Nitrates are contaminants at nuclear waste sites and can also seep into the groundwater from sources such as agricultural runoff, wastewater treatment plants and septic tanks. As the increasing global population boosts demand for drinking water, it is important to maintain and protect these resources. The project calls for sequencing six anaerobic bacteria samples known…
Why sequence two novel ‘Zetaproteobacteria’ from the ocean?
Iron makes up nearly five percent of the Earth’s continental crust and studies over the past two decades have revealed that microbes drive the process by which iron is reduced. While researchers have identified bacteria that can break down iron in anaerobic soil environments, the iron cycle in the marine environment is less well understood….
Why sequence novel acetogenic bacterial isolates from dechlorinating microbial mixed cultures?
Chlorinated solvents are among the most common kinds of environmental contaminants and microbes have been identified that can break these compounds down for energy sources. One of the most well known is Dehalococcoides, strains of which have been sequenced at the DOE JGI. Researchers working with an anaerobic microbial consortium have found that it can…
Why sequence Nostoc linckia from “Evolution Canyon”?
Cyanobacteria have the ability to adapt to a number of environmental conditions and thus can be found in a variety of settings. Members of the cyanobacteria Nostoc family are nitrogen-fixers and key carbon sequestration contributors in agricultural environments. They can also produce hydrogen. The blue-green cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia grows on the rocky slopes of Lower…
Why sequence psychrotolerant Acidithiobacillus species?
Mining sulfide minerals can lead to the release of heavy metals such as copper, lead and zinc into the environment with the acid mine waste and tailings. These compounds can contaminate not just the mining site but the downstream water streams. Acidophilic microorganisms are capable of breaking down metals both in the presence and absence…
Why sequence radiation-resistant bacterium Deinococcus grandis?
A fifth of the United States’ electricity is generated from nuclear power, which can also be used for medical procedures and other applications. The radioactive waste generated by nuclear reactors, hospitals and universities need to be disposed of in specially selected sites. Deinococcus bacteria have the capacity to add electrons to a variety of metals,…
Why sequence Sphingobium chlorophenolicum?
Many chemicals released into the environment from industrial and residential waste streams don’t occur in nature, so the microbes in the soil and water may not have the enzymes capable of breaking these compounds down, causing these pollutants to build up and cause problems. Some microbes have adapted over time, developing pathways by which they…
Why sequence Burkholderia?
Burkholderia strains are involved in carbon cycling and contribute to a healthy, carbon dioxide-fixing environment by fixing atmospheric nitrogen and helping to counter plant pathogens. The bacteria are also known for their ability to break down pollutants in soil and water such as the organic chemical trichloroethene. The abundance of these bacteria in nature suggests…
Why sequence ethene and vinyl chloride-oxidizing Mycobacterium strains?
Mycobacteria are known for causing human and animal diseases but they are also important degraders of hard-to-break-down water contaminants such as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). So far the handful of bacterial species representing the Mycobacterium genus that have been sequenced all break down PAHs. In this project, researchers focus on the…
Why sequence novel haloarchaea from Deep Lake?
Antarctica’s Deep Lake was isolated from the ocean by glaciers long ago, creating a salt water lake with a unique ecosystem for studying the evolution of marine microorganisms in harsh extremes. Among these microorganisms are haloarchaea, members of the halophile community which need high salt concentrations in order to grow. Haloarchaea are a distinct evolutionary…