2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Intramolecular isotope analysis of lipids as a novel biological and environmental proxy
| Project/Area Number |
18H01326
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Review Section |
Basic Section 17050:Biogeosciences-related
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| Research Institution | Tokyo Institute of Technology |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
中川 麻悠子 東京工業大学, 地球生命研究所, 特任助教 (20647664)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
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| Keywords | Lipids / Isotope / Biomarker |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Metabolism is a complex system, and carbon isotopes (13C and 12C), or the ratio of them, can record the fluxes and physiological status of an organism. The stable isotope composition of organic molecules is thus of importance in many disciplines. Lipids in particular, provide an interesting target since they are preserved in very long terms as sedimentary organic matter.
In this project, we have developed a method to measure the isotope composition of lipids in a way that provides unprecedented information. Specifically, we were able to measure the 13C/12C isotope composition of each position in fatty acids from plants. The amount of information is thus increased compared with current methods that provide only the average isotope composition of all positions. We thus provide unprecedented details regarding isotope fractionation within a cell.
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| Free Research Field |
Biogeochemistry
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
The results have provided detailed information on how stable isotopes (13C/12C) behave inside a cell. We can use this understanding to interpret and predict future data obtained from lipids, either directly from living organisms or from organic matter from rocks.
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