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Deciphering interactions hypothesized to lead to high productivity in high pH-high alkalinity phototrophically driven microbial communities


EMSL Project ID
50943

Abstract

Developing algal-based biofuels and bioproducts is one of the goals of the Department of Energy-Bioenergy Technology Office (DOE-BETO). The work proposed here focuses on an algal strain, tentatively identified as Chlorella sorokiniana and obtained from Soap Lake (WA), capable of growing at high pH (~10.2) and high alkalinity. It has become evident that this strain likely has a synergistic relationship with bacteria and/or archaea, and interactions occur between these community members that appear to result in highly productive algal cultures. In order to understand and ultimately control these interactions for benefit, i.e. increased biofuel and bioproduct generation, the proposed project has the objectives to (1) characterize the microbial communities in algal cultures to identify algae-associated microbes, (2) visualize their potential relationships, (3) establish the metabolic potential of these communities, and (4) understand the type and extent of metabolic interactions within these algae-prokaryote communities using single cell and community-wide activity-based characterizations to map the flux and fate of carbon and nitrogen.

The world-class electron microscopy and imaging mass spectrometry instrumentation and expertise available at DOE's Environmental Molecular Science Laboratory (EMSL) combined with the single cell separation and sequencing expertise at the Joint Genome Institute (JGI) as well as the specialized equipment and expertise at Montana State University (MSU) are essential for this effort. The resident expertise and existing collaborations between MSU, EMSL and JGI researchers provides the proposed work with great potential to lead to transformative insights into inter-organismal interactions important for biofuel and bioproduct generation. If successful, this project will contribute towards drastically reducing the cost of algal-based biofuel and bioproduct generation.

In specific, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes, a Helium Ion microscope, a nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry and a time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging instrument will be used at EMSL along with a Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) instrument. At the JGI, this project will rely on cell sorting and sample preparation expertise as well as Illumina sequencing technology, while confocal laser and Raman microscopy along with laser tweezers, fluorescently activated cell sorting, and LCM will support the efforts at MSU.

Project Details

Project type
FICUS Research
Start Date
2019-10-01
End Date
2022-06-30
Status
Closed

Team

Principal Investigator

Robin Gerlach
Institution
Montana State University

Team Members

Huyen Bui
Institution
Montana State University

Neerja Zambare
Institution
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory