Bacteria mineral interactions

微生物在催化一系列影响土壤、水和空气组成的生物地球化学过程中发挥着重要作用。了解这些过程需要一种多学科方法，侧重于无处不在的微生物世界的贡献，例如，对加拿大高北极极端环境中的生命的研究将有助于了解永久冻土对气候变化的影响。我的研究计划的总体目标是弥合地球科学和微生物学之间的界限，以提高我们对整个地质历史中发生的基本地球系统过程的理解，并应用这些知识来造福社会。在25亿年前，地球的大气中并没有大量的氧气。利用实验室的微观世界，我们将研究蓝藻（地球上植物的前身）与二氧化碳固定和氧气生产之间的关系。该模型将确定蓝藻产生氧气时发生的地球化学和矿物学过程，从而开启了地球历史上的一个新时代。了解氧气光合作用和大气进化之间的这种基本关系，将有助于我们了解生命是如何在过去对行星进化做出贡献的，也有望为未来提供经验教训。采矿业是加拿大经济的重要贡献者，是全球范围内各种商品（如镍、钻石、黄金、铀和铂族元素）的既定生产国。采矿业生物技术过程的发展将通过提高加拿大采矿业的竞争力，创造能够支持现有采矿业务的新的绿色就业机会，直接造福于公众。矿业的持续发展需要矿产勘查的创新。通过本研究，我们将研究岩石营养细菌对含金矿物的侵蚀作用及其在纳米相金合成中的作用，这对制定新的金矿勘探策略具有重要意义。

Microorganisms play an important role in catalyzing a wide array of biogeochemical processes that affect the composition of our soil, water and air. Understanding these processes requires a multidisciplinary approach focused on the contribution of the ubiquitous microbial world, e.g., research on life in extreme environments in Canada's high arctic will help understand the influence of permafrost on climate change. The overall goal of my research program is to bridge the boundary between earth science and microbiology to improve our understanding of fundamental earth system processes that have occurred throughout geological history and to apply this knowledge to benefit society. Prior to 2.5 billion years ago, the Earth did not possess a significant amount of oxygen in its' atmosphere. Using a laboratory microcosm, we will examine the relationship between cyanobacteria (the precursor to plants on Earth), and carbon dioxide fixation and oxygen production. The model will determine the geochemical and mineralogical processes that occurred as cyanobacteria created this oxygen, beginning a new era in Earth's history. Understanding this fundamental relationship between oxygenic photosynthesis and atmospheric evolution will help us understand how life has contributed to planetary evolution in the past, and also hopefully providing lessons for the future. Mining is an important contributor to Canada's economy as an established global producer of a wide range of commodities (e.g., nickel, diamonds, gold, uranium and platinum group elements). The development of biotechnological processes for the mining industry will have direct benefit to the public by improving Canada's competitiveness in mining, creating new green jobs that can support existing mining operations. The continued development of this industry requires innovation in mineral exploration. Through this proposed research, we will examine the role of lithotrophic (rock-eating) bacteria on the erosion of gold containing minerals and their involvement in the synthesis of nanophase gold, which is important in developing new gold exploration strategies.