P2023 - CMMB 507.02 - Directed Research in Cellular, Molecular and Microbial Biology II | |||||||||||||||||
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F2023 - CMMB 443 - Microbial Physiology | |||||||||||||||||
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W2024 - CMMB 545 - Petroleum Microbiology | |||||||||||||||||
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Environmental Microbiology, Petroleum Microbiology, Anaerobic Hydrocarbon Metabolism, Biodegradation, Bioremediation, Enhanced Energy Recovery, Sulfate Reduction, Methanogenesis
In the Gieg laboratory, we aim to understand how anaerobic microorganisms metabolize a variety of compounds associated with the energy industry (mainly hydrocarbons) that have either been accidentally released into the environment or are present in natural reservoirs. Recent studies have shown that anaerobic microorganisms use metabolic strategies distinct from those of aerobes in order to biodegrade hydrocarbons, such as activation by fumarate addition, carboxylation, hydroxylation, and methylation. Overall, anaerobic hydrocarbon metabolism is poorly understood.
Using combined tools of cultivation, analytical chemistry, and molecular biology, we seek to:
In determining the fundamental science underlying anaerobic hydrocarbon biodegradation, we can begin to formulate universal themes of metabolism and apply what we learn to important environmental problems or energy-related systems such as: