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DOE Pulse
  • Number 330  |
  • February 7, 2011

Even algae get stressed

Scientists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Washington University in St. Louis, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Texas Tech University conducted a large-scale analysis of an alga called Synechocystis 6803 under 33 environmental conditions.

Scientists from Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory,
Washington University in
St. Louis, The Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, and
Texas Tech University
conducted a large-scale analysis
of an alga called Synechocystis
6803 under 33 environmental
conditions.

Typically pampered to obtain fast, high-yield reactions, blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, rarely face real-world conditions in the laboratory; so, scientists from DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and three universities conducted a large-scale analysis of an algae under 33 stressful environmental conditions. They discovered that, regardless of the type of stress or duration, the cyanobacterium immediately activates alternate pathways to acquire the carbon and nitrogen it needs for survival.

Cyanobacteria are responsible for nearly half of the photosynthesis necessary for sustaining life on earth, yet many aspects of their physiology remain poorly understood. In this study, the scientists used mass spectrometers at DOE’s EMSL to produce a high-quality dataset that covers 53 percent of the predicted proteome or the full complement of proteins produced by the organism. This is the most comprehensive protein-based functional and quantitative analysis for any photosynthetic organism to date.

This more detailed, realistic understanding of cyanobacteria will allow engineers to use them more effectively in the generation of renewable, carbon-neutral biofuels. This work was supported as part of the Membrane Biology Scientific Grand Challenge at EMSL.

[Kristin Manke, 509.372.6011
Kristin.manke@pnl.gov]