The primary goal of this project is to sequence the genome of an organism that represents what could be one of the least evolved lineages of modern life that has been detected in nature so far. Barns et al. discovered the Korarchaeota lineage in Obsidian Pool over a decade ago, using what were highly innovative…
Why Sequence Hypersaline Microbial Mats?
Hypersaline microbial mats are complex, integrated ecosystems that have become models for studies of chemical and energetic factors that support photosynthesis-driven communities. Although the overall energy influx is photosynthetic, metabolism and turnover of photosynthetic organisms creates a rich and complex chemical ecosystem. Hypersaline mats popularly are considered simple communities. However, recent studies of the extensive…
Why Sequence Seven Thermotogales?
The genome of the bacterial anaerobic hyperthermophile Thermotoga maritima was sequenced in 1999, and whole-genome comparative analysis revealed that 24% of its DNA sequence is most similar to that of archaeal species, many of which occupy the same environmental niches. Subsequent studies demonstrated that other members of the Thermotogales have undergone extensive horizontal gene transfer…
Why Sequence Six Archaea?
Archaea are the least well characterized of the three domains of life, and yet they share many important features with eukaryotes and are the key to understanding both the development of the eukaryotic cell and the origins and nature of the last universal common ancestor. In addition, many archaeal organisms are of interest in their…
Why Sequence Euryarchaeota in Acid Mine Drainage?
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major worldwide environmental problem associated with the mining of energy resources (coal and uranium) and metals (eg., iron and copper), thus of direct DOE relevance. The processes that underpin AMD formation can be harnessed for bioleaching and bioremediation. Many scientific and industrial groups are studying various aspects of the…
Why Sequence Root-Colonizing Crenarchaeotes and Their Community?
Natural organic matter largely consists of humic substances, a class of biogenic and refractory organic compounds that are prevalent in all terrestrial and aquatic environments. Because these substances are major reservoirs of organic carbon, the global carbon cycle is affected in critical ways by microorganisms that mediate their turnover. Mesophilic crenarchaeotes may be a group…
Why Sequence Two Caulobacter Species?
As ubiquitous inhabitants of aquatic ecosystems, particularly nutrient-poor (“oligotrophic”) habitats, Caulobacters may be exploitable for bioremediation applications. To gain further insight into the biological and environmental activities of oligotrophs in general, and Caulobacters in particular, researchers would like to compare the genomes of species from each of the major Caulobacter habitats. The genomic DNA sequence…
Why Sequence Bacillus coagulans?
Bacilus coagulans strain 36D1 and its close relatives are ideal biocatalysts for fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals. This bacterium is an acidophile and a moderate thermophile (grows at pH 5.0 and at 55°C). These characteristics are similar to the optimal conditions for the activity of fungal cellulases, which have been developed with…
Why Sequence Antarctic Marine Bacterioplankton?
Cold ocean regions are the norm on this planet, with 79% of the world’s ocean volume below 5 °C and some expansive regions, such as the Southern and Arctic Oceans, remaining constantly below freezing. In addition to the water column, sea ice forms over the Southern Ocean annually, doubling the size of the Antarctic continent…
Why Sequence an Alaskan Soil?
This project tests a new tactic for profiling microbial communities, the functional anchor approach. The strategy is to identify all clones in a library that express a certain function and then sequence them to obtain phylogenetic information about their origins. The limitation of sequence-based approaches is that genes that do not match known motifs are…