Projects

Experimental Impacts of Climate Warming and Ocean Acidification on Metabolic Function and Blue Carbon Accumulation by Eelgrass

Lead Institution

Old Dominion University

Principal Investigator

Richard Zimmerman

Project type

FICUS Research

The goal of this study is to elucidate physiological and genetic responses of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) populations to the combined effects of ocean acidification and climate warming in order to…

Microbial metabolic activity and biogeochemical reaction networks in redox cycled alluvial systems

Lead Institution

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center

Principal Investigator

Kristin Boye

Project type

FICUS Research

Redox conditions and related switches in microbial metabolic activities exert primary control over the stability of carbon, nutrient, and contaminant stocks in alluvial systems, such as floodplains…

Validation of metabolic models, extrapolated from the reference sugar catabolism genetic network of Aspergillus niger by using an orthology-based approach, of evolutionarily diverse fungi

Lead Institution

Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute

Principal Investigator

Ronald de Vries

Project type

FICUS Research

Sugar conversion through central carbon catabolism in filamentous fungi is a complex process that involves many pathways, some with shared and/or redundant components. During growth on plant biomass,…

Hydrobiogeochemical feedbacks across seasonal and decadal time-scales: implications for solute fate and transport in riverbed ecosystems

Lead Institution

Colorado State University

Principal Investigator

Michael Wilkins

Project type

FICUS Research

Upland rivers host exceptionally strong linkages between the terrestrial and aquatic elemental cycles. Due to their abundance and tight connections with terrestrial ecosystems from which they receive…

Consequences of plant genetic variation and the surrounding microbiome on Sphagnum associated nitrogen fixation

Lead Institution

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

David Weston

Project type

FICUS Research

We propose a collaborative project with JGI and EMSL to determine how Sphagnum peatmoss and microbial genetic variation interact to influence community function at elevated temperatures. As part of a…

Understanding and Harnessing the Robustness of Undomesticated Yarrowia lipolytica Strains for Biosynthesis of Designer Bioesters

Lead Institution

University of Tennessee

Principal Investigator

Cong Trinh

Project type

FICUS Research

The goal of this proposed research is to elucidate and harness the exceptional robustness of the novel, undomesticated Yarrowia lipolytica isolates from genetic diversity screening as a bioenergy…

Deciphering the Structure & Function of Secondary Metabolites from Anaerobic Fungi

Lead Institution

University of California, Santa Barbara

Principal Investigator

Michelle O'Malley

Project type

FICUS Research

We recently uncovered the biosynthetic machinery to produce a wide array of secondary metabolites within the genomes of the anaerobic fungal phylum Neocallimastigomycota. These fungi live among…

Linking phosphorus and carbon in rhizosphere nutrient cycling

Lead Institution

Michigan State University

Principal Investigator

James Moran

Project type

FICUS Research

Plant root exudates provide a significant carbon (C) source for rhizosphere microbial communities. In return, these communities help mobilize nutrients needed for plant growth. For instance,…

Epigenetic regulation of anaerobic fungi for increased lignocellulose degradation

Lead Institution

University of Delaware

Principal Investigator

Kevin Solomon

Project type

FICUS Research

This project studies the impact of epigenetic regulation in anaerobic fungi to develop strategies that control lignocellulolytic enzyme expression and activity for increased lignocellulose breakdown…

Interactive mechanisms of mineral dissolution by a microbial consortia

Lead Institution

Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Principal Investigator

Yeala Shaked

Project type

FICUS Research

Essential metabolic functions within ecosystems are often partitioned among various members of microbial communities that each benefit the whole population. For example, nitrogen fixation is carried…

Plant litter degradation and microbial defense by host-specific fungal endophytes

Lead Institution

University of California, Santa Barbara

Principal Investigator

Ryoko Oono

Project type

FICUS Research

Decomposition of leaf litter by a diverse microbial community is a major biogeochemical process in the global carbon cycle. Fungi are considered the primary decomposers of plant litter, especially of…

Can Mineral Growth by Oriented Attachment Lead to Incorporation of Uranium into the Structure of Fe(oxyhydr)oxides?

Lead Institution

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Eugene Ilton

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Previous laboratory work has shown that uranium can be incorporated into the structure of hematite and goethite during co-precipitation and redox transformation of ferrihydrite, respectively. However…

Redox And Reactive Minerals: The Impact Of Redox Fluctuations On Mineral-Organic Matter Associations And Microbial Carbon Transformations In Tropical Forest Soils

Lead Institution

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Jennifer Pett-Ridge

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

In tropical ecosystems, changes in future Earth Systems will likely affect both the amplitude and periodicity of redox oscillations due to predicted increases in temperature and changes in the…

Understanding Reactive Nitrogen Recycling on Soil and Mineral Dust Surfaces

Lead Institution

Indiana University - Bloomington

Principal Investigator

Jonathan Raff

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

A fundamental understanding of the factors controlling the lifetime and fate of reactive nitrogen oxides (NOy = NO, NO2, HNO2, N2O5, etc.) in the atmosphere is critical for accurately representing…

Characterizing a tripartite plant - fungus - bacteria symbiosis important to peatland carbon and nitrogen cycling

Lead Institution

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

David Weston

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

The importance of plant-microbiome systems on terrestrial carbon and nitrogen processes is perhaps most pronounced in Sphagnum dominated ecosystems, which occupy 3% of the Earth's land surface…

Biosystem dynamics and analysis of Rhodobacter sphaeroides strains with increased lipid accumulation

Lead Institution

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Principal Investigator

Timothy Donohue

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

We are requesting access to EMSL microscopy, including transmission electron microscopes, the helium ion microscope, and atomic force microscope. We also are requesting access to high-resolution…

Fundamental studies of the sorption of organic molecules within engineered soil surrogates

Lead Institution

Louisiana State University

Principal Investigator

Robert Cook

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

The sorption of molecules into the organic matrix of soils (a.k.a soil organic matter [SOM]) is of great importance for a number of environmental issues; in particular 1) carbon cycling via carbon…

Spatially-resolved -omics to target reaction partitioning mechanisms in a unique lignocellulose-degrading fungus

Lead Institution

University of Minnesota

Principal Investigator

Jonathan Schilling

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Brown rot fungi are among a select group of filamentous fungi able to deconstruct lignocellulose, and their biochemical pathways have potential biofuels applications and carbon cycling implications…

Identification of protein interaction networks, cofactors and protein structures essential for mercury methylation in anaerobic bacteria

Lead Institution

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Principal Investigator

Alexander Johs

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

Mercury is a pervasive global pollutant. Methylation of mercury (Hg) by anaerobic bacteria is the primary source of toxic methylmercury, which bioaccumulates up trophic levels and affects humans…

Towards Lignin Valorization: Investigation of biological, chemical and hybrid approaches to suppress lignin recondensation and maximize depolymerization

Lead Institution

Joint BioEnergy Institute

Principal Investigator

Seema Singh

Project type

Large-Scale EMSL Research

The primary goal of this proposed work is to use both experimental and computational approaches to understand and develop an integrated lignin conversion process for better utilization of lignin…