{"669936":{"#nid":"669936","#data":{"type":"news","title":"From Seafloor to Space: New Bacterial Proteins Shine Light on Climate and Astrobiology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGigatons of greenhouse gas are trapped under the seafloor, and that\u2019s a good thing. Around the coasts of the continents, where slopes sink down into the sea, tiny cages of ice trap methane gas, preventing it from escaping and bubbling up into the atmosphere. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EWhile rarely in the news, these ice cage formations, known as methane clathrates, have garnered attention because of their potential to affect climate change. During offshore drilling, methane ice can get stuck in pipes, causing them to freeze and burst. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is thought to have been caused by a buildup of methane clathrates. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBut until now, the biological process behind how methane gas remains stable under the sea has been almost completely unknown. In a breakthrough study, a cross-disciplinary team of Georgia Tech researchers discovered a previously unknown class of bacterial proteins that play a crucial role in the formation and stability of methane clathrates. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EA team led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/glass-dr-jennifer\u0022\u003EJennifer Glass\u003C\/a\u003E, associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/raquel-lieberman\u0022\u003ERaquel Lieberman\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Sepcic-Pfeil Chair in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/a\u003E, showed that these novel bacterial proteins suppress the growth of methane clathrates as effectively as commercial chemicals currently used in drilling, but are non-toxic, eco-friendly, and scalable. Their study, funded by NASA, informs the search for life in the solar system, and could also increase the safety of transporting natural gas.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe research, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pnasnexus\/article\/2\/8\/pgad268\/7242427\u0022\u003Epublished in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPNAS Nexus\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, underscores the importance of fundamental science in studying Earth\u2019s natural biological systems and highlights the benefits of collaboration across disciplines.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWe wanted to understand how these formations were staying stable under the seafloor, and precisely what mechanisms were contributing to their stability,\u201d Glass said. \u201cThis is something no one has done before.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESifting Through Sediment\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe effort started with the team examining a sample of clay-like sediment that Glass acquired from the seafloor off the coast of Oregon.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGlass hypothesized that the sediment would contain proteins that influence the growth of methane clathrate, and that those proteins would resemble well-known antifreeze proteins in fish, which help them survive in cold environments. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBut to confirm her hypothesis, Glass and her research team would first have to identify protein candidates out of millions of potential targets contained in the sediment. They would then need to make the proteins in the lab, though there was no understanding of how these proteins might behave. Also, no one had worked with these proteins before. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGlass approached Lieberman, whose lab studies the structure of proteins. The first step was to use DNA sequencing paired with bioinformatics to identify the genes of the proteins contained in the sediment. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/chemistry.gatech.edu\/people\/dustin-huard\u0022\u003EDustin Huard\u003C\/a\u003E, a researcher in Lieberman\u2019s lab and first author of the paper, then prepared candidate proteins that could potentially bind to the methane clathrates. Huard used X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of the proteins. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreating Seafloor Conditions in the Lab \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHuard passed off the protein candidates to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.marsci.uga.edu\/directory\/people\/abigail-johnson\u0022\u003EAbigail Johnson\u003C\/a\u003E, a former Ph.D. student in Glass\u2019 lab and co-first author on the paper, who is now a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Georgia. To test the proteins, Johnson formed methane clathrates herself by recreating the high pressure and low temperature of the seafloor in the lab. Johnson worked with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sheng-dai\u0022\u003ESheng Dai\u003C\/a\u003E, an associate professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ce.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Civil and Environmental Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, to build a unique pressure chamber from scratch. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EJohnson placed the proteins in the pressure vessel and adjusted the system to mimic the pressure and temperature conditions required for clathrate formation. By pressurizing the vessel with methane, Johnson forced methane into the droplet, which caused a methane clathrate structure to form.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EShe then measured the amount of gas that was consumed by the clathrate \u2014 an indicator of how quickly and how much clathrate formed \u2014 and did so in the presence of the proteins versus no proteins. Johnson found that with the clathrate-binding proteins, less gas was consumed, and the clathrates melted at higher temperatures. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOnce the team validated that the proteins affect the formation and stability of methane clathrates, they used Huard\u0027s protein crystal structure to carry out molecular dynamics simulations with the help of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/james-jc-gumbart\u0022\u003EJames (JC) Gumbart\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E. The simulations allowed the team to identify the specific site where the protein binds to the methane clathrate. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Surprisingly Novel System\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe study unveiled unexpected insights into the structure and function of the proteins. The researchers initially thought the part of the protein that was similar to fish antifreeze proteins would play a role in clathrate binding. Surprisingly, that part of the protein did not play a role, and a wholly different mechanism directed the interactions.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThey found that the proteins do not bind to ice, but rather interact with the clathrate structure itself, directing its growth. Specifically, the part of the protein that had similar characteristics to antifreeze proteins was buried in the protein structure, and instead played a role in stabilizing the protein. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe researchers found that the proteins performed better at modifying methane clathrate than any of the antifreeze proteins that had been tested in the past. They also performed just as well as, if not better than, the toxic commercial clathrate inhibitors currently used in drilling that pose serious environmental threats.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EPreventing clathrate formation in natural gas pipelines is a billion-dollar industry. If these biodegradable proteins could be used to prevent disastrous natural gas leaks, it would greatly reduce the risk of environmental damage.