Research Frontiers in Bioinspired Energy Molecular-Level Learning from Natural Systems: Report of a Workshop (2012) / Chapter Skim
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3 Summary of Key Breakout Discussion Topics
3 Summary of Key Breakout Discussion Topics
Pages 33-50
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From page 33... ...
The smaller size groups in the breakout sessions allowed for more in-depth and interactive discussion between workshop participants. The composi tion of the discussion groups was multidisciplinary and was meant to provide feedback to the larger group on key issues raised or important information provided by the guest speakers; research opportunities, especially for interdisciplinary collaborations; and resource and educational needs to support long-term advances.
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From page 34... ...
One example discussed by some workshop participants is nitroge nase, which is a very important nitrogen-fixing enzyme related to both agriculture and energy. James Liao noted that about 5 percent of the energy used in the world is spent in the synthetic nitrogen-fixing Haber process (catalytic reaction of hydrogen and nitrogen to produce ammonia)
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From page 35... ...
For example, Penelope Boston noted that a great deal of innovation has gone forward without that deep understanding and that, in fact, the very act of innovating and engineering design solutions has actually pushed the science in some fields. Tom Moore added that although a deep and complete understanding is the goal, it is not a prerequisite for moving forward on new ideas.
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From page 36... ...
For example, cost efficiency might be considered, or perhaps carboncarbon bond formation and its importance to energy storage. Culturing Bacteria Penelope Boston pointed out that culturing brings organisms into a state where they can actually be studied.
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From page 37... ...
For example, as Janos Lanyi explained, changing a single amino acid residue in bacteriorhodopsin transforms it from a chloride pump to a proton pump. This would have never been discovered with annotations, because the genome sequence would not have provided such an insight.
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From page 38... ...
However, some key enzymes involved in energy transformations are irreversible, including redox enzymes. The opportunity for rational design of redox cofactors, particularly with respect to reversibil ity, might offer ways to understand natural systems better and perhaps to devise systems that could meet the energy requirements of humans.
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From page 39... ...
RESEARCH AND COLLABORATIVE MODELS Workshop participants discussed what is needed to support research in bioinspired energy. Importance of Discovery Science Julie Maupin-Furlow said that a lot of time in one of the breakout ses sions was spent discussing task-oriented versus discovery-based and fundamental research.
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From page 40... ...
Janet Westpheling said that the model followed in large-scale pharmaceutical companies can also be effective. She worked for a pharmaceutical company and was involved in developing products from biological systems.
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From page 41... ...
Many people in the group felt that it is most important to have the core curricu lum intact and then, once there is a biological problem or a problem that needs to be solved, drive interdisciplinary work. Janet Westpheling added that while interdisciplinary training of scientists is critical, there is concern about how it can be done without "watering down" the individual disciplines.
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From page 42... ...
He said the message should be that studying biological energy systems is the most fundamental and basic research that can be done on the planet. It is the findings and rational design principles based on physics and chemistry that are going to underpin synthetic biology -- if nine billion people are going to be supported on the planet, some fundamentally new approaches in energy are needed.
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From page 43... ...
. SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY Many participants talked about how to use the molecules that are discovered in biological systems, such as the photoactive chromophore of bacteriorhodopsin in harvesting energy.
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From page 44... ...
Rational Design of Proteins As Les Dutton indicated, it is possible through rational design to think about creating synthetic electron transfer proteins and components of future synthetic biology systems. Dutton also mentioned that it is important to focus on the rational design of proton transfer systems -- proton pumps or proton-transfer-linked transducers that can run in two directions.
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From page 45... ...
Modifying known biological systems is probably a more productive approach in the short term. MICROBIAL NANOWIRES AND FUEL CELLS Ken Nealson's talk about bacterial nanowires in Shewanella sparked a lot of discussion among participants about alternative electron transfer architectures, including the microbial synthesized nanowires (Gorby et al., 2006)
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From page 46... ...
Doug Ray said that these are great examples, potentially, of so-called appropriate technologies. Moore talked about how microbial fuel cells could be deployed, even at this early stage, into the world, particularly Nealson's water purifica tion system.
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From page 47... ...
Many partici pants asked, in the long run and in the big picture, will biology really contribute to energy versus bioenergy? Doug Ray said that scientists often neglect to consider the importance of cost and scale of working with biological systems.
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From page 48... ...
A good approach for now is to start with making specialty chemicals and then develop into the more bulk commodity chemicals. Janet Westpheling commented that there has been at least one success in commodity chemicals.
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From page 49... ...
For example, carbon-carbon bond or carbon-hydrogen bond would probably be the most practical energy storage in the near future. To store energy in liquid fuel, particularly biologically derived liquid fuel, the carboncarbon bond formation ability provided by biological systems is probably the most unique aspect of biology's contribution to this energy problem.
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From page 50... ...
The impacts of lifestyle and energy use are also a huge factor in addressing the energy issue. Some participants asked: Should everything be left up to free markets, or does there need to be a set of stricter regula tory policies?
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