EAGER: Nanopods: Structure and function of novel bacterial structures

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Intellectual Merit This EAGER project is to study a novel extracellular appendage, a nanopod, observed initially in the soil bacterium, Delftia, and based on sequence analyses predicted to occur in a diverse group of microbes from free living organisms to plant pathogens. This is the first report of the appendage and the project is designed to investigate nanopod biogenesis, the three dimensional structure of the nanopod, and the influence of nanopods on the survival of the microbes in the natural environment. Initial results suggest that the nanopod influences the capacity of bacteria to form biofilms and their ability to utilize nearly insoluble substrates of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. There are risks associated with this project but if it is successful it could result in the identification of a novel bacterial structure and open a new field of study related to the interaction of bacteria with the environment mediated by this surface appendage.Broader Impact Undergraduate and graduate students as well as post doctoral fellows will be involved in the study. The project also will serve as a mechanism for broadening participation of members of underrepresented groups and will include research assistants from diverse backgrounds. The PI will coordinate with an existing group at the University of Wisconsin, that serves as a conduit between faculty and prospective students in underrepresented communities, as a mechanism for recruiting minority students for inclusion in the project.