Exploring and developing new sustainable resources to counter increasing consumption has become a focus of research efforts in the academic and private sector. Considerable hope in meeting these challenges has been placed on using photosynthetic organisms that are able to collect carbon dioxide and use it to create important natural products. Diatoms are microalgae responsible for approximately 20% of global photosynthesis, are attractive biofuel candidates based on their cellular composition. They also generate large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids; important nutrients in the human diet but the demand is stressing global fisheries. However, our understanding of diatom metabolism is not on par with their potential to address these societal challenges. This research, performed in conjunction with Dr. Yusuke Matsuda at the Kwansei Gyakuin University, Sanda Japan, will address fundamental aspects of this discrepancy. Using state-of-the-art metabolic computer modeling coupled with Dr. Matsuda's diatom biology expertise, the details of diatom metabolism will be investigated. The results will increase our fundamental understanding of diatom biology enabling new microalgae solutions to sustainability challenges.
A recent investigation into the metabolic capabilities of the model diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum revealed several key metabolic enzymes were predicted to be simultaneously sorted to multiple intracellular compartments. This research will experimentally determine the exact compartmentalization and investigate the possibility of dual or dynamic targeting of these key enzymes. Using a genome-scale metabolic model of P. tricornutum, the phenotypic impact of differential localization of these enzymes will be analyzed and used to drive experimental design. Fluorescent protein tagged enzyme constructs of these enzymes will be developed by the Matusda lab. Diatoms cultured under the in silico determined experimental conditions will be analyzed by fluorescent microscopy to determine the in vivo localization of the proteins. The results will be contextualized by refining the genome-scale model and the implications of enzyme localization will be extended to other environments via in silico simulations. The output from this research will elucidate core aspects of diatom central metabolism.
This award under the East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes program supports summer research by a U.S. graduate student and is jointly funded by NSF and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.
