Cyanobacterial or algal biofuels can be a reality only if there is substantial improvement in both the biofuel and biomass production from these organisms. In a lab, specific approaches to tackling this challenge will involve model driven strain improvement via metabolic engineering. This will call for the development of molecular biology and biochemical tools as well as the optimal use of modeling and simulation tools. Wangikar lab works on both these aspects of biofuel production and I work with the team which focuses on Fluxomics or more specifically ¹³C Metabolic Flux Analysis (¹³C MFA). Fluxomics integrates a stoichiometric network model and experimentally measured labeling dynamics to determine the reaction rates through the central carbon network. We obtain precise and quantitative data on labelling dynamics of intermediate metabolites using mass spectrometry. Data thus obtained on various cyanobacterial and algal strains is used towards computational (Flux balance analysis) and experimental (¹³C Metabolic flux analysis) studies and understand the metabolism of these organism which can then be manipulated towards the product of interest.

PUBLICATIONS (From the lab)

1. Rerouting of carbon flux in a glycogen mutant of cyanobacteria assessed via isotopically non-stationary ¹³C metabolic flux analysis. Hendry JI, Prasannan CB, Fangfang Ma, K. Benedikt Möllers, Damini Jaiswal, Madhuri Digmurti, Doug K. Allen, Niels-Ulrik Frigaard, Santanu Dasgupta, Wangikar PP. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2017 Oct;114(10):2298-2308

2. Metabolic model of Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002: Prediction of flux distribution and network modification for enhanced biofuel production. Hendry JI, Prasannan CB, Joshi A, Dasgupta S, Wangikar PP. Bioresour Technol. 2016 Aug; 213:190-7.

PUBLICATIONS (Outside the lab)

3. Identification of regions of rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase important for allosteric regulation by phenylalanine, detected by H/D exchange mass spectrometry. Charulata B Prasannan, Maria T Villar, Antonio Artigues, and Aron W Fenton; Biochemistry. 2013 Mar 19;52(11):1998-2006

4. Human liver pyruvate kinase at 1.8 Å: insights into regulation by protein oxidation and the binding of citrate and Fru-1,6-BP. Todd Holyoak, Bing Zhang, Junpeng Deng, Qingling Tang, Charulata B Prasannan and Aron W Fenton; Biochemistry. 2013 Jan 22;52(3):466-76

5. Allosteric regulation of human liver pyruvate kinase by peptides that mimic the phosphorylated/dephosphorylated N-terminus. Charulata B Prasannan, Qingling Tang, and Aron W Fenton. Methods in Molecular Biology, 2012, 796: 335-349.

6. HDX finder: automated analysis and data reporting of deuterium/ hydrogen exchange mass spectrometry. Danny E Miller, Charulata B Prasannan, Maria T Villar, Aron W Fenton, and Antonio Artigues. Journal of American Society for Mass Spectrometry. 2012, 23(2): 425-429.

7. DNA targeting and cleavage by an engineered metalloprotein dimer. Wong-Deyrup SW, Charulata B Prasannan, Cynthia M Dupureur, and Sonia J Franklin. Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, 2012, 17 (3), 387-398.

8. Monitoring allostery in D2O: a necessary control in studies using hydrogen/deuterium exchange to characterize allosteric regulation. Charulata B Prasannan, Antonio Artigues, and Aron W Fenton. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 2011, 401(3), 1083-1086.

9. Characterizing metalloendonuclease mixed metal complexes by global fit analysis. Charulata B. Prasannan, Fuqian Xie, and Cynthia M. Dupureur. J Biol Inorg Chem, 2010, 15(4), 533-545.