Development of a high-resolution technique to monitor landfarm hydrocarbon biodegradative activity

人类工业活动中产生的碳氢化合物污染物，如重工业油，对大多数生物体都是有毒的。值得庆幸的是，土壤中的微生物群落包含细菌和真菌成员，它们能产生**特殊的酶来降解这些复杂的碳氢化合物。“土地农场”是专门用来开发微生物活动，以快速安全地降解工业活动中的碳氢化合物的受管理的地块。位于里贾纳的埃夫拉兹需要一种廉价、可靠和高分辨率的技术来监测**他们农场的生物降解活动。这将为管理实践提供信息，并使Evraz**能够**有效地促进微生物生长，以加快补救速度。此外，一个运转良好的农场**为Evraz提供了补救其他公司产生的废物的能力。里贾纳大学的研究人员正在与加拿大Evraz Inc.合作，应用统计模型来识别土地管理中对生物修复能力有积极或消极影响的**变量。将使用基因技术对农田土壤中的生物活性进行监测，这些技术可以量化生物降解酶的产量。重要的是，抽样设计了严格的统计实验设计，以**确保酶表达的生物意义变化可以被检测到，并与土壤管理实践**相关联。此外，尖端基因技术的使用将对农场中的微生物活动提供前所未有的**深度洞察，使大学科学家能够识别**关键生物修复微生物，从而针对诊断技术，廉价而快速地读出**农场的功能。

Hydrocarbon contaminants, like heavy industrial oils, from human industrial activities are toxic to most**organisms. Thankfully microbial communities in soils contain bacterial and fungal members that produce**special enzymes to degrade these complex hydrocarbons. A "landfarm" is a managed plot of land used**specifically to exploit microbial activity for the rapid and safe degradation of hydrocarbons from industrial**activities. EVRAZ in Regina SK, requires an inexpensive, reliable, and high-resolution technique to monitor**the biodegradative activity in their landfarm. This will inform management practices and allow EVRAZ to**effectively promote microbial growth to accelerate the rates of remediation. Moreover, a well-functioning**landfarm provides EVRAZ with the capacity to remediate waste generated by other companies. Researchers at**the University of Regina are partnering with EVRAZ Inc. NA Canada to apply statistical modelling to identify**variables in land management that positively or negatively impact bioremediation capacity. Biological activity**in the landfarm soils will be monitored using genetic technologies that quantify the production of**biodegradative enzymes. Importantly, sampling has been designed with strict statistical experimental design to**ensure that biologically meaningful changes in enzyme expression can be detected and correlated to soil**management practices. Additionally, the use of cutting-edge genetic techniques will provide unprecedented**depth of insight into the microbial activities in the landfarm, allowing the university scientists to identify the**keystone bioremediating microbes and thus target diagnostic techniques for an inexpensive and rapid readout**of landfarm function.