CAREER: Elucidating the Interaction(s) Between Bacteria and Archaea in a Biocathode

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。一些微生物可以在电极上生长。电子是一种能够消化有机物并与二氧化碳一起产生电子的细菌。如果电子可以被运送到细胞外，细菌就被称为外电子。这些细菌可以为电子设备供电。它们还提供电子，驱动对附近生物体的重要反应。该项目的目标是了解一种已知的外电源是如何与一种可以将二氧化碳转化为甲烷的微生物相互作用的，这种微生物被称为产甲烷菌。这两类生物体的群落可以来回交换电子和含碳分子。了解这种情况是如何发生的，有助于我们了解全球碳循环的细节。它还可能导致一个碳中性的电力系统。培训西班牙裔学校的K-12教师进行研究并将工程学原理纳入课程是其他主要目标。这项活动还将使K-12年级的学生与大学生一起参加以STEM为重点的辅导活动。外源电子影响产甲烷生物催化菌中的电子流、碳流和生物量的形成。Maripaludis和S.onedensis是该项目中使用的产甲烷和外雌激素的模型。碳和电子转移路径将被绘制为单微生物生物目录和双种群生物目录。CRISPR Cas9介导的基因组编辑询问电子是如何从一号链霉菌传递到maripaludis的，以及捐赠的电子在哪里进入产甲烷途径。碳运输途径将通过在各种单种群和双种群生物催化剂配置中对二氧化碳、甲酸盐和乳酸进行13C标记，然后是生物量的核磁共振光谱和动力学建模来阐明。荧光显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和转录组学分析将被用来比较单种群和双种群阴极生物膜中细胞的空间取向和生物膜相关基因的表达。项目成果将有助于更好地了解生物寄生细菌与古菌之间的相互作用。这最终将支持能源回收和废水处理生物电化学系统的改进设计和扩大规模。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).Some microbes can grow on electrodes. Electrogens are bacteria that can digest organic matter and generate electrons along with carbon dioxide. If the electrons can be shipped outside the cell, the bacteria are referred to as exoelectrogens. These bacteria can power electrical devices. They also supply electrons that drive important reactions to nearby organisms. This objective of this project is to understand how a known exoelectrogen interacts with a microbe that can convert carbon dioxide to methane, referred to as a methanogen. Communities of these two types of organisms can swap electrons and carbon-containing molecules back and forth. Understanding how this occurs can help us understand the details of the global carbon cycle. It could also lead to a carbon-neutral electric energy system. Training K-12 teachers from Hispanic-serving schools to conduct research and to incorporate engineering principles into lessons are other major objectives. This outreach will also engage K-12 students in STEM-focused mentorship activities with university students.Exoelectrogens influence the electron flow, carbon flow, and biomass formation in a methanogenic biocathode. M. maripaludis and S. oneidensis are the model methanogen and exoeletrogen used in the project. Carbon and electron transfer pathways will be mapped for single-microbe biocathodes and for a dual-population biocathode. CRISPR Cas9 mediated genome editing interrogate how electrons are passed from S. oneidensis to M. maripaludis, and where donated electrons enter the methanogenesis pathway. Carbon transport pathways will be elucidated using 13C labeling of carbon dioxide, formate, and lactate in various single- and dual-population biocathode configurations, followed by NMR spectroscopy of biomass, and kinetic modeling. Fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transcriptomics analyses will be used to compare cell spatial orientation and biofilm-related gene expression in the single- and dual-population cathode biofilms. Project results will lead to a better understanding of biocathode bacteria-archaea interactions. This will ultimately support improved design and scaling up of bioelectrochemical systems for energy recovery and wastewater treatment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.