Audience
Natural Science and Mathematics Colloquium
Surprising innovations in redox biochemistry
Dr. C.S. Raman
University of Maryland Baltimore
School of Pharmacy
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Schaefer Hall 106, 4:45 PM
Life is best described as a series of redox reactions in which the oxidation of an electron donor (ED) is coupled to the reduction of a terminal electron acceptor (TEA). Whereas animals are highly restricted in what they can use as EDs, bacteria are capable of oxidizing just about anything found in nature, including (in)organic compounds, atmospheric trace gases such as hydrogen, metals, radioactive compounds, and even rocks. Now, redox coupling in biology requires an electron transport chain whose membrane embedded electron carriers facilitate the thermodynamically downhill flow of electrons from the ED to the TEA. Free energy derived from this step is used to energize the movement of protons across the cytoplasmic membrane, thus generating a transmembrane voltage gradient or proton motive force, which drives chemiosmotic ATP synthesis. Given the diversity of EDs capitalized by bacteria, it should come as no surprise that they must harbor a plethora of ways to harvest electrons and channel them for facile energy conservation. Unfortunately, very little has been done to probe the extraordinary mechanistic diversity and versatility of bacterial bioenergetics. My laboratory strives to fill this critical knowledge gap – it formulates innovative strategies for discovering and visualizing supramolecular machines involved in long-distance electron transfer and energy conservation. A deeper understanding of such systems will not only inform how life operates at the extremes but provide unique insights into how these machineries can be repurposed. As proof of concept, some of our work in this area is poised to benefit society.
This event is free and open to the public. It is meant for a general audience. If you are an instructor, please announce it to your students.
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