CAREER: Microbial Degradation of Aromatic Hydrocarbons Under Anaerobic Conditions

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9733535 Spormann This project will investigate the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of aromatic hydrocarbon degradation by anaerobic bacteria. Current work in this research group has revealed several novel biochemical reactions involved in the initial steps of anaerobic degradation of toluene, xylenes, and ethylbenzene. Catabolic pathways for these compounds will be established and key enzymes of the novel pathways will be characterized. A genetic analysis of the pathways will be initiated to understand how these catabolic genes are regulated and which environmental factors control their expression. Further, it is proposed to isolate novel prokaryotes that degrade aromatic hydrocarbons under sulfidogenic and methanogenic conditions. BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) compounds are among the most water-soluble components of gasoline and are frequently released in the environment by spills and improper handling. Contaminated sites often become anaerobic. Investigating anaerobic BTEX degradation in terms of the biochemistry involved, the molecular mechanisms that regulate expression of catabolic genes, and the microbial ecology of the hydrocarbon-degrading organisms will advance our fundamental knowledge of microbial metabolism, and will also be of practical use for evaluating and enhancing intrinsic bioremediation. The teaching activities are integrated with the research activities and have related focus. An Environmental Microbiology curriculum is currently being established to convey a comprehensive understanding of microbial activities in nature. An emphasis will be the mutual interactions between microorganisms and their environment, how microbial activities control the physical-chemical properties of an environment, and in turn, how this affects microbial activities, ranging from the elemental cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen and iron to microbial metabolism of compounds of geochemical and of anthropogenic origin.