UNS: Priming of Organohalide-Respirers to Degrade Chlorinated Ethenes with Natural Organochlorines

1511767 Krzmarzick尽管经过几十年的生物修复努力，氯化乙烯（过去广泛使用的溶剂）仍然存在，并对水系统构成重大威胁。这些化合物的生物修复取决于能够破坏这些化合物的细菌的活性，但它们的活性和存在往往很低，而且分布不均匀。已发表的研究表明，这些细菌在处理结构相似的天然化合物时生长。通过利用这种生理学，技术可以开发，以提高细菌的能力，以处理这些化合物。本提案的目的是确定的可行性和有效性，使用天然存在的有机氯化合物作为刺激剂，有效的补救氯化溶剂。中心假设是，有机卤化物呼吸细菌将刺激脱氯氯化溶剂更快，更完全地响应天然有机氯修正案。其理由是，有了这方面的知识，氯化污染物可能会得到更彻底和更迅速的补救，从而消除对地下水系统和人类健康的主要威胁。通过研究有机卤化物呼吸细菌、天然有机氯化合物和氯代污染物之间的生物地球化学联系，可能会发现生物修复中的一个重要障碍，目前的研究和生物修复策略主要集中在增加有机卤化物呼吸细菌的电子供体（可能还有碳）的可用性和/或通过富含有机卤化物呼吸细菌的培养物进行生物强化。这两种方法都有一个基本的弱点，即假设细菌生长和能量所需的电子受体，氯化污染物，是足够的生物可利用性和生物化学适合于细菌的生物学。该提议是创新的，因为它接近使用天然产生的底物在其代谢的呼吸侧（电子接受侧）上刺激有机卤化物细菌。给予有机卤化物呼吸细菌的电子受体，他们需要生活，以刺激他们更广泛的有机卤化物呼吸能力代表了一个范式转变，从目前的生物修复实践。高通量元转录组测序的建议将被用作一个独立的研究课题的一部分，在研究生水平的分子方法学课程进行。这项建议的结果也将立即纳入本科生和研究生的讲座课程，涵盖地球化学主题，这将使本科生和研究生接触到正在进行的研究。该提案将资助一名博士生，他将前往会议介绍这项工作，否则他可能不会攻读这个学位。有了本科生资金，预计最多有三名本科生研究人员将在三年的赠款中接受研究培训，这些研究人员将从事小型和独立的项目，这些项目将在当地研讨会上提出。这项研究有可能从根本上影响社会。该提案旨在完成工程技术开发之前所需的基础知识。这项工作有可能完成未来SBIR/STTR或类似赠款所需的基础知识，然后将这项研究逐步发展到现场实施的技术。

1511767KrzmarzickDespite several decades of bioremediation efforts, chlorinated ethenes (widely used solvents in the past) are still present and pose significant threats to water systems. Bioremediation of these compounds depends on the activity of bacteria capable of destroying those compounds, but their activity and presence is often low and unevenly distributed. Published studies have demonstrated that these bacteria grow while treating naturally-occurring compounds which are similar in structure. By exploiting this physiology, technologies may be developed to enhance the ability of bacteria to treat these compounds.The objective of this proposal is to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of using naturally-occurring organochlorine compounds as stimulants for effective remediation of chlorinated solvents. The central hypothesis is that organohalide respiring bacteria will be stimulated to dechlorinate chlorinated solvents faster and more completely in response to natural organochlorine amendments. The rationale is that with this knowledge, chlorinated pollutants may be more thoroughly and quickly remediated, thus removing major threats to groundwater systems and human health. By investigating the biogeochemical links between organohalide respiring bacteria, natural organochlorine compounds, and chlorinated pollutants, a significant barrier in bioremediation is likely be found. Current research and strategies for bioremediation has focused on increasing the availability of electron donor (and perhaps carbon) to organohalide respirers, and/or by bioaugmentation with cultures rich with organohalide respiring bacteria. Both of these methods have a fundamental weakness in approach, which is the assumption that the electron acceptor needed for the bacteria's growth and energy, the chlorinated pollutant, is sufficiently bioavailable and biochemically suitable for the biology of the bacteria. This proposal is innovative because it approaches the stimulation of organohalide bacteria on the respiration side (electron-accepting side) of its metabolism using naturally produced substrates. Giving organohalide respiring bacteria the electron acceptors they need to live to stimulate their broader organohalide respiring abilities represents a paradigm shift from current bioremediation practice. The high-throughput metatranscriptomic sequencing of this proposal will be used as a component of an independent research topic undertaken in a graduate level course on molecular methodologies. Findings of this proposal will also be incorporated immediately into undergraduate and graduate lecture classes that cover biogeochemistry topics, which will expose the undergraduate and graduate students to ongoing research. The proposal will fund one PhD student who will travel to conferences to present this work and who might otherwise not pursue this degree. With undergraduate funding, up to three undergraduate researchers are expected to be trained in research over the three years of the grant, and these researchers will pursue small and independent projects which will be presented at local symposia. This research has the potential to fundamentally impact society. This proposal aims to complete the fundamental knowledge needed prior to the development of engineering technologies. This work has the potential to complete the fundamental knowledge needed for future SBIR/STTR or similar grants that would then phase this research towards the development of technologies for field implementation.