Focus
Spotlight
July 29/August 5, 2002
$15 Million Received to Study Bacteria for Cleaning Environment, Producing Energy
Grant Is Part of Department of Energy's $103 Million Genomes to Life Program
 George Church Photo by Graham Ramsay |
"It's very exciting being part of such a truly interdisciplinary team applying computational biology and genomics to the urgent issues of global energy and ecology," said George Church, who will head the consortium and who, at HMS, is a professor of genetics and director of the Lipper Center for Computational Genetics. He is also a member of the Harvard/MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology.
The HMS consortium will examine the bacteria Prochlorococcus, Pseudomonas, and Caulobacter. Prochlorococcus, a simple blue-green algae, is involved in 40 percent of the photosynthesis on Earth, removing from the atmosphere carbon dioxide--which is linked to global warming--and producing oxygen. Pseudomonas, though a significant human pathogen, is also one of the most versatile biochemical factories in the world. It performs more different chemical reactions than almost any other organism and may be able to handle a range of toxic waste. Caulobacter is known as a scavenger of compounds, especially in low water concentrations.
Other members of the consortium are Sallie Chisholm, MIT professor of biology and of civil and environmental engineering; Martin Polz, MIT assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering; Fred Ausubel, HMS professor of genetics; Roberto Kolter, HMS professor of microbiology and molecular genetics; and Raju Kucherlapati, HMS professor of genetics and the scientific director of the HMS-Partners Center for Genetics and Genomics.
The researchers, using the previously defined bacterial genomes, will seek to define each organism's proteome, its complete set of protein interactions. The scientists also will examine the bugs'interrelationships with their environment. By studying both systems, the investigators will try to discover ways of genetically engineering the microorganisms to neutralize hazardous chemical waste and other environmental threats and possibly to serve as energy sources.
"These microorganisms can be thought of as nanomachines," Church said. "By knowing their genomes as we do, we have a linear computer tape, or code, that in principle tells us how to assemble the machines. But we need to study the machines themselves, to move beyond a one-dimensional understanding to a three-dimensional view to learn how we can help the machine to do the right thing for humans and the ecosystem."
The 10-year goal of the Genomes to Life program is to make advances in systems biology, computation, and technology that will contribute to increased sources of biologically based energy, help understand the Earth's carbon cycle and enhance carbon capture, and lead to more cost-effective ways to clean up the environment.
--John Lacey