Grant: Engage Grants Program

Hydrocarbon contaminants, like heavy industrial oils, from human industrial activities are toxic to most*organisms. Thankfully microbial communities in soils contain bacterial and fungal members that produce*special enzymes to degrade these complex hydrocarbons. A ""landfarm"" is a managed plot of land used*specifically to exploit microbial activity for the rapid and safe degradation of hydrocarbons from industrial*activities. EVRAZ in Regina SK, requires an inexpensive, reliable, and high-resolution technique to monitor*the biodegradative activity in their landfarm. This will inform management practices and allow EVRAZ to*effectively promote microbial growth to accelerate the rates of remediation. Moreover, a well-functioning*landfarm provides EVRAZ with the capacity to remediate waste generated by other companies. Researchers at*the University of Regina are partnering with EVRAZ Inc. NA Canada to apply statistical modelling to identify*variables in land management that positively or negatively impact bioremediation capacity. Biological activity*in the landfarm soils will be monitored using genetic technologies that quantify the production of*biodegradative enzymes. Importantly, sampling has been designed with strict statistical experimental design to*ensure that biologically meaningful changes in enzyme expression can be detected and correlated to soil*management practices. Additionally, the use of cutting-edge genetic techniques will provide unprecedented*depth of insight into the microbial activities in the landfarm, allowing the university scientists to identify the*keystone bioremediating microbes and thus target diagnostic techniques for an inexpensive and rapid readout*of landfarm function.