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Environmental microbiology. biodegradation and bioremediationResearch in our laboratory focuses on the biodegradation of environmental pollutants. especially halogenated aromatic compounds. Our specific interests are in understanding (a) how microbes degrade toxic chemicals. such as halogenated aromatic compounds. and (b) how microbial communities can be stimulated to degrade soil. groundwater and sediment contaminants. Our laboratory is examining the diversity of aerobic and anaerobic processes in the degradation and transformation of environmental pollutants. including chlorinated and brominated aromatic compounds. chlorinated pesticides. PCBs and PAHs. Our research is seeking novel bioremediation strategies for degradation of these compounds in soils and sediments. Our long term research objectives involve examining the diverse catabolic activities of microbes and how biotransformation and biodegradation affect the fate of anthropogenic contaminants. A central objective in these studies is the physiological characterization of the microorganisms involved in contaminant degradation and transformation and the identification of degradation mechanisms and pathways. The work in our laboratory is currently focusing on identification of degradation mechanisms of halogenated aromatic compounds under different redox conditions. including a biochemical and molecular characterization of the degradation pathways. In addition. we are also examining the population structure and dynamics of anaerobic dehalogenating communities. Another area of interest is the characterization of rhizospheric bacteria involved in biodegradation of organic contaminants and developing their use in bioremediation. We are also exploring aspects of microbe-oligochaete interactions in biodegradation of organic contaminants. The aims of these research projects are to provide a basic understanding of the environmental fate of anthropogenic pollutants as well as to serve as a base for developing novel bioremediation or biocatalytic processes. Selected PublicationsKrumins V, Park JW, Son EK, Rodenburg LA, Kerkhof LJ, Häggblom MM, Fennell DE. (2009) PCB dechlorination enhancement in Anacostia River sediment microcosms. Water Res. 43(18):4549-58. Ahn YB, Kerkhof LJ, Häggblom MM. (2009) Desulfoluna spongiiphila sp. nov., a dehalogenating bacterium in the Desulfobacteraceae from the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 59(Pt 9):2133-9. Ahn YB, Chae JC, Zylstra GJ, Häggblom MM. (2009) Degradation of phenol via phenylphosphate and carboxylation to 4-hydroxybenzoate by a newly isolated strain of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfobacterium anilini. Appl Environ Microbiol. 75(13):4248-53. Männistö MK, Tiirola M, Häggblom MM. (2009) Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on bacterial communities of arctic tundra soil. Microb Ecol. 58(3):621-31. Youngster LK, Somsamak P, Häggblom MM. (2008) Effects of co-substrates and inhibitors on the anaerobic O-demethylation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE). Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 80(6):1113-20. George KW, Häggblom MM. (2008) Microbial O-methylation of the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol-A. Environ Sci Technol. 42(15):5555-61. Häggblom MM, Youngster LK, Somsamak P, Richnow HH. (2007) Anaerobic biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and related fuel oxygenates. Adv Appl Microbiol. 62:1-20. Review. Ahn YB, Häggblom MM, Kerkhof LJ. (2007) Comparison of anaerobic microbial communities from Estuarine sediments amended with halogenated compounds to enhance dechlorination of 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 61(2):362-71. Männistö MK, Tiirola M, Häggblom MM (2007) Microbial communities in Arctic fjelds of Finnish Lapland are stable but highly pH dependent. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 59:452-465. Zaitsev GM, Uotila JS, Häggblom MM (2007) Biodegradation of methyl tert-butyl ether by cold-adapted mixed and pure bacterial cultures. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 74:1092-1102. Narasingarao P, Häggblom MM (2007) Identification of anaerobic selenate-respiring bacteria from aquatic sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: in press. Narasingarao P, Häggblom MM (2007) Pelobacter seleniigenes sp. nov., a selenate-respiring bacterium and reclassification of Malonomonas rubra as Pelobacter ruber comb. nov. