Cyanobacteria, among the oldest organisms on Earth, played a crucial role in the development of complex life by oxygenating the Earth’s atmosphere. Cyanobacteria are promising candidates for use in biotechnology applications, including the production of biofuels, pharmaceuticals, and other valuable chemicals, so studying these organisms can result in new ways to harness their potential. By understanding all of the components of cyanobacteria, one can gain a full understanding of their metabolic processes and how to make use of them. The Kennedy Group has been studying a unique family of proteins, pentapeptide repeat proteins (PRP’s) with unknown functions in cyanobacteria to possibly relate their function to a wide array of applications. To determine their function, we plan to use quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to determine the relative expressions of our PRP gene of interest, alr5209, in Nostoc sp. Strain PCC 7120. Changes in response to changing environmental conditions, specifically employing day/night light cycling and nitrogen starvation, will help us characterize the function of alr5209.
Author(s): Katherine Boyce, Catriona Giannotta, Michael Kennedy, Davis Kinkel-Ram
Advisor(s): Michael Kennedy, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Davis Kinkel-Ram, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
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