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End Date
8-5-2020 11:20 AM
Document Type
Oral Presentation
Department
Biological Sciences
Faculty Mentor
Terry Shehata, PhD
Keywords
astaxanthin, astaxanthin biosynthesis, Haematococcus pluvialis, grant writing
Abstract
Astaxanthin, a red carotenoid, is a powerful antioxidant that is synthesized by several microbial species after a stress response, such as excess light or nutrient deficiency. These aforementioned stressors lead to an increase in the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause oxidative damage to the cell. Currently there is a lack of known literature directly quantifying astaxanthin biosynthesis to ROS production. The overall goal of this study is to analyze magnitude of importance of ROS on the astaxanthin biosynthesis pathway within the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. To achieve this, this study will analyze the following: 1) ROS cellular production to astaxanthin synthesis over a series of environmental stressors to quantify this relationship; 2) Production of astaxanthin after the addition of ROS-producing enzymes to isolate the impact of ROS; and 3) Addition of an ROS scavenger to an encysted culture to further isolate the impact of ROS. Data analysis will be completed via collaboration with faculty and industry members, dry weight and HPLC pigment analysis of astaxanthin, fluorometric assay of ROS-sensitive dye, and a linear regression analysis model. By quantifying this relationship, this data will shed light on why astaxanthin is synthesized, potentially lead to an increase in pigment production efficiency and decreased production cost, and promote a greater interest of research into the magnitude of impact of ROS on cellular antioxidant production within various microbial species.
Rachel Cray Presentation Transcript
Open Access?
1
The Role of Oxidative Stress within the Astaxanthin Biosynthesis Pathway of Haematococcus pluvialis
Astaxanthin, a red carotenoid, is a powerful antioxidant that is synthesized by several microbial species after a stress response, such as excess light or nutrient deficiency. These aforementioned stressors lead to an increase in the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which cause oxidative damage to the cell. Currently there is a lack of known literature directly quantifying astaxanthin biosynthesis to ROS production. The overall goal of this study is to analyze magnitude of importance of ROS on the astaxanthin biosynthesis pathway within the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis. To achieve this, this study will analyze the following: 1) ROS cellular production to astaxanthin synthesis over a series of environmental stressors to quantify this relationship; 2) Production of astaxanthin after the addition of ROS-producing enzymes to isolate the impact of ROS; and 3) Addition of an ROS scavenger to an encysted culture to further isolate the impact of ROS. Data analysis will be completed via collaboration with faculty and industry members, dry weight and HPLC pigment analysis of astaxanthin, fluorometric assay of ROS-sensitive dye, and a linear regression analysis model. By quantifying this relationship, this data will shed light on why astaxanthin is synthesized, potentially lead to an increase in pigment production efficiency and decreased production cost, and promote a greater interest of research into the magnitude of impact of ROS on cellular antioxidant production within various microbial species.
