Life Sciences Division

Dr. Alexandra DUBINI

NREL external collaborator (2012)

DSV/IBEB/SBVME/LB3M

UMR 6191, University Aix Marseille
CEA Cadarache
13108 Saint Paul lez Durance

Tel : +33 (0) 4 42 25 28 97
Fax: +33 (0) 4 42 25 62 65

Email: alexandra.dubini@cea.fr

http://www.nrel.gov/energysciences/photobiology_staff_dubini.html

Dr. Alexandra Dubini obtained her Ph.D. from the University of East Anglia, UK, in 2005, where she studied the targeting of metalloenzymes and, more specifically, the hydrogenases in E. coli. Her main research at NREL is focused on understanding the metabolic pathways involved in biofuel production, including hydrogen production and TAG accumulation in the green alga C. reinhardtii. In particular, she is investigating the rate-limiting factors involved in hydrogen production and the competitive pathways at the level of ferredoxin, and the lipid biosynthesis process to characterize new pathways for TAG synthesis.

Education

• 2001–2005, Ph.D., Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia, UK
• 1999–2001, B.S. (Hons), Molecular Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of East Anglia, UK
• 1997–1999, Diplome d'Etudes Universitaires General Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie University of Mediterranee, Aix-Marseille, France.

PUBLICATIONS

1. Pedin E, Boehm M, Old W, Davis ReAnna, Ghirardi M, Dubini A, Identification of the chloroplastic ferredoxins metabolic network in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Submitted Plos.
2. Subramanian V, Dubini A, Seibert M, Posewitz M.C., Grossman A.R. “Understanding the TCA cycle and its linked pathways under hydrogen producing condition. Submitted Biochim Biophys Acta.
3. Magneschi L, Catalanotti C, Subramanian V, Dubini A, , Yang W, Posewitz M.C., Seibert M, Pierdomenico Perata, Grossman A.R. (2011) A Mutant in the adh1 gene of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Elicits Metabolic Restructuring During Anaerobiosis. Plant Physiology accepted.
4. Catalanotti C, Dubini A, Yang W, Magneschi L, Florence Mus, Subramanian V, Seibert M, Posewitz M.C., Grossman A.R. (2011) Altered Fermentative Metabolite Flow in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Mutants Lacking PFL1 and both PFL1 and ADH1. Plant Cell accepted.
5. Subramanian V, Dubini A, Seibert M: “Metabolic pathways that could lead to fuel production in green algae”. Chapter The Science of Algal Fuel, book series of “Cellular Origins, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology” (COLE), published by Springer, In press.
6. Dubini A: “Biofuel production from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii”. The biochemical society, bioenergy serie April 2011.
7. Grossman A.R., Cattalanotti C, Yang W, Dubini A, Magneschi L, Subramanian V, Seibert M, and Posewitz M.C. (2011). Multiple Facets of Anoxic Metabolism and Hydrogen Production in the Unicellular Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. New phyto, 190: 279-288
8. Eckert C, Dubini A, Yu j, King P, Ghirardi M, Seibert M, and Maness P.C. (2010). Hydrogenase Genes and Enzymes Involved in Solar Hydrogen Production. 2010. Book Chapter in “State of the art and progress in production of biohydrogen”, David Levin and Nuri Azbar (Eds). Bentham Science Publishers.
9. Dubini A, Mus F, Seibert M, Grossman A.R., and Posewitz M.C. (2009) Flexibility in Anaerobic Metabolism as Revealed in a Mutant Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Lacking Hydrogenase Activity. J Biol Chem., 284:7201-7213
10. Ghirardi M.L., Dubini A, Yu J, and Maness P.C. (2008). Photobiological Hydrogen-Producing Systems Chemical Society review. 37:1-10.
11. Posewitz M.C., Dubini A, Meuser J.E., and Ghirardi M.L. (2007) The Chlamydomonas Sourcebook: A comprehensive Guide to biology and Laboratory Use. Chapter 7: Hydrogenases and Hydrogen production in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.
12. Mus F, Dubini A, Seibert M, Posewitz M.C. and Grossman A.R. (2007). Anaerobic acclimation in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii: Anoxic gene expression, hydrogenase induction and metabolic pathways. J Biol Chem 282: 25475-86.
13. McGlynn SE, Ruebush SS, Naumov A, Nagy LE, Dubini A, King PW, Broderick JB, Posewitz MC, Peters JW. (2007). In vitro assembly of [Fe-Fe]-hydrogenase: new insights into hydrogenase maturation. J Biol Inorg Chem (vol 12) 4: 443-447.
14. Ghirardi ML, Posewitz MC, Maness PC, Dubini A, Yu J, Seibert M. (2006). Hydrogenases and hydrogen photoproduction in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. Annu Rev Plant Biol 58: 71-91.
15. Jack RL, Dubini A, Palmer T, Sargent F (2005). Common principles in the biosynthesis of diverse enzymes Biochem Trans. 33: 105-107.
16. Jack RL, Buchanan G, Dubini A, Hatzixanthis K, Palmer T, Sargent F (2004). Coordinating assembly and export of complex bacterial proteins EMBO J 76:409-406.
17. Dubini A, Sargent S (2003). Assembly of Tat-dependent [NiFe] hydrogenases: identification of precursor-binding accessory proteins. FEBS Lett 549: 141-146.
18. Dubini A, Pye R, Jack R, Palmer T, Sargent F. (2002). How bacteria get energy from hydrogen: a genetic analysis of periplasmic hydrogen oxidation in Escherichia coli., Int. J. Hydrogen energy 27:1413-1420.