Deciphering Microbial Communication Through Metabolites
EMSL Project ID
50052
Abstract
This project will establish a Metabolomics Center at PNNL that will develop the advanced measurement capabilities necessary to define the metabolic processes of microbiomes and determine how these processes change due to perturbation. Importantly, the Metabolomics Center will integrate various metabolomics capabilities and advanced technologies at PNNL under a unified scientific vision with the goal of enabling the identification of the mechanisms by which microorganisms in complex communities communicate and interact at the molecular level with each other, with plant and animal hosts, and with their environments. The objectives of the Metabolomics Center are to 1) determine the relative influence of direct (e.g. via secondary metabolites) versus indirect (e.g. via changes in microbial community metabolite pools) microbial communication and interaction through metabolites and other small molecules, 2) increase the identification coverage of the metabolomes of microbial communities, their hosts, and/or their environments, and 3) identify the mechanisms by which metabolites involved in communication and interaction are generated, transported, and sequestered within microbial communities.We will rely on traditional (GC-MS and NMR) and advanced measurement platforms unique to PNNL (LC-IMS-MS and LC-FTICR MS) to obtain comprehensive metabolomics data from analyses of various microbiomes (e.g. soil and gut). Through application of these technologies, we will establish capabilities for evaluating metabolic models of microbial communities and for identifying the mechanisms for microbial communication through metabolite exchange. We will also establish a knowledgebase of metabolomics data and associated experimental metadata for hypothesis testing and generation. Finally, we will identify the molecular machinery responsible for metabolite production, transport, and metabolism within microbial communities.
Project Details
Start Date
2017-10-23
End Date
2018-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Roy Chowdhury T, LM Bramer, DW Hoyt, YM Kim, TO Metz, LA McCue, HL Diefenderfer, JK Jansson, and VL Bailey. 2018. "Temporal dynamics of CO2 and CH4 loss potentials in response to rapid hydrological shifts in tidal freshwater wetland soils." Ecological Engineering 114:104-114. doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2017.06.041
Sharon G., N.J. Cruz, D. Kang, M. Gandal, B. Wang, Y. Kim, and E.M. Zink, et al. 2019. "Human Gut Microbiota from Autism Spectrum Disorder Promote Behavioral Symptoms in Mice." Cell 177, no. 6:1600-1618. PNNL-SA-131563. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2019.05.004