This project will elucidate the genome of a Frankia sp. strain that represents one of three lineages (Cluster 2) within the genus. The strain is an obligate symbiont living in plant tissue. Genome sequences of close relatives who are not “obligate” have recently become available and will be used for comparative genomics. Frankia sp. strains…
Why Sequence the Symbiont of a Symbiont?
Termites efficiently transform lignocellulose and humus into valuable sugars, fuels (hydrogen, methane), and other intermediates of interest for biotechnologists, by exploiting the metabolic capabilities of the diverse microbial symbionts inhabiting their hindguts. In the five evolutionary “lower” termite families, the hindgut microbial community is dominated by a unique assemblage of flagellate protozoa, which are important…
Why Sequence Bacteria from Stromatolites?
Marine stromatolites are formed by the interactions of several key bacterial groups, which precipitate repeating layers (laminae) of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). During 70% of the time life has occupied earth, stromatolites were a dominant biological community. Their associated microbial communities have played a significant role in carbon sequestration, preservation, and cycling during the evolution of…
Why Sequence a Dechlorinating Community?
Carcinogenic chlorinated solvents are among the most common and persistent groundwater contaminants in all industrialized nations. These compounds include the dry-cleaning agent tetrachloroethene (PCE), the widely used industrial solvent trichloroethene (TCE), and 1,2- dichloroethane (1,2-DCA), a precursor in plastic manufacture. Owing to their significant toxicity, even small spills render groundwater nonpotable, and current methods of…
Why Sequence Cyanothece strains?
Cyanobacteria are oxygenic (oxygen-producing) photosynthetic prokaryotes that make significant contributions to the global biological solar energy conversion process. Oxygenic photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation are important metabolic processes that are at odds with each other, since the nitrogen-fixing enzyme, nitrogenase, is highly sensitive to oxygen. This project focuses on the strategies devised by the unicellular, nitrogen-fixing…
Why Sequence Crenothrix polyspora?
Aerobic methane oxidation catalyzed by bacteria is a key step in the global carbon cycle. The process has great importance for the Earth’s climate by reducing the amount of the potent greenhouse gas methane released from habitats such as wetlands and lakes to the atmosphere and by the consumption of atmospheric methane in upland soils….
Why Sequence a Benzene-Degrading Methanogenic Consortium?
As recently as the 1990’s, aromatic hydrocarbons like benzene and toluene were thought to be resistant to degradation under anaerobic conditions. It is now appreciated that biodegradation in the absence of oxygen contributes significantly to the attenuation of hydrocarbons and other pollutants in the environment. Unravelling the yet unknown pathways and mechanisms of anaerobic benzene…
Why Sequence Burkholderia?
Burkholderia species have tremendous versatility: they can efficiently degrade pollutants in water and soil, fix atmospheric nitrogen, or help plants fight against their pathogens; hence they contribute to a healthy, CO2-fixing ecosystem. Burkholderia also occupy diverse habitats from soil to rhizosphere (root zone) to water to intimate associations with plants and animals, even living intracellularly…
Why Sequence Beggiatoa alba?
Prokaryotes are key players in the global sulfur cycle, which is one of the major element cycles on earth (the carbon, nitrogen, and iron cycles being the others). This project involves obtaining the genome sequence of the sulfide oxidizing gamma-proteobacterium Beggiatoa alba B18LD (type strain). The ecologically successful genus Beggiatoa is worldwide in its distribution….
Why Sequence Actinobacteria?
Bioremediation of toxic pollutants has been extensively studied as a cleanup strategy over the last 40 years, but it is often limited by a lack of microorganisms having the genes and corresponding enzymes necessary to degrade recalcitrant compounds. Another problem is that sometimes the target compound is only partially degraded, leading to accumulation of toxic…