Chemical Biology

Research project funded by the National Science Foundation, NSF-IOS: "Why do bacteria make sterols?", PI: N. Ward, co-PI: F. Basile

Metabolomics/Lipidomics of bacteria

This evolutionary biology project aims at elucidating why some bacteria make sterols

Our laboratory implements several MS techniques (GC-MS, GC-MS/MS, LC-ESI-MS/MS and LC offline MALDI-MS/MS) for the analysis of lipids, carbohydrates and metabolites in microorganisms.  Recent work from our laboratory identified several hydroxy-fatty acids (some believed to be associated with lipid A) and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the microorganism Gemmata obscuriglobus. (Project in collaboration with Dr. Naomi Ward; Read the article in J. Bacteriology, 2016, 198, 221-236 journal link).

 

Terbinafine treatment, a suppresor of sterol synthesis, in Gemmata obscuriglobus inhibits normal budding replication (left). Quantitation of sterols in G. obscuriglobus after being treated with terbinafine (right). Figures from: "Essentiality of sterol synthesis genes in the planctomycete bacterium Gemmata obscuriglobus", Elena Rivas-Marin, Sean Stettner, Ekaterina Y. Gottshall, Carlos Santana-Molina, Mitch Helling, Franco Basile, Naomi L. Ward & Damien P. Devos, Nature Communications | (2019) 10:2916 | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10983-7

 

 

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