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EMSL Scientific Grand Challenge: Membrane Biology

Membrane Biology GC Resources

Cyanothece 51142
Cyanothece 51142 (~3-4μm)

Membrane Biology researchers are using a systems approach to understand the network of genes and proteins that govern the structure and function of membranes and their components responsible for photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). A systems approach integrates all temporal information into a predictive, dynamic model to understand the function of a cell and the cellular membranes. These microorganisms make significant contributions to harvesting solar energy, planetary carbon sequestration, metal acquisition, and hydrogen production in marine and freshwater ecosystems. Cyanobacteria are also model microorganisms for studying the fixation of carbon dioxide through photosynthesis at the biomolecular level. The results of this Grand Challenge will provide the first comprehensive systems-level understanding of how environmental conditions influence key carbon fixation processes at the gene-protein-organism level. This Grand Challenge topic was selected because it addresses critical U.S. Department of Energy science needs, provides model microorganisms to apply high-throughput biology and computational modeling, and takes advantage of EMSL's experimental and computational capabilities.

Goals

Briefly stated, the goals of the Membrane Biology Scientific Grand Challenge are:

  1. To investigate global biological carbon sequestration processes in Synechocystis 6803 and Cyanothece 51142.
  2. To answer the question: How do the structure and dynamics of key membrane proteins regulate energy transduction, photosynthesis, hydrogen production, and metal ion homeostasis, and how is this regulation affected by the environment?
  3. To develop software tools useful for #1 and #2.

Ultimately, the goal of the Membrane Biology Grand Challenge is to be able to engineer oxygenic photosynthetic microbes with enhanced carbon sequestration abilities.

All Related Publications Related Publications

  1. Insights into the structural variation between pentapeptide repeat proteins - Crystal structure of Rfr23 from Cyanothece 51142.
  2. Backbone 1H, 13C, and 15N NMR assignments for the Cyanothece 51142 protein cce_0567: a protein associated with nitrogen fixation in the DUF683 family.
  3. Differential Transcriptional Analysis of the Cyanobacterium Cyanothece sp. Strain ATCC 51142 during Light-Dark and Continuous-Light Growth.
  4. Fluctuating Two-State Light Harvesting in a Photosynthetic Membrane.
  5. The Structure of a Cyanobacterial Bicarbonate Transport Protein, CmpA.

Contact: Dave Koppenaal | | (509) 371-6549