FUNDAMENTAL STUDIES OF THE ALGAL LIPID TRIGGER

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Algae are the fastest growing plants on our planet, they are involved in carbon sequestration in the oceans and have the potential to become an important bioenergy production organism for liquid transportation fuels such as biodiesel and bioJet fuel. Transforming algal oil into biodiesel requires solving the problems of growing large robust algae populations that produce high fractions of easily-harvested specific fatty acids. Current efforts proceed in engineering fashion, ignoring the fundamental biological processes in play. As a consequence, important issues regarding cell growth, utility of the fatty acids produced, and efficient oil recovery have been difficult to resolve. We propose a radical new approach that will provide the biological insight needed to solve these issues. We will apply our unique experimental and theoretical expertise in cell electrophysiology and imaging to interrogate individual cells in situ to identify molecular mechanisms leading to growth and production of specific algal oils of interest. The NCXT soft X-ray tomography facility is a vital uniquely powerful tool for this work.