CAREER: Sub-picosecond spectroscopy and imaging of mitochondrial respiratory chain redox

Colorado State University, Fort Collins CO

Investigators

Abstract

Nearly all the oxygen we breathe is consumed by our mitochondria, tiny energy-producing organelles found in each of our cells. Though mitochondrial defects are rare, they can cause extreme fatigue, headaches, loss of eyesight, and even premature death. Figuring out how to repair defective mitochondria is surprisingly difficult because every case is unique, and we lack the technology to fully test how individual mitochondria respond to interventions. This project will develop new tools for probing mitochondria, based on laser interactions with key molecules that mitochondria use to produce energy. Specifically, the goal of this proposal is label-free redox measurement of the mitochondrial respiratory electron transfer hemes with subcellular resolution. The group will achieve this using pump-probe microscopy, combining measurements of coherent molecular vibrations and electronic excited-state relaxation. They will optimize the selection of pump and probe wavelengths by modeling the excited-state dynamics of electron transfer hemes and validate the approach on live cells and tissues with prepared respiratory chain states. As part of the Broader Impacts, they will design a STEM activity kit to teach high school students core concepts in seeing metabolism through optical spectroscopy in a fun and engaging way. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.