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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Chlamydomonas cells transition through distinct Fe nutrition stages within 48 h of transfer to Fe-free medium

Low iron (Fe) bioavailability can limit the biosynthesis of Fe-containing proteins, which are especially abundant in photosynthetic organisms, thus negatively affecting global primary productivity. Understanding cellular coping mechanisms under Fe limitation is therefore of great interest. We surveyed the temporal responses of Chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) cells transitioning from an Fe-rich to an Fe-free medium to document their short- and long-term adjustments. While slower growth, chlorosis and lower photosynthetic parameters are evident only after one or more days in Fe-free medium, the abundance of some transcripts, such as those for genes encoding transporters and enzymes involved in Fe assimilation, change within minutes, before changes in intracellular Fe content are noticeable, suggestive of a sensitive mechanism for sensing Fe. Promoter reporter constructs indicate a transcriptional component to this immediate primary response. With acetate provided as a source of reduced carbon, transcripts encoding respiratory components are maintained relative to transcripts encoding components of photosynthesis and tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, indicating metabolic prioritization of respiration over photosynthesis. In contrast to the loss of chlorophyll, carotenoid content is maintained under Fe limitation despite a decrease in the transcripts for carotenoid biosynthesis genes, indicating carotenoid stability. These changes occur more slowly, only after the intracellular Fe quota responds, indicating a phased response in Chlamydomonas, involving both primary and secondary responses during acclimation to poor Fe nutrition. Overall design: Sampling of Chlamydomonas CC-4532 cells cultivated photoheterotrophically (TAP) under Fe-starvation condition (0 uM Fe-EDTA). Samples were collected at multiple timepoints from biological duplicate cultures after washing in TAP medium lacking Fe. Two time courses were collected. A short time course with t=0 (pre-wash), 0 (post-wash), 5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 min. A long time course with t= 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 24 and 48 hours. Please note that, for long time course, the GSE44611/PRJNA190650 samples were re-used/re-analyzed together with the short time course data: GSM1087792 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_0_hours SRX245324 SAMN01924672 GSM1087793 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_0.5_hours SRX245325 SAMN01924673 GSM1087794 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_1_hours SRX245326 SAMN01924674 GSM1087795 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_2_hours SRX245327 SAMN01924675 GSM1087796 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_4_hours SRX245328 SAMN01924676 GSM1087797 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_8_hours SRX245329 SAMN01924677 GSM1087798 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_12_hours SRX245330 SAMN01924678 GSM1087799 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_24_hours SRX245331 SAMN01924679 GSM1087800 C.reinhardtii_Fe_Long_48_hours SRX245332 SAMN01924680

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tea consumption and risk of bladder cancer in the Bladder Cancer Epidemiology and Nutritional Determinants (BLEND) Study: Pooled analysis of 12 international cohort studies

Tea has been shown to be associated with reduced risk of several diseases including cardiovascular diseases, stroke, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. However, the results on the relationship between tea consumption and bladder cancer are conflicting. This research aimed to assess the association between tea consumption and risk of bladder cancer using a pooled analysis of prospective cohort data. Individual data from 532,949 participants in 12 cohort studies, were pooled for analyses. Cox regression models stratified by study centre was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% CIs. Fractional polynomial regression models were used to examine the dose–response relationship. A higher level of tea consumption was associated with lower risk of bladder cancer incidence (compared with no tea consumption: HR = 0.87, 95% C.I. = 0.77–0.98 for low consumption; HR = 0.86, 95% C.I. = 0.77–0.96 for moderate consumption; HR = 0.84, 95% C.I. = 0.75–0.95 for high consumption). When stratified by sex and smoking status, this reduced risk was statistically significant among men and current and former smokers. In addition, dose–response analyses showed a lower bladder cancer risk with increment of 100 ml of tea consumption per day (HR-increment = 0.97; 95% CI = 0.96–0.98). A similar inverse association was found among males, current and former smokers while never smokers and females showed non-significant results, suggesting potential sex-dependent effect. Higher consumption of tea is associated with reduced risk of bladder cancer with potential interaction with sex and smoking status. Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms for a protective effect of tea (e.g. inhibition of the survival and proliferation of cancer cells and anti-inflammatory mechanisms) and its interaction with smoking and sex.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

