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Anaerobic microbial metabolism of environmental contaminants. microbial ecologyThe activity and role of anaerobic microorganisms for both natural carbon cycling in the environment and for biodegradation processes has long been understudied and underutilized. Microbes are the only members of the biosphere with the ability to carry out respiratory functions using electron acceptors other than oxygen. for example. nitrate. iron (III). sulfate and carbonate. Among the microorganisms in the anaerobic microbial community. the major physiological groups important in soils and sediments include denitrifiers. iron reducers. sulfidogens and methanogens whose ability to degrade contaminant chemicals such as pesticides. benzene. toluene. xylenes. alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) is not well understood. Our broad goals are to investigate and understand these diverse communities with respect to their ability to metabolize anthropogenically produced and naturally occurring aromatic compounds. This includes examining complex environmental systems as well as pure cultures in the laboratory. Currently. the specific areas of research include: 1) examining the instrinsic ability of anaerobic communities from NY-NJ Harbor sediments to degrade alkanes and PAHs. and environmental factors which affect the activity; 2) determining the novel microbial chemistry of the anaerobic pathways of naphthalene. methylnapthalene and phenanthrene by active consortia. and that of the alkanes by newly isolated pure cultures; 3) investigating methods to improve or enhance natural rates of biodegradation; 4) developing biochemical markers for assessing intrinsic biodegradation; 5) isolating novel anaerobes able to degrade additional petroleum constituents and other aromatic compounds; 6) characterizing the anaerobic toluene pathway in a denitrifying strain with a molecular genetic approach. Selected PublicationsCallaghan AV, Wawrik B, Ní Chadhain SM, Young LY, Zylstra GJ. (2008) Anaerobic alkane-degrading strain AK-01 contains two alkylsuccinate synthase genes. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 366(1):142-8. Callaghan AV. Gieg LM. Kropp KG. Suflita JM. Young LY. (2006) Comparison of mechanisms of alkane metabolism under sulfate-reducing conditions among two bacterial isolates and a bacterial consortium. Appl Environ Microbiol. 72(6):4274-82. Scala DJ. Hacherl EL. Cowan R. Young LY. Kosson DS. (2006) Characterization of Fe(III)-reducing enrichment cultures and isolation of Fe(III)-reducing bacteria from the Savannah River site. South Carolina. Res Microbiol. May 5; [Epub ahead of print] Young LY. Phelps CD. (2005) Metabolic biomarkers for monitoring in situ anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation. Environ Health Perspect. 113(1):62-7. Shor LM. Kosson DS. Rockne KJ. Young LY. Taghon GL. (2004) Combined effects of contaminant desorption and toxicity on risk from PAH contaminated sediments. Risk Anal. 24(5):1109-20. So. CM & Young. LY. (2001). Anaerobic alkane degradation by enriched consortia under four different reducing conditions. Environ Toxicol Chem 20:473-478. Phelps. CD & Young. LY. (2001). Anaerobic biodegradation of gasoline components: a review. Advances in Agronomy 70:329-357. Togna M. Kazumi. J.. Apitz. S. Kirtay. V. Young. LY. (2001). Effect of sediment toxicity on anaerobic microbial metabolism Environ Toxicol Chem (in press). Sullivan. ER. Phelps. C & Young. LY. (2001). Anaerobic mineralization of stable isotope labeled 2-methylnaphthalene. Appl Environ Microbiol 67:4353-4357. Perez-Jimenez. JR. Young. LY & Kerkhof. LJ. (2001) Molecular characterization of sulfate-reducing bacteria in anaerobic hydrocarbon degrading consortia and pure cultures using the dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsrAB) genes. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 35:145-150. Zhang X. Sullivan. ER & Young. LY. (2000). Aromatic ring reduction in the biodegradation of carboxylated naphthalene by a sulfate reducing consortium. Biodegradation 11:117-124. |
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