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWe were so lucky that this actually worked, because even though we chose these proteins based on their similarity to antifreeze proteins, they are completely different,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThey have a similar function in nature, but do so through a completely different biological system, and I think that really excites people.\u201d \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMethane clathrates likely exist throughout the solar system \u2014 on the subsurface of Mars, for example, and on icy moons in the outer solar system, such as Europa. The team\u2019s findings indicate that if microbes exist on other planetary bodies, they might produce similar biomolecules to retain liquid water in channels in the clathrate that could sustain life. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re still learning so much about the basic systems on our planet,\u201d Huard said. \u201cThat\u2019s one of the great things about Georgia Tech \u2014 different communities can come together to do really cool, unexpected science. I never thought I would be working on an astrobiology project, but here we are, and we\u2019ve been very successful.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitation\u003C\/strong\u003E: Dustin J E Huard, et al. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pnasnexus\/article\/2\/8\/pgad268\/7242427\u0022\u003EMolecular basis for inhibition of methane clathrate growth by a deep subsurface bacterial protein\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EPNAS Nexus\u003C\/em\u003E, Volume 2, Issue 8, August 2023.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDOI\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/pnasnexus\/pgad268\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/pnasnexus\/pgad268\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: National Aeronautics \u0026amp; Space Administration, National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGeorgia Tech co-authors included Zixing Fan, Ph.D. student, and two undergraduates, Lydia Kenney (now a Ph.D. student at Northwestern University) and Manlin Xu (now a Ph.D. student in the MIT-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program). Ran Drori, associate professor of chemistry at Yeshiva University, also contributed. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn a groundbreaking study, a team of Georgia Tech researchers has unveiled a remarkable discovery: the identification of novel bacterial proteins that play a vital role in the formation and stability of methane clathrates, which trap methane gas beneath the seafloor. These newfound proteins not only suppress methane clathrate growth as effectively as toxic chemicals used in drilling but also prove to be eco-friendly and scalable. This innovative breakthrough not only promises to enhance environmental safety in natural gas transportation but also sheds light on the potential for similar biomolecules to support life beyond Earth.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers have uncovered eco-friendly bacterial proteins that stabilize methane clathrates, offering a green solution to climate challenges and potential implications for astrobiology."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2023-09-26 14:30:17","changed_gmt":"2024-02-05 14:44:04","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-09-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-09-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671833":{"id":"671833","type":"image","title":"clathrate.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMethane clathrate (white, ice-like material) under a rock from the seafloor of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Deposits such as these demonstrate that methane and other gases cross the seafloor and enter the ocean. Photo credit: NOAA\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1695740419","gmt_created":"2023-09-26 15:00:19","changed":"1695740419","gmt_changed":"2023-09-26 15:00:19","alt":"A rock with mussels attached has a block of ice underneath it. ","file":{"fid":"254969","name":"clathrate.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/clathrate.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/clathrate.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1796198,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/26\/clathrate.jpg?itok=nKTMLXW0"}},"671834":{"id":"671834","type":"image","title":"Jennifer Glass.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EJennifer Glass, associate professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1695740976","gmt_created":"2023-09-26 15:09:36","changed":"1695740976","gmt_changed":"2023-09-26 15:09:36","alt":"A woman stands in a lab","file":{"fid":"254970","name":"Jennifer Glass.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Jennifer%20Glass.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Jennifer%20Glass.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1166296,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/26\/Jennifer%20Glass.jpg?itok=yUZTLeVD"}},"671835":{"id":"671835","type":"image","title":"Raquel_Lieberman.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ERaquel Lieberman, professor and Sepcic-Pfeil Chair in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1695741060","gmt_created":"2023-09-26 15:11:00","changed":"1695741060","gmt_changed":"2023-09-26 15:11:00","alt":"A woman stands in front of a window","file":{"fid":"254971","name":"Raquel_Lieberman.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Raquel_Lieberman.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Raquel_Lieberman.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4093519,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/26\/Raquel_Lieberman.jpg?itok=pb-3H-fB"}},"671836":{"id":"671836","type":"image","title":"Screen Shot 2023-09-26 at 11.17.25 AM.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDustin Huard, research scientist II in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1695741532","gmt_created":"2023-09-26 15:18:52","changed":"1695741532","gmt_changed":"2023-09-26 15:18:52","alt":"A man with glasses in front of greenery","file":{"fid":"254972","name":"Screen Shot 2023-09-26 at 11.17.25 AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-26%20at%2011.17.25%20AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-26%20at%2011.17.25%20AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":4014064,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/26\/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-26%20at%2011.17.25%20AM.png?itok=IjoPAtlZ"}},"671837":{"id":"671837","type":"image","title":"Screen Shot 2023-09-26 at 11.18.13 AM.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAbigail Johnson, postdoctoral research at the University of Georgia and former Georgia Tech Ph.D. student\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1695741620","gmt_created":"2023-09-26 15:20:20","changed":"1695741620","gmt_changed":"2023-09-26 15:20:20","alt":"A woman in a blue bucket hat in front of a marsh","file":{"fid":"254973","name":"Screen Shot 2023-09-26 at 11.18.13 AM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-26%20at%2011.18.13%20AM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/09\/26\/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-26%20at%2011.18.13%20AM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3938960,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/09\/26\/Screen%20Shot%202023-09-26%20at%2011.18.13%20AM.png?itok=uinPyjGM"}}},"media_ids":["671833","671834","671835","671836","671837"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"},{"id":"1316","name":"Green Buzz"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"85951","name":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"192254","name":"cos-climate"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}