Where Cold Creates Power: The Ice Worm Advantage
Most organisms slow down in the cold. Glacier ice worms do the opposite. Living on permanent ice, these organisms generate unusually high levels of adenosine triphosphate, the molecule that powers nearly every cellular process. Truman Dunkley investigates how evolution may have rewired cellular energy production in these extreme conditions, identifying a small protein modification that dramatically increases ATP synthesis.
Dunkley is a doctoral candidate in the Ph.D. program in Computational and Integrative Biology at Rutgers University–Camden’s Center for Computational and Integrative Biology. His research was presented at the Graduate Poster Exhibition during the 2025 SPARK! (Showcase of Projects, Art, Research, and Knowledge), a reimagining of Research Week that highlights graduate research across disciplines. The abstract below introduces his work on ATP synthase activity in glacier ice worms.
Abstract: Playing with Power – Increasing ATP Synthase Activity
Bioenergetic profiles of psychrophiles across domains of life are unusual in that intracellular adenosine triphosphate levels increase with declining temperature. Whole-transcriptome sequencing of the glacier ice worm Mesenchytraeus solifugus revealed a unique C-terminal extension on the ATP6 protein, which forms part of the proton pore of mitochondrial ATP synthase (Complex V).
This extension, positioned near the proton exit pore, comprises alternating histidine residues thought to increase proton flux through Complex V, leading to elevated adenosine triphosphate synthesis. To test this hypothesis, we fused the M. solifugus C-terminal extension to Escherichia coli AtpB, the ATP6 orthologue, and observed an approximately five-fold increase in adenosine triphosphate synthesis.
This enhancement was unidirectional, as we observed no change in adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis rates. These findings offer an avenue for identifying critical factors associated with ice worm adaptation and expand understanding of how energy production can be tuned at the molecular level.
Graduate Poster Exhibition at SPARK!
The Graduate Poster Exhibition celebrates the research and creative work of the graduate community, showcasing everything from prose and code to original research and artistic expression. As part of SPARK! (Showcase of Projects, Art, Research, and Knowledge), a reimagining of Research Week, the exhibition highlights the depth, range, and impact of graduate scholarship and invites the campus community to engage with ideas taking shape across disciplines.
Bridging Disciplines: The Center for Computational and Integrative Biology
The Center for Computational and Integrative Biology (CCIB) at Rutgers–Camden combines experimental and computational methods to address complex biological questions. CCIB offers graduate programs leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, emphasizing a holistic understanding of biological systems from molecular to population levels. The curriculum equips students like Basirat with the skills to conduct innovative research at the intersection of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics.
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