Peatlands harbor up to one third of the world pool of soil carbon and are estimated to be responsible for as much as 20 percent of the global emission of the greenhouse gas methane. Sequencing the metagenome and metatranscriptome of peat soil, and in particular, the rare peatland Desulfosporosinus species, as well as potentially novel terrestrial sulfate reducers is highly relevant to the DOE mission because these microorganisms play an integral part in the carbon and sulfur cycle of terrestrial wetlands. Knowledge on the genome repertoire and its transcription of indigenous microorganisms such as Desulfosporosinus is an integral basis for making sound predictions of how peatlands will contribute and respond to global change.
Proposer’s Name: Michael Pester