Biotechnological advances in algae-based foods: applications in nutrition and microbiome health

Algae are a sustainable, nutrient-rich resource with growing potential in food biotechnology. Their ability to thrive in diverse environments makes them a promising alternative to conventional crops. Rich in proteins, essential fatty acids, and bioactive compounds, algae support the development of functional foods, including plant-based meat and seafood alternatives. Advances in synthetic biology and fermentation have enhanced algal nutrient profiles and enabled novel applications. Algae-derived polysaccharides, such as alginate, fucoidan, laminarin, and porphyran, exhibit prebiotic effects by modulating the gut microbiota and promoting SCFA production. Enzymatic hydrolysis efficiently produces bioactive oligosaccharides, while engineered microbial systems support scalable production. Algae also enable synbiotic food development by serving as both prebiotic substrates and probiotic carriers.

Yu, Sora↗
DOE OSTI2024

Predicting nutrition and environmental factors associated with female reproductive disorders using a knowledge graph and random forests

Female reproductive disorders (FRDs) are common health conditions that may present with significant symptoms. Diet and environment are potential areas for FRD interventions. We utilized a knowledge graph (KG) method to predict factors associated with common FRDs (for example, endometriosis, ovarian cyst, and uterine fibroids). We harmonized survey data from the Personalized Environment and Genes Study (PEGS) on internal and external environmental exposures and health conditions with biomedical ontology content. We merged the harmonized data and ontologies with supplemental nutrient and agricultural chemical data to create a KG. We analyzed the KG by embedding edges and applying a random forest for edge prediction to identify variables potentially associated with FRDs. We also conducted logistic regression analysis for comparison. Across 9765 PEGS respondents, the KG analysis resulted in 8535 significant or suggestive predicted links between FRDs and chemicals, phenotypes, and diseases. Amongst these links, 32 were exact matches when compared with the logistic regression results, including comorbidities, medications, foods, and occupational exposures. Mechanistic underpinnings of predicted links documented in the literature may support some of our findings. Our KG methods are useful for predicting possible associations in large, survey-based datasets with added information on directionality and magnitude of effect from logistic regression. These results should not be construed as causal but can support hypothesis generation. This investigation enabled the generation of hypotheses on a variety of potential links between FRDs and exposures. Future investigations should prospectively evaluate the variables hypothesized to impact FRDs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2020

Penetration of foliar-applied Zn and its impact on apple plant nutrition status: in vivo evaluation by synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy

The absorption of foliar fertilizer is a complex process and is poorly understood. The ability to visualize and quantify the pathway that elements take following their application to leaf surfaces is critical for understanding the science and for practical applications of foliar fertilizers. By the use of synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence to analyze the in vivo localization of elements, our study aimed to investigate the penetration of foliar-applied Zn absorbed by apple leaves with different physiological surface properties, as well as the possible interactions between foliar Zn level and the mineral nutrient status of treated leaves. The results indicate that the absorption of foliar-applied Zn was largely dependent on plant leaf surface characteristics. High-resolution elemental maps revealed that the high binding capacity of the cell wall for Zn contributed to the observed limitation of Zn penetration across epidermal cells. Trichome density and stomatal aperture had opposite effects on Zn fertilizer penetration: a relatively high density of trichomes increased the hydrophobicity of leaves, whereas the presence of stomata facilitated foliar Zn penetration. Low levels of Zn promoted the accumulation of other mineral elements in treated leaves, and the complexation of Zn with phytic acid potentially occurred owing to exposure to high-Zn conditions. The present study provides direct visual evidence for the Zn penetration process across the leaf surface, which is important for the development of strategies for Zn biofortification in crop species.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Vegetable intake and the risk of bladder cancer in the BLadder Cancer Epidemiology and Nutritional Determinants (BLEND) international study

