Single Cell Lipid Turnover Analysis in Advanced Biofuel Microorganisms by nano-SIMS (sc-LTA)
EMSL Project ID
48180
Abstract
Sustainable supersonic jets and race cars have become a reality due to the microbial production of advanced biofuels and their ‘drop in’ compatibility with the existing transportation infrastructure. However, economically viable production of advanced biofuels is not yet attainable, contrary to the dominant feedstock derived bioethanol supplements. In addressing these shortcomings, oleaginous microorganisms and their genetic engineering are generating considerable excitement. These act as micro-factories that de novo synthesize oils in the form of lipid droplets, which in turn can be readily processed into a variety of products, including biofuels. Despite substantial progress in manipulating microbial metabolism however, key aspects of lipid droplet biology are still unknown, such as the formation and growth of lipid droplets. Clearly, insight into this uncharted territory is urgently needed if advanced biofuels are to help addressing our society’s economic and environmental challenges. To provide such insights, we propose to image the metabolism of such oleaginous microorganisms with atomic resolution, and hence directly map lipid droplet biological processes. Our strategy is single cell Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (nano-SIMS) imaging. At the single cell level, the population heterogeneity will be unmasked, revealing the spatiotemporal fluctuations of lipid and protein metabolism, as enabled by the unprecedented resolution and specificity of nano-SIMS.
Project Details
Start Date
2014-01-17
End Date
2014-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
Related Publications
Vasdekis A.E., H. Alanazi, A.M. Silverman, C.J. Williams, A.J. Canul, J.B. Cliff, and A. Dohnalkova, et al. 2019. "Eliciting the Impacts of Cellular Noise on Metabolic Trade-offs by Quantitative Mass Imaging." Nature Communications 10, no. 1:Article No. 848. PNNL-SA-141117. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-08717-w