Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/2440/78540
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Type: | Journal article |
Title: | The role of diatom nanostructures in biasing diffusion to improve uptake in a patchy nutrient environment |
Author: | Mitchell, J. Seuront, L. Doubell, M. Losic, D. Voelcker, N. Seymour, J. Lal, R. |
Citation: | PLoS One, 2013; 8(5):1-9 |
Publisher: | Public Library of Science |
Issue Date: | 2013 |
ISSN: | 1932-6203 1932-6203 |
Editor: | Humphries, S. |
Statement of Responsibility: | James G. Mitchell, Laurent Seuront, Mark J. Doubell, Dusan Losic, Nicolas H. Voelcker, Justin Seymour and Ratnesh Lal |
Abstract: | BACKGROUND: Diatoms are important single-celled autotrophs that dominate most lit aquatic environments and are distinguished by surficial frustules with intricate designs of unknown function. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We show that some frustule designs constrain diffusion to positively alter nutrient uptake. In nutrient gradients of 4 to 160 times over, 5 cm, the screened-chambered morphology of Coscincodiscus sp. biases the nutrient diffusion towards the cell by at least 3.8 times the diffusion to the seawater. In contrast, the open-chambers of Thalassiosira eccentrica produce at least a 1.3 times diffusion advantage to the membrane over Coscincodiscus sp. when nutrients are homogeneous. SIGNIFICANCE: Diffusion constraint explains the success of particular diatom species at given times and the overall success of diatoms. The results help answer the unresolved question of how adjacent microplankton compete. Furthermore, diffusion constraint by supramembrane nanostructures to alter molecular diffusion suggests that microbes compete via supramembrane topology, a competitive mechanism not considered by the standard smooth-surface equations used for nutrient uptake nor in microbial ecology and cell physiology. |
Keywords: | Cell Membrane Extracellular Space Cell Wall Phytoplankton Diatoms Environment Diffusion Biological Transport Nanostructures |
Description: | Extent: 9 p. |
Rights: | Copyright: © 2013 Mitchell et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. |
DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0059548 |
Grant ID: | ARC |
Published version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059548 |
Appears in Collections: | Aurora harvest 2 Chemical Engineering publications |
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hdl_78540.pdf | Published version | 1.95 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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