We use cookies to improve your experience, some are essential for the operation of this site.

Use of lipids to study the relationship between microbes and carbon.

Use of lipids to study the relationship between microbes and carbon.
Use of lipids to study the relationship between microbes and carbon.
Use of lipids to study the relationship between microbes and carbon.
Use of lipids to study the relationship between microbes and carbon.
Comments (0)
197455
Caracappa-Qubeck, Amy
Use of lipids to study the relationship between microbes and carbon.
Illustration
12/29/2011
KPop_LipidExperiment.jpg
Caption from Oceanus magazine, Vol. 49, No. 1, pages 24 & 25:
The ocean contains multitudes of microorganisms whose routine biochemical activities cumulatively determine how carbon and other chemicals move throughout the planet. There are two main kinds of microbes: Autotrophs use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon. Heterotrophs use organic carbon and turn it back into dissolved nutrients that can be used again by other microbes. Scientists are developing a new tool targeting lipids, the molecules that make up cell membranes, to figure out which microbes are doing what to move carbon through the ocean. (Note: Explanatory call outs are only shown in the magazine.)
Image Of the Day caption:
The ocean has two kinds of microbes: Autotrophs use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic carbon, while heterotrophs convert organic carbon such as glucose into nutrients. Scientists are developing new tools to identify which types live in the ocean by looking at lipids, the chemical compounds that make up cell walls. In laboratory experiments, scientists first filter seawater to collect cells. Using liquid chromatography, they then separate different lipids based on the elements (sulfur carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus) in their "head groups." Finally, they use mass spectrometers to distinguish whether autotrophs or heterotrophs made the lipids.
Illustration by Amy Caracappa-Qubeck
© Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Labels
This item includes these files
Image
Image
Collections