Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “microbiology”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Molecular insights and future frontiers in cell photosensitization for solar-driven CO 2 conversion

The conversion of CO 2 to value-added products powered with solar energy is an ideal solution to establishing a closed carbon cycle. Combining microorganisms with light-harvesting nanomaterials into photosynthetic biohybrid systems (PBSs) presents an approach to reaching this solution. Metabolic pathways precisely evolved for CO 2 fixation selectively and reliably generate products. Nanomaterials harvest solar light and biocompatibly associate with microorganisms owing to similar lengths scales. Although this is a nascent field, a variety of approaches have been implemented encompassing different microorganisms and nanomaterials. To advance the field in an impactful manner, it is paramount to understand the molecular underpinnings of PBSs. In this perspective, we highlight studies inspecting charge uptake pathways and singularities in photosensitized cells. We discuss further analyses to more completely elucidate these constructs, and we focus on criteria to be met for designing photosensitizing nanomaterials. As a result, we advocate for the pairing of microorganisms with naturally occurring and highly biocompatible mineral-based semiconductor nanomaterials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Phage Foundry Framework to Systematically Develop Viral Countermeasures to Combat Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Pathogens

At its current rate, the rise of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections is predicted to paralyze our industries and healthcare facilities while becoming the leading global cause of loss of human life. With limited new antibiotics on the horizon, we need to invest in alternative solutions. Bacteriophages (phages)–viruses targeting bacteria–offer a powerful alternative approach to tackle bacterial infections. Despite recent advances in using phages to treat recalcitrant AMR infections, the field lacks systematic development of phage therapies scalable to different applications. We propose a Phage Foundry framework to establish metrics for phage characterization and to fill the knowledge and technological gaps in phage therapeutics. Coordinated investment in AMR surveillance, sampling, characterization, and data sharing procedures will enable rational exploitation of phages for treatments. A fully realized Phage Foundry will enhance the sharing of knowledge, technology, and viral reagents in an equitable manner and will accelerate the biobased economy.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

Practical and thermodynamic constraints on electromicrobially accelerated CO 2 mineralization

By the end of the century, tens of gigatonnes of CO 2 will need to be removed from the atmosphere every year to maintain global temperatures. Natural weathering of ultramafic rocks and subsequent mineralization reactions can convert CO 2 into ultra-stable carbonates. Although this will draw down all excess CO 2 , it will take thousands of years. CO 2 mineralization could be accelerated by weathering ultramafic rocks with biodegradable lixiviants. We show that if these lixiviants come from cellulosic biomass, this demand could monopolize the world’s biomass supply. We demonstrate that electromicrobial production technologies (EMP) that combine renewable electricity and microbial metabolism could produce lixiviants for as little as $\$200$ to $\$400$ per tonne at solar electricity prices achievable within the decade. We demonstrate that EMP could make enough lixiviants to sequester a tonne of CO 2 for less than $\$100$. This work highlights the potential of this approach and the need for extensive R&D.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Metatranscriptomics analysis reveals a novel transcriptional and translational landscape during Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection

Among all RNA viruses, coronavirus RNA transcription is the most complex and involves a process termed “discontinuous transcription” that results in the production of a set of 3'-nested, co-terminal genomic and subgenomic RNAs during infection. While the expression of the classic canonical set of subgenomic RNAs depends on the recognition of a 6- to 7-nt transcription regulatory core sequence (TRS), here, we use deep sequence and metagenomics analysis strategies and show that the coronavirus transcriptome is even more vast and more complex than previously appreciated and involves the production of leader-containing transcripts that have canonical and noncanonical leader-body junctions. Moreover, by ribosome protection and proteomics analyses, we show that both positive- and negative-sense transcripts are translationally active. The data support the hypothesis that the coronavirus proteome is much vaster than previously noted in the literature.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2026

Agnostic capture of pathogens for the detection and diagnostics of emerging threats

The continued emergence of pathogens, whether novel, re-emerging, or engineered, poses a persistent global biosecurity and public health challenge. Recent outbreaks, including COVID-19, Lassa fever, Marburg virus, mpox, and avian influenza, underscore the urgent need for robust systems that enable rapid surveillance, early diagnosis, and timely countermeasures before widespread human transmission occurs. In this article, we focus on early detection technologies and systematically evaluate current diagnostic and sensing modalities. We highlight sequencing and spectroscopy as two complementary approaches capable of providing broad, agnostic detection and rich biological insight. Our analysis emphasizes that scientific innovation alone is insufficient: effective preparedness also requires improved data curation, integration, and sharing to build AI-ready resources that accelerate future responses. We argue for coordinated advances in both technological capabilities and supporting infrastructure to enable the rapid identification and characterization of emerging pathogens and to fully leverage modern science against evolving infectious threats.

