PhotoSynLab

NanoWire

Overview

Project manager: Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott
Funding source: The Research Council of Norway
Start date: 01-06-2015
End date: 31-03-2019
Total funding amount: 7.9 Million NOK

Participants

Martin Frank Hohmann-Marriott – NTNU

Anne Ilse Marie Vogel – NTNU

Kerstin Engelhardt – NTNU

Rahmi Lale – NTNU

Hanne Cecilie Winther-Larsen – Pharmaceutical Biosciences (UIO)

Project description

Iron is an essential nutrient for bacteria. However, in our oxygen-containing atmosphere, iron is inaccessable for bacteria in many natural environments, as it is complexed with oxygen. Electron donation to these iron oxides can convert the iron into a form that can be utilized by bacteria.

Bacterial pili play an important role in mediating the electron donation from bacterial metabolism to iron oxides. Pili are protein filaments found in many bacteria.

This proposal investigates the molecular mechanisms and ultrastructural features that enable pili to donate electrons to extracellular iron oxides.

Publications