Although a potential inverse association between vegetable intake and bladder cancer risk has been reported, epidemiological evidence is inconsistent. This research aimed to elucidate the association between vegetable intake and bladder cancer risk by conducting a pooled analysis of data from prospective cohort studies. Vegetable intake in relation to bladder cancer risk was examined by pooling individual-level data from 13 cohort studies, comprising 3203 cases among a total of 555,685 participants. Pooled multivariate hazard ratios (HRs), with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs), were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression models stratified by cohort for intakes of total vegetable, vegetable subtypes (i.e. non-starchy, starchy, green leafy and cruciferous vegetables) and individual vegetable types. In addition, a diet diversity score was used to assess the association of the varied types of vegetable intake on bladder cancer risk. The association between vegetable intake and bladder cancer risk differed by sex ( P -interaction = 0.011) and smoking status ( P -interaction = 0.038); therefore, analyses were stratified by sex and smoking status. With adjustment of age, sex, smoking, energy intake, ethnicity and other potential dietary factors, we found that higher intake of total and non-starchy vegetables were inversely associated with the risk of bladder cancer among women (comparing the highest with lowest intake tertile: HR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64–0.98, P = 0.037 for trend, HR per 1 SD increment = 0.89, 95% CI = 0.81–0.99; HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.63–0.97, P = 0.034 for trend, HR per 1 SD increment = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.79–0.98, respectively). However, no evidence of association was observed among men, and the intake of vegetable was not found to be associated with bladder cancer when stratified by smoking status. Moreover, we found no evidence of association for diet diversity with bladder cancer risk. Higher intakes of total and non-starchy vegetable are associated with reduced risk of bladder cancer for women. Further studies are needed to clarify whether these results reflect causal processes and potential underlying mechanisms.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Two related families of metal transferases, ZNG1 and ZNG2, are involved in acclimation to poor Zn nutrition in Arabidopsis

Metal homeostasis has evolved to tightly modulate the availability of metals within the cell, avoiding cytotoxic interactions due to excess and protein inactivity due to deficiency. Even in the presence of homeostatic processes, however, low bioavailability of these essential metal nutrients in soils can negatively impact crop health and yield. While research has largely focused on how plants assimilate metals, acclimation to metal-limited environments requires a suite of strategies that are not necessarily involved in metal transport across membranes. The identification of these mechanisms provides a new opportunity to improve metal-use efficiency and develop plant foodstuffs with increased concentrations of bioavailable metal nutrients. Here, we investigate the function of two distinct subfamilies of the nucleotide-dependent metallochaperones (NMCs), named ZNG1 and ZNG2, that are found in plants, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a reference organism. AtZNG1 (AT1G26520) is an ortholog of human and fungal ZNG1, and like its previously characterized eukaryotic relatives, localizes to the cytosol and physically interacts with methionine aminopeptidase type I (AtMAP1A). Analysis of At ZNG1 , At MAP1A , At MAP2A , and At MAP2B transgenic mutants are consistent with the role of Arabidopsis ZNG1 as a Zn transferase for AtMAP1A, as previously described in yeast and zebrafish. Structural modeling reveals a flexible cysteine-rich loop that we hypothesize enables direct transfer of Zn from AtZNG1 to AtMAP1A during GTP hydrolysis. Based on proteomics and transcriptomics, loss of this ancient and conserved mechanism has pleiotropic consequences impacting the expression of hundreds of genes, including those involved in photosynthesis and vesicle transport. Members of the plant-specific family of NMCs, ZNG2A1 (AT1G80480) and ZNG2A2 (AT1G15730), are also required during Zn deficiency, but their target protein(s) remain to be discovered. In conclusion, RNA-seq analyses reveal wide-ranging impacts across the cell when the genes encoding these plastid-localized NMCs are disrupted.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