Collaborative Research: Artificial Photosynthesis Based on Archaeal Lipids and Proteins for Biofuels

主要研究者：百盛冲号：1437930非技术性描述该项目的目标是开发一种人工光合作用装置，最终能够直接从二氧化碳和阳光中生产可发酵糖。 这些糖将作为生物燃料生产的可再生原料。 将光合作用的捕光蛋白和能量转化酶重构为脂质膜以用于光驱动合成由二氧化碳制造糖所需的化学能量载体的概念已经已知多年。然而，低的能量转换效率和差的长期稳定性阻碍了该方法的进一步发展。该项目将使用新型生物材料制造新的人工光合作用装置，其长期稳定性和能量转换效率将大大提高。 研究活动还将为培训研究生和本科生提供多学科项目。 这是坦普尔大学、北卡罗来纳州州立大学和德雷克塞尔大学之间的合作项目。技术说明该项目的目标是开发一种人工光合作用平台，该平台使用从嗜热嗜酸古菌中分离的双极四醚脂质和膜蛋白。 该研究将研究这种人工光合作用平台的生物化学和生物物理特性，并开发一种微流体装置，作为设计、制造和评估潜在的高效、耐用的膜基人工光合作用系统的工具。该系统将支持开发一种能够将阳光，二氧化碳和水转化为碳水化合物以生产生物燃料的过程。 从古菌酸热硫化叶菌分离的极性脂质组分E将用作膜基质。这些脂质非常稳定且无毒。 ATP合酶也将从相同的嗜热嗜酸菌中分离，其旨在为重构的蛋白质膜系统提供稳定性并提高ATP合成的总产率。 微流控芯片将开发，以适应细菌视紫红质/ATP合成酶/古菌脂质膜系统。将单独测量古细菌脂质平面膜中细菌视紫红质的质子泵送效率、系统的ATP合成效率以及从ATP到甘油醛-3-磷酸的碳固定效率，以评估人工光合作用平台的性能。 研究活动还将为培训研究生和本科生提供多学科项目。

Principal Investigator: Parkson ChongNumber: 1437930Nontechnical DescriptionThe goal of this project is to develop an artificial photosynthesis device to ultimately enable the production of fermentable sugars directly from carbon dioxide and sunlight. These sugars would serve as the renewable feedstock for biofuels production. The concept of reconstituting light harvesting proteins and energy conversion enzymes of photosynthesis into lipid membranes for light driven synthesis of chemical energy carriers required to make sugars from carbon dioxide has been known for many years. However, the low energy conversion efficiency and poor long term stability have hindered further development of this approach. This project will make new artificial photosynthesis devices using novel biomaterials with much improved long-term stability and energy conversion efficiency. The research activities will also provide multidisciplinary project for training graduate and undergraduate students. This is a collaborative project between Temple University, North Carolina State University, and Drexel University.Technical DescriptionThe goal of this project is to develop an artificial photosynthesis platform that uses bipolar tetra-ether lipids and membrane proteins isolated from thermoacidophilic archaea.integrated into a microfluidic device. The research will study the biochemical and biophysical properties of this artificial photosynthesis platform, and develop a microfluidic device that will serve as a tool to design, fabricate, and evaluate a potentially efficient and durable membrane-based artificial photosynthesis system. This system would support the development of a process that would be capable of converting sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into carbohydrates for the production of biofuels. The polar lipid fraction E isolated from the archaeon Sulfolobus acidocaldarius will be used as the membrane matrix. These lipids are extremely stable and non-toxic. An ATP synthase will also be isolated from the same thermoacidophile, which is intended to provide stability to the reconstituted protein membrane system and enhance the overall yield of ATP synthesis. Microfluidic chips will be developed to accommodate the bacteriorhodopsin/ATP synthase/archaeal lipid membrane system. The proton pumping efficiency of bacteriorhodopsin in archaeal lipid planar membranes, the ATP synthesis efficiency of the system, and the carbon-fixation efficiency from ATP to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate will be individually measured to assess the performance of the artificial photosynthesis platform. The research activities will also provide multidisciplinary project for training graduate and undergraduate students.