of phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein and quantify phosphorus removal and recovery using two protein-based systems: 1) E. coli bacteria engineered to surface-express phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein, and 2) phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein immobilized on synthetic media. Preliminary data indicate that phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein can remove phosphorus, but basic research is needed to improve understanding of the basis of phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein binding and its phosphorus recovery potential. By enhancing the fundamental scientific understanding of phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein capabilities, this project will substantially advance sustainable treatment in the context of the joint criteria of phosphorus removal and recovery. This work is novel in that, for the first time, the potential for controlled phosphorus removal and recovery using immobilized and surface-displayed phosphorus-specific high affinity phosphate-binding protein systems in both water and wastewater will be investigated. The proposed research advances broader societal outcomes, including improved understanding of sustainable technologies; increased minority participation in STEM; and development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce. The results will foster development and evaluation of sustainable biomimicry-inspired technologies for phosphorus recovery. This effort has broader implications for environmental water quality, wastewater infrastructure, mining, global food security, and associated economic and sociopolitical implications.