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Microbial response to human Pollutants in polAr lakeS (MicroPolArS)
Call year: 2020
Status: active
IADC_id: 156
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Project description:
Many studies have been conducted on the determination of pollutant levels in polar regions. Major contaminant transport routes to the Arctic and Antarctica include atmospheric and oceanic transport, incorporation in drifting ice of pollutants concentrated in the oceanic surface microlayer, and accumulation on the snow and ice surface of pollutants deposited from the atmosphere. Lakes are widely reported as very sensitive ecosystems to environmental change. This is particularly true in the case of small lakes and ponds that occur extensively in Arctic and Antarctica. Small variations in the dynamics and duration of their snow and ice covers or the deposition of xenobiotic substances can have a noticeable effect on lake ecological variables. Microbial communities (prokaryotes and eukaryotes) promptly respond tothe environmental perturbations they undergo and their response can be researched in the expression of catabolic genes involved in the degradation of pollutants. For example, psychrophilic yeasts show the ability to efficiently degrade a wide range of phenol-related compounds. Recently, it was demonstrated that yeasts isolated from Antarctica have the ability to tolerate different heavy metals, as Cr, Cd, and Cu. Furthermore, it is known that bacteria possess genetic and biochemical capabilities for remediation of polychlorobiphenylpollution. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic response to human perturbations can be researched in the expression of genetic pathways such as Bphbacterial operon involved in the utilization of PCBs as source of energy and carbon or the factor COG0789 (MerR family) involved in bacterial heavy metal resistance.In this context, the present proposal will be aimed at evaluating the adaptive ability of microbes (mainly bacteria and fungi) in these extreme and sensitive environments and their potential application for bioremediation.
National/International Cooperation:
International cooperation with Spanish Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, under the supervision of Professor Antonio Camacho
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