Dr. Hiromi Kagawa
Curriculum Vitae:  What are the physical and chemical limits of life? After all, some microbes are happy to live at temperatures that boil water. Molecular biologist Hiromi Kagawa studies extremophiles, organisms that live in what we consider to be very unusual conditions, such as extreme heat or cold, environments that are very dry, are highly acidic, or are subject to massive amounts of radiation. The hardy organisms that can manage to thrive in such conditions could give us essential clues to how life might cope with tough environments on other worlds, and possibly how we might co-opt some of these survival strategies for protecting ourselves during space flight to other planets. In particular, Hiromi is studying an extremophile microbe known as Sulfolobus shibatae, originally isolated from an acidic hot spring in Japan. Its acid-resistant envelope and powerful proton pump keep the interior of this diminutive life form at a neutral pH even in extremely acidic, near-boiling environments. Its biomolecules, including lipids and proteins, are naturally heat stable or stabilized by some still-mysterious mechanism, and understanding the latter is one of the goals of Hiromi’s research. Extreme environments on Earth might be normal environments in the cosmos. By studying the coping mechanisms of the life that can survive in such hostile habitats, we could be studying aliens on Earth.
Projects
Biofuels for Sustainable Space Exploration NNX08AZ37A
NASA’s long-term mission to explore and ultimately colonize our solar system, along with NASA’s fundamental commitment to protect the home planet, benefit from current research and developments in alternative (non-fossil fuel) energy. This R&D promises to provide sustainable energy sources that will be needed for NASA’s long-term missions, and implementing a global transition from fossil fuels to more sustainable forms of energy requires the kind of science and engineering oversight that NASA can potentially provide. As “green” technologies gain momentum, the world is looking to the US for leadership, and California—or more specifically Silicon Valley—for inspiration. NASA Ames is therefore positioned to play a role in green R&D that has the ability to impact the future of NASA and perhaps the future of the world. In anticipation of Ames’ potential leadership role, we propose to intensify and expand current Center research efforts in green technologies, with an emphasis in biofuels.
Building on research initiated by the Global Research into Energy and the Environment at NASA (GREEN) team by mobilizing astrobiologists, microbiologists, nanotechnologists, life support engineers, and systems engineers, we propose to form two energy research groups (ERGs) to investigate two of the most promising current biofuel feedstocks: cellulose and algae. These feedstocks are under investigation globally, and we are proposing to explore how Ames researchers can contribute to these research areas. For cellulose, ERG1 will address a major bottleneck: degradation. Our contribution uses an innovative nanotechnology approach that involves the assembly of enzymes into arrays that we have already shown will significantly increase degradation efficiency, which in turn simplifies the process of transforming cellulose into sugar— the critical step in biofuels production. For algae, ERG2 will study the natural populations growing at the Sunnyvale Water Treatment Plant and elsewhere to determine biomass composition and lipid production rates. In addition, the group will use a systems approach to determine what the overall impact of algal feedstocks will be on local ecologies. The processes developed by both groups will be modeled at various scales to understand their impact on fuel supplies and greenhouse gases (day, night, and long term).
Our goal is to establish that NASA Ames scientists and engineers can contribute significantly to biofuels research, which means the ERGs will be functional research teams that can conduct valuable research together, write proposals, and obtain outside funding. We will internally review both projects/groups at the end of FY08 to measure progress and decide how best to proceed in the research environment that exists at that time. At the end of FY09, a second review will determine the level of success of the projects and if they should be continued. Criteria for success include: 1) the level of recognition NASA Ames receives for biofuels research, 2) the amount of outside funding secured, and 3) the enthusiasm among Ames scientists and engineers for the research.
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