CAREER: Toward the Creation of Custom Bacterial Organelles from Engineered /Salmonella/ Pdu Bacterial Microcompartments

传统上，细菌被认为是简单的“酶袋”，没有明显的内部结构。然而，一些细菌含有一组蛋白质，这些蛋白质聚集在一起形成隔室，称为细菌微隔室，这很像更复杂的生物体中的细胞器。在这个项目中，研究人员将使用一个这样的微区室在细菌细胞中创造一个单独的定制环境，“就像工厂中的反应器”，用于生产有用的化学物质。 这项研究将解决的挑战包括确定形成微区室所需的蛋白质，以及如何最好地隔离所得结构中的反应和化学物质。更广泛的影响合成生物学是一个不断发展的领域，具有发展生物制造的巨大潜力。这个合成生物学研究项目将通过实现生态友好的方法来生产目前从石油中提取或通过与潜在有害化学品反应的有用化学品，从而直接影响社会。该项目的研究生将接受合成生物学领域的培训，研究结果将在会议上发表，并发表在同行评议的期刊上。此外，研究人员和一组学生志愿者将在湾区科学节，科学咖啡馆和服务组织会议上向所有年龄和背景的公众传达合成生物学研究的潜力和挑战。还将组织一次年度讲习班，教育志愿学生如何以明确的方式向非科学家描述他们的研究，这是一种即使是研究生也往往缺乏的宝贵技能。这些推广工作的目标是提高所有年龄层公众的科学素养。

Traditionally, bacteria have been thought of as simple "bags of enzymes" with no significant internal structure. However, some bacteria contain a set of proteins that come together to form compartments, termed bacterial microcompartments, that are much like the organelles in more complex organisms. With this project, researchers will use one such microcompartment to create a separate, customized environment in the bacterial cell "much like a reactor in a factory" for the production of useful chemicals. Challenges that will be addressed by this research include determining what proteins are required to form the microcompartments, and how best to sequester reactions and chemicals within the resulting structures. Broader ImpactsSynthetic biology is a growing field with great potential for the development of biologically-based manufacturing. This synthetic biology research project will directly impact society by enabling eco-friendly methods for the production of useful chemicals that are currently derived from petroleum or via reactions with potentially harmful chemicals. Graduate students on the project will be trained in the field of synthetic biology, and results of the research will be presented at conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. Furthermore, the investigator and a team of student volunteers will communicate the potential and challenges of synthetic biology research to public audiences of all ages and backgrounds at the Bay Area Science Festival, Science Cafés, and service organization meetings. An annual workshop will also be organized to educate the volunteer students on how to describe their research to non-scientists in a clear manner a valuable skill often lacking even in students at the graduate level. The goal of these outreach efforts is to raise the science literacy of the general public at all age levels.