Environmental health↗
DOE OSTI2026

Origin of replication discovery for environmentally isolated Pantoea strain enables expression of heterologous proteins, pathways and products

Leveraging predicted origin sequences from a previously characterized groundwater plasmidome, we constructed a barcoded plasmid library to screen for previously unknown origins. Testing this library against a panel of representative bacterial strains led to the identification of 3 previously unknown origins that replicate in gram-negative bacteria not previously associated with these origin sequences. Experimental validation confirmed that a plasmid bearing origin 6911 as the sole origin could replicate with a copy number of 9 (±2) in Pantoea sp. MT58, a fast growing and metal tolerant, environmentally important bacterium. Plasmids based on this new origin were used to express the reporter protein GFP, and non-native metabolite pathways for the natural product indigoidine and the terpenoid compound isoprenol. Functional previously unknown origins of replication in such non-model organisms can expand the toolkit for genetic manipulations of both model and less-studied bacteria.

molecular biology↗
DOE OSTI2025

A cobalamin-dependent pathway of choline demethylation from the human gut acetogen Eubacterium limosum

Elevated serum levels of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) are reported to promote the development of atherosclerosis. TMAO is produced by hepatic oxidation of trimethylamine (TMA) produced by the gut microbiome from dietary quaternary amines such as choline. Net TMA production in the gut depends on microbial enzymes that either produce or consume TMA and its precursors. Here we report the elucidation of a novel microbial pathway consuming choline without TMA production. The human gut acetogen Eubacterium limosum grows by demethylating choline to N-N-dimethylaminoethanol. Quantitative mass spectral analysis of the proteome revealed a multi-protein choline to tetrahydrofolate (THF) methyltransferase system present only in choline-grown cells. The components are encoded in a gene cluster on the genome and include MthB, an MttB superfamily member; MthC, homologous to methylotrophic cobalamin-binding proteins; MthA, homologous to cobalamin:THF methyltransferases; and MthK, a protein related to serine kinases. Together, MthB, MthC, and MthA methylate THF with phosphocholine, but not choline or other quaternary amines. MthB specifically methylates Co(I)-MthC with phosphocholine. MthK acts as a bifunctional choline kinase which can utilize ATP or the MthB demethylation product, N,N-dimethylaminoethanol phosphate, to phosphorylate choline. Together, MthK, MthB, MthC, and MthA are proposed to carry out the methylation of THF with choline. These results outline a THF methylation pathway in which choline is first activated with ATP to phosphocholine prior to demethylation to form N,N-dimethylaminoethanol phosphate. Furthermore, the latter can be recycled by MthK to form more phosphocholine without expending additional ATP, thus minimizing energy utilization during choline-dependent acetogenesis.

acetogenesis↗
DOE OSTI2021

Recombinant expression of computationally designed peptide-bundlemers in Escherichia coli

Computational design of fully artificial peptides is extensively researched by material scientists and engineers for the construction of novel nanostructures and biomaterials. Such design has yielded a peptide-based building block or bundlemer, a coiled coil peptide assembly that undergoes further physical-covalent interactions to form 1D, 2D and, potentially, 3D hierarchical assemblies and displays targeted and biomimetic material properties. Recombinant expression is a convenient, flexible tool to synthesize such artificial and modified peptides in large quantities while also enabling economical synthesis of isotopically labeled peptides and longer protein-like artificial peptides. This report describes the protocol for recombinant expression of a 31-amino acid, computationally designed bundlemer-forming peptide in Escherichia coli. Peptide yields of 10 mgs per liter of media were achieved which highlights complementary advantages of recombinant expression technique relative to conventional laboratory-scale synthesis, such as solid-phase peptide synthesis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes , Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli , and Campylobacter spp. in raw milk in the United States between 2000 and 2019: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Raw (unpasteurized) milk is available for sale and direct human consumption within some states in the United States (US); it cannot be sold or distributed in interstate commerce. Raw milk may contain pathogenic microorganisms that, when consumed, may cause illness and sometimes may result in death. No comprehensive review for prevalence and levels of the major bacterial pathogens in raw milk in the US exists. The objective of the present research was to systematically review the scientific literature published from 2000 to 2019 to estimate the prevalence and levels of Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Campylobacter spp. in raw milk in the US. Peer-reviewed studies were retrieved systematically from PubMed®, Embase®, and Web of ScienceTM. The unique complete nonduplicate references were uploaded into the Health Assessment Work Collaborative (HAWC). Based on the selection criteria, twenty studies were included in the systematic review and meta-analysis. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) was used for statistical analyses, specifically, random effects meta-analyses were used to synthesize raw bulk tank milk (BTM) and milk filters (MF) data. Data from studies using culture and non–culture-based detection methods were included. Forest plots generated in CMA (Biostat, Englewood, NJ) were used to visualize the results. The average prevalence (event rate) of L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., STEC, and Campylobacter spp. in raw BTM in the US was estimated at 4.3% (95% confidence intervals [CIs], 2.8–6.5%), 3.6% (95% CIs, 2.0–6.2%), 4.3% (95% CIs, 2.4–7.4%), and 6.0% (95% CIs, 3.2–10.9%), respectively. Estimated prevalence was generally larger in MF than in BTM. There was not enough data to perform a meta-analysis for the prevalence or levels of pathogens in raw milk from retail establishments or other milk categories.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