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol., in press. Somsamak P, Richnow HH, Häggblom MM (2006) Carbon isotope fractionation during anaerobic degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) under sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:1157-1163. Haubert D, Häggblom MM, Langel R, Scheu S, Ruess L (2006) Trophic shift of stable isotopes and fatty acids in Collembola on bacterial diets. Soil Biol. Biochem. 38:2004-2007. Mannisto MK. Haggblom MM. (2006) Characterization of psychrotolerant heterotrophic bacteria from Finnish Lapland. Syst Appl Microbiol. 29(3):229-43. Somsamak P. Richnow HH. Haggblom MM. (2006) Carbon isotope fractionation during anaerobic degradation of methyl tert-butyl ether under sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. Appl Environ Microbiol. 72(2):1157-63. Narasingarao P. Haggblom MM. (2006) Sedimenticola selenatireducens. gen. nov.. sp. nov.. an anaerobic selenate-respiring bacterium isolated from estuarine sediment. Syst Appl Microbiol. 29:382-388. Ahn YB. Haggblom MM. Fennell DE. (2005) Co-amendment with halogenated compounds enhances anaerobic microbial dechlorination of 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorodibenzo-P-dioxin and 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorodibenzofuran in estuarine sediments. Environ Toxicol Chem. 24(11):2775-84. Somsamak P. Richnow HH. Häggblom MM (2005) Carbon Isotopic fractionation during anaerobic biotransformation of methyl tert-butyl ether and tert-amyl methyl ether. Environ. Sci. Technol. 39:103-109. Haubert D. Häggblom MM. Scheu S. Ruess L (2004) Effects of fungal food quality and starvation on the fatty acid composition of Protaphorura fimata (Collembola). Comp. Biochem. Physiol. Part B 138:41-52. Tchernov D. Gorbunov MY. de Vargas C. Yadav SN. Milligan AJ. Häggblom M. Falkowski PG (2004) Membrane lipids of symbiotic algae are diagnostic of sensitivity to thermal bleaching in corals. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:13531-13535. Turpeinen R. Kairesalo T. Häggblom MM (2004) Microbial activity and community structure in arsenic. chromium and copper contaminated soils. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 47:39-50. Fennell DE. Rhee S-K. Ahn Y-B. Häggblom MM. Kerkhof LJ (2004) Detecting the dehalogenating microorganism in a sulfidogenic. 2-bromophenol-utilizing enrichment by T-RFLP fingerprinting of ribosomes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70:1169-1175. Fennell DE. Nijenhuis I. Wilson SF. Zinder SH. Häggblom MM (2004) Dehalococcoides ethenogenes strain 195 reductively dechlorinates diverse chlorinated aromatic pollutants. Environ. Sci. Technol. 38:2075-2081. Häggblom MM. Ahn Y-B. Fennell DE. Kerkhof LJ. Rhee SK (2003) Anaerobic dehalogenation of organohalide contaminants in the marine environment. In: Laskin AI. Gadd GM. Bennett J (eds) Advances in Applied Microbiology 53:61-84. Elsevier Science. San Diego. Kelly JJ. Häggblom MM. Tate RL III (2003) Effects of heavy metal contamination and remediation on soil microbial communities in the vicinity of a zinc smelter as indicated by analysis of microbial community phospholipid fatty acid profiles. Biol. Fertil. Soils 38:65-71. Kourtev PS. Ehrenfeld JG. Häggblom MM (2003) Experimental analysis of the effect of exotic and native plant species on the structure and function of soil microbial communities. Soil Biol. Biochem. 35:895-905. Häggblom MM. Bossert ID (Editors) (2003) Dehalogenation: Microbial Processes and Environmental Applications. Kluwer Academic Publishers. Boston. Ahn Y-B. Rhee S-K. Fennell DE. Kerkhof LJ. Hentschel U. Häggblom MM (2003) Reductive dehalogenation of haloaromatics by microorganisms associated with the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69:4159-4166. Rhee S-K. Fennell DE. Häggblom MM. Kerkhof LJ (2003) Detection of reductive dehalogenase motifs in PCR fragments from a sulfidogenic 2-bromophenol-degrading consortium enriched from estuarine sediment. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 43:317-324. Knight VK. Berman MH. Häggblom MM (2003) Biotransformation of 3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile (Bromoxynil) under denitrifying. Fe(III)-reducing. sulfidogenic and methanogenic conditions. Environ. Toxicol. 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