Systems-Level Predictions of Electron Flows in TCE-Dechlorinating, Dehalococcoides Containing Microbial Communities Using Modeling and Emerging Molecular Biology Tools

CBET 1336709丽莎阿尔瓦雷斯科恩加州伯克利大学地下水污染的氯化溶剂是一个重要的问题，在成千上万的网站在美国和世界各地。 对受氯化乙烯污染的地下水进行就地生物补救涉及对土著Dehalococcoides细菌进行生物刺激和/或使用含有Dehalococcoides的培养物进行生物强化，以将全氯乙烯和三氯乙烯完全还原为无毒乙烯。由于这些细菌表现出特定的限制性代谢要求的底物和辅因子，可以通过不同的代谢相互依赖性的网络提供支持微生物，该项目旨在提供系统级的预测种间电子和代谢物交换网络，形状的结构和功能的鲁棒性含脱卤球菌的微生物群落。使用连续流生物反应器系统中培养物的工程控制，TCE脱氯生物动力学建模和高通量，社区水平基因组分析的组合，本研究将开发地下水羽流相关条件下的机制，系统水平模型（即，低浓度氯化乙烯的连续流动），以优化和主动控制各种环境情景下的脱氯过程，从而更好地了解和预测控制生物修复过程。氯化溶剂（例如，洗涤液和干洗剂）对地下水的污染是美国和世界各地数千个地点的一个重要问题。 幸运的是，一种天然存在的细菌在被刺激生长到足够高的种群密度时，能够生物降解这些污染物，这一过程被称为"原位生物修复"。“这些细菌生活在复杂的微生物群落中，提供了细菌生存和生物降解溶剂所需的许多因素。 该项目采用系统级方法来了解这些微生物群落内的相互作用，以综合了解复杂的降解群落如何运作和应对不同的环境压力。这种理解将被捕获的预测模型，这将是有用的环境科学家和生物修复从业者，以评估和优化氯化溶剂的清洁策略，并提供指导的策略，以操纵微生物群落在该领域。该项目还将支持多个教育层次的科学推广活动，以通过（共同）课程学习、辅导和培训服务激发对科学、技术、工程和数学的兴趣。

CBET 1336709Lisa Alvarez-CohenUniversity of California BerkeleyGroundwater contamination by chlorinated solvents is an important problem at thousands of sites within the United States and worldwide. In situ bioremediation of chlorinated ethene-contaminated groundwater involves the biostimulation of indigenous Dehalococcoides bacteria and/or bioaugmentation using Dehalococcoides-containing cultures to completely reduce perchloroethene and trichloroethene to non-toxic ethene. Because these bacteria exhibit specific restrictive metabolic requirements for substrates and cofactors that can be supplied by supportive microorganisms through diverse networks of metabolic interdependencies, this project seeks to deliver systems-level predictions of interspecies electron and metabolite exchange networks that shape the structural and functional robustness of Dehalococcoides-containing microbial communities. Using a combination of engineered control of cultures in continuous-flow bioreactor systems, TCE dechlorination biokinetic modeling and high-throughput, community-level genomic analysis, this research will develop mechanistic, systems-level models under groundwater plume-relevant conditions (i.e., continuous flow with low concentrations of chlorinated ethenes) to optimize and proactively control dechlorination processes under a range of environmental scenarios, leading to a better understanding and predictive control of bioremediation processes. Groundwater contamination by chlorinated solvents (for example, degreasing fluids and dry-cleaning agents) is an important problem at thousands of sites within the United States and worldwide. Fortunately, a type of naturally-occurring bacteria are capable of biodegrading these contaminants when they are stimulated to grow to high enough population densities, in a process called "in situ bioremediation." These bacteria live in complex microbial communities that provide many of the factors needed by the bacteria to survive and biodegrade the solvents. This project takes a systems-level approach to understanding the interactions within these microbial communities to develop an integrated picture of how complex degrading communities operate and respond to different environmental stressors. This understanding will be captured in predictive models that will be useful for environmental scientists and bioremediation practitioners to evaluate and optimize cleanup strategies for chlorinated solvents, and to provide guidance for strategies to manipulate microbial communities in the field. This project will also support science outreach activities for multiple education levels to stimulate interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through (co-)curricular learning, tutoring and training services.