A grant has been awarded to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center under the direction of Dr. Xuemin Wang for partial support of a liquid-chromatography mass spectrometer. This instrument will be used for the sensitive and efficient analysis of plant cellular metabolites and small molecules. For some projects, this instrument will provide quantitation and structural elucidation of compounds, whereas instrument sensitivity is needed by other projects to detect low abundance compounds or to resolve chemically similar metabolites. The analysis of metabolites in plants is a critical component for the elucidation of gene and protein function and for advancing plant biological research.
The acquisition of this instrument will provide an excellent opportunity to integrate state-of-the-art research and education. It will enable the training of postdoctoral associates, graduate and undergraduate students in the emerging field of metabolite profiling. The research activities in this application will serve as a functional platform to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in scientific research. This state-of-the-art liquid-chromatography mass spectrometer will support the research efforts of NSF-funded and other scientists at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Washington University, and University of Missouri-St. Louis. The research projects that this instrument will support include: 1) analysis of cellular mediators in signaling complexes and identification of new lipid species to expand lipidomics capabilities; 2) metabolite profiling of xylem sap composition in maize subjected to drought stress; 3) sphingolipid composition and metabolism in plants; 4) nucleotides and inositol phosphates as signaling molecules in stress adaptation and hormone responses; 5) metabolic engineering of secondary metabolism, primarily isoflavone biosynthesis; 6) hormones and chemicals involved in plant and pathogen interactions; 7) phytohormones in Arabidopsis seedling development in response to light; 8) molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of phytochelatins, a class of heavy metal detoxifying peptides in plants; 9) phytochemicals involved in plant resistance to nematode infection.
The Danforth Center hosts undergraduate students during the summer in internship programs sponsored by NSF (REU) and USDA (SIP) and high school teachers through the NSF (RET). The REU program reached greater than 30% participation of under-represented groups in 2004 and 35% in 2005. The Danforth Center and participating Universities are committed to promoting science through high quality research and through public understanding of scientific research. The Center's outreach activities also include various science projects with the St. Louis Science Center and science enrichment opportunities for K-12 students. The Center also has an active international research and training program in which scientists from developing countries who visit the Center to live and work in an environment of cutting edge research. Increased knowledge in this emerging field of plant metabolomics will also lead to the engineering of foods with enhanced nutritional characteristics and health benefits.
