Physiology and Ecology of Anaerobes
Geobacter
Using new tools for transferring DNA between isolates, combined with robotic colony picking, and collection of automated growth data, we are studying the physiology and gene expression of wild-type, mutant, and engineered Geobacter strains. While many phenotypes under study involve electron transport, we are also researching Geobacter’s growth in biofilms, and survival under desiccation and other stress conditions. These survival mechanisms are important both in understanding Geobacter’s competitiveness in the environment, and in applications where we are depositing Geobacter as thin films on electrodes, in collaboration with Dr. Michael Flickinger (Biochemistry) and Dr. Al Aksan (Mechanical Engineering).
Shewanella
Working with Dr. Jeff Gralnick (Microbiology), we are characterizing Shewanella strains and mutants on electrode surfaces, directly comparing these strains to metal-reducing bacteria in our own laboratory. In addition, the ability to manipulate this strain has led to projects in which Shewanella is being engineered to secrete valuable compounds while attached to electrode surfaces.
Geothrix
Largely through a series of undergraduate directed research and UROP projects, we have identified an environment in Minnesota where this poorly understood cluster of organisms appear to play a prominent role. New isolates from this environment, as well as the one type isolate of Geothrix are being characterized in preparation for large-scale sequencing efforts.
