Microbial Aerobic Anoxygenic Photosynthesis and Heavy Metal(loid) Transformations

地球上生命的多样性是不可替代的自然遗产。微生物的种类是巨大的；然而，最近的证据表明，大多数（约99%）微生物物种仍未被发现。现代科学已经产生了一种新的认识，在微生物繁盛的令人惊讶的栖息地范围内，这种非凡的多样性。它们的代谢类型同样广泛，包括丰富多样的光合和非光合途径。光合作用是地球上贡献和增加自由能的主要过程，研究这一领域具有重要意义。提出的程序不仅有助于我们更好地理解有氧无氧光养现象，而且有助于我们对各种细菌的光代谢和光合作用的进化有更深入的了解。由于需氧无氧光养生物是海洋生物的主要组成部分之一，在碳循环中起着重要作用，这可能与全球变暖过程有关，因此了解它们变得越来越重要。重金属转化的研究将带来对新群落和物种适应的深入探索。我的小组特别感兴趣的是热液喷口分离物的金属（loid）氧化物还原能力。将Te的有毒氧阴离子还原为毒性较小的元素形式的能力，对于工业操作中污染废水的生物修复具有很大的潜力。此外，这种细菌在稀有和昂贵的碲的实际生物冶金中也很有用。因此，我们的工作将对基础和技术作出贡献。***我的研究计划的具体目标包括四个相关部分：A.研究需氧无氧光养生物的多样性、分类细微差别、系统发育/进化和生态学；B.研究神秘的需氧无氧光合机构；C.提出重金属（loid）s的微生物转化进行详细分析；D.深海热液喷口微生物学研究。要采取的方法包括使用各种现代和经典的微生物学，生物化学，分子生物学，分类和系统发育技术。＊＊＊

The diversity of life on Earth is an irreplaceable natural heritage. The array of microbial life is enormous; however recent evidence indicates that most (around 99%) of microbial species remain undiscovered. Modern science has produced a new awareness of this extraordinary diversity within a surprising range of habitats where microbes flourish. Their metabolic types are equally broad and include a rich variety of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pathways.*** Photosynthesis is a major process that contributes and increases the free energy on Earth, and research in this field has great importance. The proposed program will help us not only better understand the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic phenomenon, but also enhance our knowledge of the photo metabolism of diverse bacteria and the evolution of photosynthesis. Because of the fact that aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs are one of the major parts of the population in ocean with a significant role in carbon cycling, which might be associated with the global warming process, it is becoming increasingly important to understand them. Investigation of heavy metal(loid) transformations will bring in-depth exploration of novel communities and species adaptations. Of particular interest to my group is the metal(loid) oxide reducing capacity of hydrothermal vent isolates. The ability to reduce toxic oxyanions of Te to the less toxic elemental form has a great potential for bioremediation of polluted effluents from industrial operations. In addition, such bacteria could prove useful in practical biometallurgy of rare and expensive Te. Hence, our work will make both fundamental and technological contributions.*** The particular objectives of my Research Proposal comprise four related parts: A. Diversity, taxonomic nuances, phylogeny/evolution and ecology of the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs will be investigated; B. Mysterious aerobic anoxygenic photosynthetic apparatus will be studied; C. Microbial biotransformation of heavy metal(loid)s is proposed for detailed analysis; and D. Microbiology of the deep ocean hydrothermal vents will be considered. The approaches to be taken include the use of a variety of modern and classic microbiological, biochemical, molecular biological, taxonomic and phylogenetic techniques. ***