A National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award has been given to Daniel K. Owens, an assistant professor in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources for his research into plant metabolism. The prestigious award cuts across all fields of science and is given to a select number of faculty across the country. It includes a federal grant for research and education activities for five consecutive years.
Owens, in the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, will receive $876,000 to support his project, “Determining the Metabolic Organization and Enzymology of the Fundamentally Important Flavonoid Biosynthetic Pathway.” Owens said he is “beyond thrilled to be awarded this NSF-CAREER grant and with it, the opportunity to continue this research and be able to work with and mentor the next generation of scientists.”
3D modeling of plant function
Expanding the understanding of plant metabolism is a long-time passion for Owens. His first undergraduate research experience was in examining the biochemistry of flavonoid biosynthesis. With NSF’s support, a primary research goal will be to explore “metabolons,” three-dimensional representations that are more holistic and realistic than two-dimensional models.
“Many plants use the extra energy from photosynthesis to make secondary metabolites for various purposes, such as sunscreens, signaling, protection, etc.,”Owens explained. “The traditional way to portray that metabolic pathway is to illustrate the substrate (inputs) and products (outputs) of each step, along with the order in which these steps occur. Similar to a blueprint: we know what goes in and what comes out.”
However, two-dimensional models cannot tell us what actually happens inside the plant, such as how the enzymes are arranged within an actual, living organism to perform activities, or how compounds come together in different ways to make different chemical processes. For example, how a citrus flavonoid is formed inside an orange to directly influence the taste characteristics.
“Metabolon enzymes come together in specific ways, similar to making a machine in an assembly line,” said Owens. “So how compounds interact in 3D will determine how that machine gets formed, and which product gets made in the end.”
He added, “It’s a fundamental question, but if we can figure it out, we can potentially copy it synthetically to make an orange sweeter, or make new antibiotics and other medicines. People have tried to do this before, but with limited success—and I think it’s because the strategies were based on 2D models. I think 3D will give us more powerful infrastructure in which to work, an extra level of information we need to be successful. It’s going to be a big jump forward.”
This research is an example of UH Mānoa’s goal of Excellence in Research: Advancing the Research and Creative Work Enterprise (PDF), one of four goals identified in the 2015–25 Strategic Plan (PDF), updated in December 2020.
