Mycorrhizal fungi usually transfer nitrogen and phosphorus to plants, and receive carbohydrates. However, the orchid mycorrhizal symbiosis is unique because the mycorrhizal fungi transfer carbon to the plant, at least during early developmental stages. All orchids are dependent on fungi for seed germination and form mycorrhizae with basidiomycete fungi. These mycorrhizal fungal species are primarily… [Read More]

Research over the past half-century has built a coherent, conceptual framework for biogeochemical dynamics in natural microbial ecosystems, but quantitative biological and systems biology approaches are only just now beginning to be applied to natural microbial systems. In this project, the researchers intend to apply genome-enabled quantitative systems biology approaches to describe the model open… [Read More]

Hydrologically sealed boreholes that penetrate through the sediment and into the basaltic crust currently provide the only direct means to sample microbial life within the fluids percolating through the Earth’s vast sediment-buried subseafloor basement. Only a handful of boreholes have been designed specifically for microbiological sampling of the basaltic subseafloor. Researchers plan to compare microbial… [Read More]

Microalgae are among the most productive microbial biofuel options. Many algae accumulate neutral lipids or triacylglycerol as storage products, and can be grown on alternative water sources and marginal lands. Additionally, these organisms naturally sequester carbon dioxide and help control greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere. Through a community systems biology approach, researchers hope to elucidate… [Read More]

Switchgrass has been championed as a promising cellulosic feedstock based on its broad adaptability, abiotic stress tolerance, and high yields with low inputs. Researchers still need a detailed understanding of the genetic or molecular basis of these attributes or how they arose over evolutionary time. They also need more information on the role of microbial… [Read More]

Anaerobic fungi can break down plant mass and are best studied from the digestive tract of ruminants. During their life cycles, the fungal zoospores recognize and swim toward ingested plant matter and attach to its surface before penetrating the plant cells. In this way, fibrous lignocellulose rich substrates can be mechanically degraded. In addition to mechanical degradation,… [Read More]

The boreal forests play a central role in global carbon cycling, storing 37 percent of the total carbon present in the terrestrial biosphere. Owing to the high density of lakes in the boreal forest, these freshwater systems play a particularly important role in the carbon cycle. Often boreal lakes are supersaturated in carbon dioxide, resulting… [Read More]

Photosynthesis is the biological process that uses the energy of sunlight to drive the primary production of organic carbon in the biosphere. Despite its fundamental importance, researchers have not yet identified all of the genes that are required for photosynthesis. To identify potentially hundreds of new genes that are necessary for photosynthesis, researchers plan to… [Read More]