Microbial Aerobic Anoxygenic Photosynthesis and Heavy Metal Transformations

地球上生命的多样性是不可替代的自然遗产。微生物生命的多样性是巨大的，但最近的证据表明，大多数(约99%)微生物物种仍未被发现。现代科学对这种非同寻常的多样性以及令人惊讶的微生物繁衍的栖息地产生了新的认识。它们的代谢类型同样广泛，包括各种各样的光合作用和非光合作用途径。 光合作用是地球上增加自由能的主要过程，这一领域的研究具有重要意义。该计划不仅将帮助我们更好地了解好氧厌氧光营养现象，还将增强我们对各种细菌的光代谢和光合作用进化的认识。重金属转化研究的发展将带来对新群落和物种适应的深入探索。特别令人感兴趣的是热液喷口隔离的金属减量能力。将Te中有毒的氧阴离子还原为毒性较低的元素形式的能力可应用于工业操作污染废水的生物修复。此外，这种细菌可能会在稀有和昂贵的Te的实际生物冶金中被证明是有用的。因此，我们的工作将作出根本性和技术性的贡献。 研究建议的具体主题由四个相关部分组成：a.将调查好氧光养生物的多样性、分类细微差别和演化；b.将研究神秘的好氧缺氧光合作用装置；c.深海热液喷口的微生物学；以及d.建议对重金属的微生物生物转化进行详细分析。将采取的方法包括使用各种微生物、生化、分子生物学、分类学和系统发育技术。

The diversity of life on Earth is an irreplaceable natural heritage. The diversity 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, as well as the surprising range of habitats where microbes flourish. Their metabolic types are equally broad and include a wide variety of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic pathways. Photosynthesis is a major process that 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 photometabolism of diverse bacteria and the evolution of photosynthesis. Development of study in heavy metal transformations will bring in-depth exploration of novel communities and species adaptations. Of particular interest is the metal reducing capacity of hydrothermal vent isolates. The ability to reduce toxic oxyanions of Te to the less toxic elemental form may be applied in bioremediation of polluted effluents from industrial operations. In addition, such bacteria could prove useful in practical biometallurgy of rare and expensive Te. Thus our work will make both fundamental and technological contributions. The particular subjects of the Research Proposal are composed of four related parts: A. Diversity, taxonomic nuances and evolution of aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs will be investigated; B. Mysterious aerobic anoxygenic photosynthetic apparatus will be studied; C. Microbiology of the deep ocean hydrothermal vents; and D. Microbial biotransformation of heavy metals is proposed for detailed analysis. The approaches to be taken include the use of a variety microbiological, biochemical, molecular biological, taxonomic and phylogenetic techniques.