A5048533273- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Hydrocarbon exploration and reservoir analysis
- Mine drainage and remediation techniques
- Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
- Microbial Fuel Cells and Bioremediation
- Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Production
- Metal Extraction and Bioleaching
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Arsenic contamination and mitigation
- Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Metalloenzymes and iron-sulfur proteins
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation
- Gut microbiota and health
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Iron oxide chemistry and applications
- Advanced Biosensing Techniques and Applications
Montana State University
2016-2025
The Yellowstone caldera contains the most numerous and diverse geothermal systems on Earth, yielding an extensive array of unique high-temperature environments that host a variety deeply-rooted understudied Archaea, Bacteria Eukarya. combination extreme temperature chemical conditions encountered in often results considerably less microbial diversity than other terrestrial habitats offers tremendous opportunity for studying structure function indigenous communities establishing linkages...
The Yellowstone geothermal complex contains over 10,000 diverse features that host numerous phylogenetically deeply-rooted and poorly understood archaea, bacteria viruses. Microbial communities in high-temperature environments are generally less than soil, marine, sediment or lake habitats therefore offer a tremendous opportunity for studying the structure function of different model microbial using environmental metagenomics. One broader goals this study was to establish linkages among...
The biological reduction of dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) by nitrogenase is an energetically demanding reaction that requires low-potential electrons and ATP; however, pathways used deliver the from central metabolism reductants nitrogenase, ferredoxin or flavodoxin, remain unknown for many diazotrophic microbes. FixABCX protein complex has been proposed reduce flavodoxin using NADH as electron donor in a process known bifurcation. Herein, Azotobacter vinelandii was purified demonstrated...
Consortia of multicellular magnetotactic bacteria (MMB) are currently the only known example without a unicellular stage in their life cycle. Because recalcitrance to cultivation, most previous studies MMB have been limited microscopic observations. To study biology these unique organisms more detail, we use multiple culture-independent approaches analyze genomics and physiology consortia at single-cell resolution. We separately sequenced metagenomes 22 individual consortia, representing 8...
Abstract Background Three methods were developed for the application of stoichiometry-based network analysis approaches including elementary mode to study mass and energy flows in microbial communities. Each has distinct advantages disadvantages suitable analyzing systems with different degrees complexity a priori knowledge. These tested compared using data from thermophilic, phototrophic mat communities Octopus Mushroom Springs Yellowstone National Park (USA). The models based on three...
Geochemical, molecular, and physiological analyses of microbial isolates were combined to study the geomicrobiology acidic iron oxide mats in Yellowstone National Park. Nineteen sampling locations from 11 geothermal springs studied ranging temperature 53 88°C pH 2.4 3.6. All exhibited high diversity crenarchaeal sequences Sulfolobales, Thermoproteales, Desulfurococcales. The predominant Sulfolobales highly similar Metallosphaera yellowstonensis str. MK1, previously isolated one these sites....
Six phototrophic microbial mat communities from different geothermal springs (YNP) were studied using metagenome sequencing and geochemical analyses. The primary goals of this work to determine differences in community composition high-temperature mats distributed across the Yellowstone ecosystem, identify metabolic attributes predominant organisms present these that may correlate with environmental important niche differentiation. Random shotgun sequences six (average~ 53 Mbp/site)...
The Aquificales are thermophilic microorganisms that inhabit hydrothermal systems worldwide and considered one of the earliest lineages domain Bacteria. We analyzed metagenome sequence obtained from six thermal "filamentous streamer" communities (∼40 Mbp per site), which targeted three different groups found in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Unassembled PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene libraries revealed acidic, sulfidic sites were dominated by Hydrogenobaculum (Aquificaceae) populations,...
Geothermal habitats in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) provide an unparalleled opportunity to understand the environmental factors that control distribution of archaea thermal habitats. Here we describe, analyze, and synthesize metagenomic geochemical data collected from seven high-temperature sites contain microbial communities dominated by relative bacteria. The specific objectives study were use metagenome sequencing determine structure functional capacity thermophilic archaeal-dominated...
