What Makes Microcystis Bloom? Dissecting the Physiological Ecology of a Toxic Cyanobacterium with Community Level Proteomics

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Although the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis continues to be the focus of studies around the globe, scientists remain unable to definitively answer the question 'what makes Microcystis bloom?' Using genomic and proteomic information, researchers at the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory will collect 'snapshots' of the biochemical pathways that are simultaneously active in Microcystis cells before, during, and after bloom conditions. By comparing these pathways with lab cultures grown under controlled conditions, researchers will be able to for the first time tease apart the complicated interactions between the environment and Microcystis population growth. To accomplish this goal the researchers will integrate new data sets of recently completed genomic sequences of Microcystis with state-of-the-art tools that analyze whole cell and community protein expression. The resulting information will provide an accurate map of the physiological status of cells under different growth conditions as well as during bloom formation, climax and termination. The work will also provide information on how the environment influences cellular pathways, an important step in understanding the connections between ecological organism response and cellular biochemical processes.The project will facilitate outreach and diversification at an EPSCoR Institution (The University of Tennessee) and provide training for undergraduate and graduate students. The PIs will continue to engage underrepresented groups in the research and will disseminate results to the public through science-focused journalism interns.