Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Microorganisms are critical players in the mitigation and adaptation to climate change as they are gatekeepers of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and mediators of animal and human health. Stein's research program on Climate Change Microbiology builds on her decades of experience to accomplish three aims: 1) to define the cellular mechanisms and environmental conditions that cause microorganisms to produce and consume the GHGs, methane and nitrous oxide, with particular attention to metals as regulators of GHG flux, 2) to develop microbial solutions and technologies to mitigate GHG emissions in industrial and agricultural contexts, and 3) to describe how the microbiomes of Canadian wildlife populations are changing as a consequence of climate change and urbanization to better inform conservation policies. Stein's program will be accomplished using a combination of microbiological, molecular biological, and bioinformatic tools and resources that have been developed over the nominee's career. Recently, Stein's team has been building and utilizing genome-scale metabolic and regulatory models that provide a repository and analytical foundation than enables them to: 1) create and optimize microbial products using methane as a feedstock, including bioplastics and biofuels, 2) identify biological nitrification inhibitors and fertilizers for crop development that prevent GHG emissions, and 3) develop enhanced microbial inocula for indoor aquaponics farms for nutrient management. The genome-scale metabolic and regulatory models developed by Stein's team can be used as systems-based tools to conceptualize how wildlife microbiomes, including caribou, wolverine, and crab populations, are changing due to impacts of climate change and urbanization on their food sources and habitats. This comprehensive program engages a range of collaborators from academia, government, industry and non-profits in Canada, the US, Europe, and South America, and incorporates a focus on adaptation of Northern communities to rapid climate change and permafrost thaw by providing microbial solutions for food production and mitigation of GHG emissions. The CRC program will allow Stein to train the next generation of highly qualified microbiologists that are desperately needed around the world to mitigate, respond and adapt to rapid climate change.