Abstract The candidate archaeal phylum ‘Aigarchaeota’ contains microorganisms from terrestrial and subsurface geothermal ecosystems. phylogeny metabolic potential of Aigarchaeota has been deduced several recent single-cell amplified genomes; however, a detailed description their in situ transcriptional activity is absent. Here, we report comprehensive metatranscriptome-based reconstruction the metabolism an oxic, hot spring filamentous ‘streamer’ community. Fluorescence hybridization showed...
Abstract Metagenomic studies have revolutionized our understanding of the metabolic potential uncultured microorganisms in various ecosystems. However, many these genomic predictions yet to be experimentally tested, and functional expression often remains unaddressed. In order obtain a more thorough cell physiology, novel techniques capable testing microbial metabolism under close situ conditions must developed. Here, we provide benchmark study demonstrate that bioorthogonal non-canonical...
Abstract Metagenomic studies on geothermal environments have been central in recent discoveries the diversity of archaeal methane and alkane metabolism. Here, we investigated methanogenic populations inhabiting terrestrial features Yellowstone National Park (YNP) by combining amplicon sequencing with metagenomics mesocosm experiments. Detection methyl-coenzyme M reductase subunit A (mcrA) gene amplicons demonstrated a wide Mcr-encoding archaea inhabit differing physicochemical regimes across...
Abstract Over the past decade, environmental metagenomics and polymerase chain reaction-based marker gene surveys have revealed that several lineages beyond just a few well-established groups within Euryarchaeota superphylum harbor genetic potential for methanogenesis. One of these are Archaeoglobi, class thermophilic long been considered to live non-methanogenic lifestyles. Here, we enriched Candidatus Methanoglobus hypatiae, methanogen affiliated with family Archaeoglobaceae, from hot...
Thermal spring ecosystems are a valuable resource for the discovery of novel hyperthermophilic Bacteria and Archaea, harbor deeply-branching lineages that provide insight regarding nature early microbial life. We characterized bacterial populations in two circumneutral (pH ~ 8) Yellowstone National Park thermal (T 80 oC) filamentous 'streamer' communities using random metagenomic DNA sequence to investigate metabolic potential these populations. Four de novo assemblies representing three...
Nanoarchaeota are obligate symbionts of other Archaea first discovered 16 years ago, yet little is known about this largely uncultivated taxon. While diversity has been detected in a variety habitats using 16S rRNA gene surveys, genome sequences have available for only three and their hosts. The host range adaptation to wide environmental conditions thus remained elusive. Single-cell genomics an ideal approach address these questions as can be isolated while still attached putative hosts,...
Abstract Geothermal and hydrothermal waters often contain high concentrations of dissolved sulfide, which reacts with oxygen (abiotically or biotically) to yield elemental sulfur other species that may support microbial metabolism. The primary goal this study was elucidate predominant biogeochemical processes important in biogeochemistry by identifying describing community structure within high‐temperature, hypoxic, sediments ranging pH from 4.2 6.1. Detailed analysis aqueous solid phases...
Intron sequences are common in 16S rRNA genes of specific thermophilic lineages Archaea, specifically the Thermoproteales (phylum Crenarchaeota). Environmental sequencing (16S gene and metagenome) from geothermal habitats Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has expanded available datasets for investigating introns. The objectives this study were to characterize curate archaeal introns high-temperature habitats, evaluate conservation distribution systems, determine which "universal" primers...
Although the biological fixation of CO2 by chemolithoautotrophs provides a diverse suite organic compounds utilized chemoorganoheterotrophs as carbon and energy source, relative amounts autotrophic C in chemotrophic microbial communities is not well-established. The extent mechanisms were evaluated across comprehensive set high-temperature, Yellowstone National Park combining metagenomic stable 13C isotope analyses. Fifteen geothermal sites representing three distinct habitat types...