With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division is funding Professor Alison Butler from the University of California, Santa Barbara to investigate the properties of compounds called catechol-siderophores that are produced by bacteria. The compounds are similar to the molecules that make it possible for mussels to cling tenaciously to rocks in the ocean. This research examines the reasons for the recently discovered properties that allow mussels to cling even to slick, wet surfaces. This project may provide an understanding of the biological phenomenon and may lead to the design of compounds that can adhere even under water. The role of catechol-siderophores in iron acquisition by bacteria is also investigated. This research project provides broad multidisciplinary training for graduate and undergraduate students. Professor Butler and her students are involved in outreach workshops including, CAMP (California Alliance for Minority Participation), an NSF-funded program supporting minority undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, and SCOPE (Science as a Career Outreach Project Experiment), a program for graduate students to talk in local high schools about undergraduate and graduate education and the value of the sciences as a career choice.
The research is investigates siderophores and analogs containing both catechol and amine functional groups that mimic the strong wet adhesive properties of mussel foot proteins. The overall goals of the first part of this proposal are to elucidate the synergistic role of the catechol and the amine functionalities in displacing the interfacial hydration layer that develops on mineral surfaces leading to robust adhesion. The approach is to design and investigate the surface adhesive properties of new biomimetic compounds through direct force measurements with a surface forces apparatus. The goals of the second part of this research are to investigate the biosynthesis, uptake, and iron(III) release mechanisms of acylated tetra L-serine, and tris-catechol siderophores through investigation of key fatty acid coenzyme A ligases, outer membrane receptor proteins, and esterases identified in the genomes of the producing bacteria.
