• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
ERN: Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM

ERN: Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM

  • About
    • About AAAS
    • About the NSF
    • About the Conference
    • Partners/Supporters
    • Project Team
  • Conference
  • Abstracts
    • Undergraduate Abstract Locator
    • Graduate Abstract Locator
    • Abstract Submission Process
    • Presentation Schedules
    • Abstract Submission Guidelines
    • Presentation Guidelines
  • Travel Awards
  • Resources
    • Award Winners
    • Code of Conduct-AAAS Meetings
    • Code of Conduct-ERN Conference
    • Conference Agenda
    • Conference Materials
    • Conference Program Books
    • ERN Photo Galleries
    • Events | Opportunities
    • Exhibitor Info
    • HBCU-UP/CREST PI/PD Meeting
    • In the News
    • NSF Harassment Policy
    • Plenary Session Videos
    • Professional Development
    • Science Careers Handbook
    • Additional Resources
    • Archives
  • Engage
    • Webinars
    • ERN 10-Year Anniversary Videos
    • Plenary Session Videos
  • Contact Us
  • Login

Overexpression of a Dual Function FBPase/SBPase to Improve Algal Growth

Undergraduate #85
Discipline: Biological Sciences
Subcategory: Genetics

Ayana Mitchell - University of Maryland Baltimore County


Algal biofuels are an environmentally sustainable alternative to currently used and diminishing fossil fuels because they can be obtained directly from biomass derived from carbon dioxide (CO2) and sunlight. Increasing the photosynthetic activity of algae can increase their growth rate and biomass. One way to increase photosynthetic activity is to improve the Calvin cycle, a photosynthetic pathway of enzymatic reactions that convert CO2 and the energy of sunlight into sugars. Dual-function fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase/sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphatase (DFS) is a cyanobacterial enzyme that works to regenerate ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) in the regeneration phase of the Calvin cycle. Previously others found that overexpressing this cyanobacterial protein that possesses two Calvin cycle enzyme activities, could significantly improve plant biomass production. The goal of this project is to determine whether overexpressing this dual-function enzyme has the same effect in algae. We have generated C. reinhardtii transformants that contain the coding region for DFS (with flag-epitope tag) under the control of psbD and psbA 5’ and 3’ regulatory sequences, respectively, integrated into the chloroplast genome. We used western blotting to analyze transformants and found that they accumulate a flag-tagged protein that migrates at ~38 kDa, very near the expected size of 40 kDa for flag-tagged DFS. No flag protein of this size appears in untransformed controls so we conclude we have succeeded in expressing DFS in the C. reinhardtii chloroplast. We will proceed by comparing the growth of these transformants with wild C. reinhardtii. If expression of DFS leads to increased growth rate, then we would conclude that DFS carries out one or more rate-limiting steps in the Calvin cycle. If that is the case, we ultimately will overexpress DFS in a biotechnology production organism like Chlorella, in hopes of improving it as a biofuel-producing organism.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): These results were obtained as a part of the Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. This program is funded by a grant (REM supplement to NSF-EFRI-1332344) from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Directorate for Engineering (ENG) Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation (EFRI).

Faculty Advisor: Stephen Miller, stmiller@umbc.edu

Role: I conducted the examination of the protein expression through western blot analysis. This portion of the project was important because it was the determining factor in whether or not DFS was correctly expressed in the algal cells. What we found was that DFS was correctly expressed in the chloroplast of C. reinhardtii.

Sidebar

Abstract Locators

  • Undergraduate Abstract Locator
  • Graduate Abstract Locator

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. DUE-1930047. Any opinions, findings, interpretations, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of its authors and do not represent the views of the AAAS Board of Directors, the Council of AAAS, AAAS’ membership or the National Science Foundation.

AAAS

1200 New York Ave, NW
Washington,DC 20005
202-326-6400
Contact Us
About Us

  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

The World’s Largest General Scientific Society

Useful Links

  • Membership
  • Careers at AAAS
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Focus Areas

  • Science Education
  • Science Diplomacy
  • Public Engagement
  • Careers in STEM

Focus Areas

  • Shaping Science Policy
  • Advocacy for Evidence
  • R&D Budget Analysis
  • Human Rights, Ethics & Law

© 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science