Stream biofilms are key component of stream food webs and contain bacteria that contribute to the carbon and nitrogen cycles. A slow-growing bacterium isolated from a freshwater stream biofilm has potential bioenergy and bioremediation applications. JOSHI_001 is part of a class of bacteria that deposit iron and manganese precipitates externally to the colony early in…
Why sequence Alkaliphilic sulfur oxidizing bacteria for sulfur pollution remediation?
Burning sulfur-containing fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, contributes significantly to global environmental problems, such as air pollution and acid rain, besides contributing to the loss of the ozone layer. One method of managing sulfur compounds released as byproducts from industrial processes is to scrub them out using chemical treatments and activated charcoal…
Why sequence thermophiles in Great Basin hot springs?
A thermophile is an organism that thrives in extremely hot temperature conditions. These conditions are found in the Great Basin hot springs, where the organisms have been exposed to unique conditions which guide their lifecycle. High temperature environments often support large and diverse populations of microorganisms, which appear to be hot spots of biological innovation…
Why sequence Acidobacterium species from Arctic tundra soils?
Arctic and boreal environments, the areas most impacted by global climate changes, cover nearly a quarter of the Earth’s surface. As temperatures rise, the carbon trapped in these regions is released, which in turn affects the global carbon cycle. To better understand the changes being wrought, the project calls for sequencing several bacterial strains isolated…
Why sequence microbes integral to the cycling of sulfur and iron?
Ten percent of the Earth’s surface is subglacial and holds a quarter of the world’s soil carbon. The environment was long thought to be incapable of supporting life, but recent studies have revealed that microbes thrive in these cold, dark regions though the processes that enable them to do so remain poorly understood. Researchers are…
Why sequence denitrifying bacterial isolates?
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…