SusChEM: Mechanistic Investigation of CO activation by Vanadium Nitrogenase

SusChEM：钒固氮酶活化 CO 的机理研究

• 批准号: 1608926
• 负责人: Markus Ribbe
• 金额: $ 49.9万
• 依托单位: University of California-Irvine
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-01 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1608926&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SusChEM; Mechanistic; Investigation; CO; activation

With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division funds Drs. Markus Ribbe and Yilin Hu from the University of California, Irvine to investigate the mechanism of carbon monoxide activation by a unique enzyme. The world is in need of sustainable supplies of carbon fuels while at the same time needs to address the accumulation of carbon wastes which result from the incomplete or complete combustion of carbon fuels. The ability of the enzyme to convert these carbon wastes back into hydrocarbon fuels under mild conditions may be an effective strategy to recycle them back into the usable fuel sources. Drs. Ribbe and Hu are studying how the enzyme may accomplish these goals. Additionally the multidisciplinary nature of the project and the wide varieties of techniques employed are providing abundant opportunities for the education and training of students. Combined biochemical and spectroscopic approaches are being used to investigate the mechanism of CO activation and reduction by V-nitrogenase, with an emphasis on defining the complete product profile and the reaction pathway of this process. Knowledge acquired through this research is being used to provide mechanistic insights into the reaction of enzymatic CO conversion, enable engineering of nitrogenase-based hydrocarbon-producing microbes, and inform designs of novel CO-and CO2-reducing catalysts. Research and education is being integrated through the project by (i) training undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate researcher on the bench, where all individuals engage in joint efforts that enrich the proposed research through the diversity of learning perspectives, and where underrepresented groups of individuals are incorporated to further improve the diversity of the proposed activities; and (ii) organizing outreach events and designing relevant courses that focus on nitrogenase and related research, where students are introduced to the broad topic of global energy/environmental problems and potential biotechnological solutions to these problems, and where motivated students are recruited for the research activities.

有了这个奖项，化学部的生命过程化学项目资助了来自加州大学欧文分校的Markus Ribbe和Yilin Hu博士研究一种独特的酶激活一氧化碳的机制。世界需要碳燃料的可持续供应，同时需要解决因碳燃料不完全或完全燃烧而产生的碳废物积累问题。酶在温和条件下将这些碳废物转化回碳氢化合物燃料的能力可能是将它们再循环回可用燃料来源的有效策略。Ribbe和Hu博士正在研究这种酶如何实现这些目标。此外，该项目的多学科性质和采用的各种技术为学生的教育和培训提供了大量机会。结合生物化学和光谱的方法正在被用来研究CO活化和还原的V-固氮酶的机制，重点是定义完整的产品配置文件和这个过程的反应途径。通过这项研究获得的知识被用于提供酶促CO转化反应的机理见解，使基于固氮酶的产烃微生物的工程化成为可能，并为新型CO和CO2还原催化剂的设计提供信息。通过该项目，研究和教育正在一体化，具体做法是：（一）培训本科生、研究生和研究生研究员，让所有人共同努力，通过学习视角的多样性丰富拟议的研究，并吸收代表性不足的群体，以进一步提高拟议活动的多样性;以及（ii）组织外联活动并设计以固氮酶和相关研究为重点的相关课程，向学生介绍全球能源/环境问题以及这些问题的潜在生物技术解决方案这一广泛主题，并在那里招募有动力的学生进行研究活动。