Cyanobacterial methane production at higher temperatures
Our planet is feeling the effects of climate change. Carbon dioxide tends to be the greenhouse gas thought of when global warming is mentioned, but other gases such as methane (28x more powerful) need to also be considered. Long believed to be a strictly anaerobic process, methane production has now been suggested to occur within oxic environments through organisms such as Cyanobacteria, but how climate change may affect this remains heavily unknown. We are studying marine and freshwater strains (e.g. Synechococcus, Synechocystis)under a range of increasing temperatures. This lab-based project aims to measure methane production in axenic and non-axenic strains. We hope this work will contribute to a better understanding on climate change issues related to for those considered ‘natural’ – this is important adaptation and mitigation measures when developing solutions for future generations.
Life on extreme environments elsewhere in the solar system.
This project explores the evolution and comparative genomics of cyanobacterial genes that facilitate survival in low light conditions, high light conditions and extreme cold and desiccation. Cyanobacteria are ecological pioneers and can survive in various extreme environmental conditions. By studying cyanobacteria’s ability to thrive in extreme low light conditions, we hope to understand how life may appear on extreme environments elsewhere in the solar system.
Organic nitrogen assimilation machinery in cyanobacteria
Organic forms of nitrogen have traditionally been dismissed as biologically inactive though research is increasingly demonstrating this is inaccurate. Dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) such as amino acids or proteins can function as a sole N source, even with preferential uptake over inorganic forms. Whilst inorganic forms of nitrogen are well-characterised and regulated, the molecular machinery required for organic nitrogen assimilation is not well-understood on a community scale. Freshwater environments have access to higher concentrations and greater diversity of DON with the consequences of how this affects the community not known. We are implementing comparative genomics to study freshwater and marine cyanobacteria with focus on picocyanobacteria. We aim to identify the molecular machinery present at the genomic level to determine which sources of nitrogen are bioavailable, and if these methods of assimilation differ within and between habitats and clades. This will allow us to understand which forms of nitrogen are bioavailable, how they are assimilated, and how the composition of DON may influence community species diversity ultimately resulting in potentially algal bloom formation.
Evolution of Cyanobacteria from cold environments
Cyanobacteria are widespread across the planet, including in extreme environments such as the Polar Regions and glaciers at higher elevations in lower latitudes. We are studying when cyanobacteria from cold environments first evolve. We aim to identify whether there are particular features that allow them to survive in these extreme conditions. Our approach involves sequencing new genomes of Arctic and Antarctic cyanobacteria. We are implementing state-of-the-art computational tools (e.g. phylogenomic analyses, Bayesian statistics) to reconstruct their evolutionary history and the timing of their origin.
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