Two More Young Scientists!

Following up on my previous blog post, I set out to interview a couple more Intel Science Talent Search finalists whose projects were related to microbiology! Meet Kalia (pictures on right), and Augustine (pictures on left). Their research projects are fascinating and have enormous potential to change the field of microbiology - and the world - in many different ways. Here's what they have to say.

1. What was your research about? How do you think your research can advance the field of microbiology?

Kalia: My research focuses on a lethal and destructive agricultural parasite, the root knot nematode, or RKN. Currently, this parasite as no control strategy except for toxic fumigation. In my work, I identified a protein secreted by these parasites which manipulates the plant defense system and is a primary causative agent in the infection -- the fatty acid and retinol binding protein (FAR). By creating plants that suppress this protein, we saw a decrease in RKN development indicating this protein as a novel target for genetically modified crops with nematode resistance.

Augustine: Algal biodiesel may present a carbon-neutral, consumer-friendly alternative to petroleum, but this technology has been limited by insufficient oil yields in today's algal strains. In my work, I studied the oil accumulation behavior of microalgae, specifically examining the factors that trigger accumulation of the biodiesel precursor triacylglycerol (TAG) when cells are subjected to nutrient stress. My research tested the ‘safety valve' theory of TAG synthesis, which is that TAG synthesis prevents reactive oxygen species from forming in the chloroplast by consuming electrons within the photosynthetic membrane. Upon blocking TAG accumulation in microalgal cells, I showed that electrons accumulated to dangerous levels in the photosynthetic apparatus.

This work addresses a central contradiction in the way that we use algae as an oil feedstock today: oil accumulation can only commence when the algae are starved. By directly activating the pathway that senses electron accumulation and activates TAG synthesis, however, it is now possible to unlink nutrient stress and oil production so that biodiesel can be produced without curtailing growth. I hope that this research will ultimately help biodiesel become a viable and clean challenger to fossil fuels.

2. What got you interested in your research?

Kalia: I became interested in plant sciences in the seventh grade when I learned about plant pheromone communication and defense (strangely, from Jurassic Park). I was interested in learning more about it in the context of hopefully using these defenses as sources for ecological agricultural protection.

Augustine: I believe that environmental conservation is a human responsibility and obligation. Irresponsible use of fossil fuels isn't just poisoning our environment, but also making it harder for us to survive and to use our planet's resources. We need alternatives to fossil fuels that are truly viable for consumers. Algal biodiesel has the potential to be such an alternative. Because biodiesel is compatible with existing diesel engines and infrastructure, it doesn't require us to buy new cars or build new fuel stations. As I delved into the literature about clean fuels in my sophomore year, it was this promise of algal biodiesels as a "plug-and-play" alternative to gasoline that motivated me to pursue my work. I was aware that algal biodiesels aren't yet competitive with gasoline on cost, and it was when I went looking for ways to maximize oil yield in algal cultures that I arrived at the ‘safety valve' theory that became the basis for my project.

3. What do you find interesting about microbiology?

Kalia: While this project is not strictly speaking a microbiology project, plant and agricultural sciences are heavily entrenched in that field because many of the largest threats to agriculture come from bacteria. I find it a fascinating subject because of how much we can learn and gain from these organisms. Microbes also pose some of the largest threats and require increasingly creative solutions as our conventional ones become obsolete.

Augustine: Individual cells are the bricks and mortar of the living world we experience daily; a large part of biology happens at the bottom. I'm personally inspired by the scale of the macro advances that we can effect by making tweaks at the micro level. Increasing the number of oil bodies in a single cell by thirty percent translates to an increase in thousands of barrels of biodiesel in an industrial vat and changing the genome of a single cell can save the life of an entire human. Microbiology can achieve enormous feats - including, perhaps, saving the planet. Cells are also immensely interesting in themselves. Especially in unicellular organisms, an astounding amount of function is packed into a tiny amount of space. Very little human technology operates this effectively, and we have a lot to learn from biological machinery. Natural metabolic products, from enzymes to TAG, can be easily and cheaply obtained from cells. I believe that research that enhances our ability to use cellular processes has great transformational potential.

(All photos by SSP, used with permission)