Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Chemistry
Date of Award
12-2021
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Robert F. Standaert
Committee Members
Gregory W. Bishop, Abbas G. Shilabin
Abstract
Concerns about global warming have resulted in a surge of research into alternatives to fossil fuels. In recent years, biofuels have gained traction due to their low environmental impact. Biofuel production most commonly employs microorganisms to convert biomass to fuel for industrial and transportation applications. Compounds made in biofuel production, however, are toxic to cell membranes and disrupt their integrity, harming the microorganisms and limiting biofuel yield. A key to overcoming this challenge is understanding how fuels interact with microorganisms’ cell membranes, which perform a host of functions, including transport, cell recognition, transduction, and movement. Phospholipids are the cell membrane’s building blocks and provide the critical matrix to support these vital functions. This research sought to make in-vitro membrane phospholipid models of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis (a biofuel producer candidate), subject them to fuel stress and employ fluorescence techniques to understand how fuels affect membrane integrity.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Teye-Kau, John Hayford G., "Synthesis of Phosphatidylethanolamine Lipids for Model Studies of the Cell Membrane" (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3998. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/3998
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.