Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

The diversity of life on Earth is an irreplaceable natural heritage. The array of microbial life is enormous; however recent evidence indicates that most (around 99%) of microbial species remain undiscovered. Modern science has produced a new awareness of this extraordinary diversity within a surprising range of habitats where microbes flourish. Their metabolic types are equally broad and include a rich variety of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pathways. Photosynthesis is a major process that contributes and increases the free energy on Earth, and research in this field has great importance. The proposed program will help us not only better understand the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic phenomenon, but also enhance our knowledge of the photo metabolism of diverse bacteria and the evolution of photosynthesis. Because of the fact that aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs are one of the major parts of the population in ocean with a significant role in carbon cycling, which might be associated with the global warming process, it is becoming increasingly important to understand them. Investigation of heavy metal(loid) transformations will bring in-depth exploration of novel communities and species adaptations. Of particular interest to my group is the metal(loid) oxide reducing capacity of hydrothermal vent isolates. The ability to reduce toxic oxyanions of Te to the less toxic elemental form has a great potential for bioremediation of polluted effluents from industrial operations. In addition, such bacteria could prove useful in practical biometallurgy of rare and expensive Te. Hence, our work will make both fundamental and technological contributions. The particular objectives of my Research Proposal comprise four related parts: A. Diversity, taxonomic nuances, phylogeny/evolution and ecology of the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs will be investigated; B. Mysterious aerobic anoxygenic photosynthetic apparatus will be studied; C. Microbial biotransformation of heavy metal(loid)s is proposed for detailed analysis; and D. Microbiology of the deep ocean hydrothermal vents will be considered. The approaches to be taken include the use of a variety of modern and classic microbiological, biochemical, molecular biological, taxonomic and phylogenetic techniques.