Engineering an Efficient Electron Pathway for Photosynthetic Hydrogen Production

这个项目的长期目标是设计自我复制的细菌系统，以有效地吸收阳光，并利用这些能量分解水和产生氢气。这一至关重要的子项目旨在为电子转移途径的总体设计以及特定光合作用产氢途径的设计和进化提供所需的基本见解。该项目将开发和应用能够使停靠在类囊体膜上的光系统I的融合蛋白进化的方法。这种融合蛋白还将被设计和进化，以有效地将电子从光系统转移到[FeFe]氢酶。具体目标包括：(I)开发光合作用驱动的高通量体外产氢筛选；(Ii)设计铁氧还蛋白-氢酶融合酶，通过偶联到光系统I来产生氢气；(Iii)表征工程光合氢产生系统的生产力和氧气敏感性。更广泛的影响对培训和技术应用都是重要的。它将向包括少数族裔在内的不同学生群体传授合作、团队合作和沟通技能。该计划揭示的原则的更广泛应用可能重塑能源和化学工业，并有助于提供一个可持续的全球社会经济体系。

1264289 Swartz, James R.The long-term goal of this program is to engineer self-replicating bacterial systems to efficiently absorb sunlight and use the energy to split water and produce hydrogen. This crucial subproject is designed to provide fundamental insights required for the design of electron transfer pathways generally as well as the engineering and evolution of a specific photosynthetic hydrogen-producing pathway. The project will develop and apply methods that enable the evolution of a fusion protein that docks at photosystem I on a thylakoid membrane. The fusion protein will also be engineered and evolved to efficiently transfer electrons from the photosystem to an [FeFe] hydrogenase. The specific aims include (i)development of a high-throughput in vitro screen for hydrogen production driven by photosynthesis; (ii)engineering of a ferredoxin-hydrogenase fusion enzyme that produces hydrogen by coupling to photosystem I and (iii) the characterization of the productivity and oxygen sensitivity of the engineered photosynthetic hydrogen production system. The broader impacts are significant both for training and technological applications. It will teach collaboration, teamwork and communication skills to a diverse group of students including minorities. The broader application of the principles revealed by this program could reshape the energy and chemical industries and help to provide a sustainable global socio-economic system.