Exploring the Bacteria Found In Underwater Environments

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Motivation

Bahamas blue holes link

Blue Hole Research link

Related People/Researchers

- Julie A. Huber
- Stephanie J. Schwabe
- Jennifer L. Macalady

Introduction

- All organisms respire, i.e. have a metabolic mechanism by which they obtain energy. This oxidation-reduction (redox) mechanism requires electrons to be transferred from the electron donor (ie the fuel) to the electron acceptor.
- Carbon compounds are the most common electron donor, although inorganic nitrogen is also a fuel for some bacteria.
- Bacteria can exist in aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) environments.
- Aerobic bacteria that can only use dioxygen (O2) as the electron acceptor are called obligate aerobes.
- Anaerobic bacteria must use something other than dioxygen as an electron acceptor.
- Facultative bacteria can carryout respiration using either aerobic or anaerobic mechanisms.
- We are particularly interested in anaerobic bacteria.

Equipment

Experimental

References

Coupled reductive and Oxidative sulfur cycling (Gebiol, 2014)

Energy, Ecology, and the Distribution of Microbial Life (Philosophical Transactions, 2013)