Project Details
Projekt
Novel high resolving microanalytical approaches to access phenotypical heterogeneity on a molecular level
Applicant
Professor Dr. Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
Subject Area
Analytical Chemistry
Term
from 2012 to 2015
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 218360434
We will setup the microanalytical basis for the analysis of bacterial metabolomes and targeted signal molecules of interest in trace levels out of minimal volumes or cell counts in phenotype heterogeneity studies. Our aim is the description of metabotype heterogeneity with a focus on quorum sensing mechanisms in bacterial cell cultures. In Gram negative bacteria, the best understood quorum sensing mechanism is mediated by N-acylhomoserine lactones (AHLs); other signalling molecules are quin-olones, cyclic peptides or fatty acid derivatives. Although several analytical tools exist for the detection of signalling molecules, new tools need to be developed with enhanced limit of detection to enable quantification lower concentrations with minimum sample consumption. We introduce in this proposal an efficient ionization/detection technique which is combined with energetic UV photons for efficient ionization of signalling molecules. Nano electrospray and small volume drop on demand piezzo devices will also be combined and implemented with the sensitive ionization source to give the highest ion density out of real bacterial populations in the form of microfluidics or collected cells with lowest sample consumption (lower uL). Continuous bacterial cell cultures will be studied by the developed analytical tools to provide information about the regulation (synthesis and degradation) of the signal molecules there. The developed micro analytical tools will especially help to determine which factors control the phenotypic heterogeneity in these bacterial systems on a molecular level.
DFG Programme
Priority Programmes
Participating Person
Dr. Basem Kanawati
