International: Isolation and Characterization of Iron-Reducing and Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria from a Biofilm Community

California Institute Of Technology, Pasadena CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports a new collaboration between Dr. Dianne K. Newman of the California Institute of Technology and Dr. Paula S. Suarez of the Universidad Simon Bolivar in Venezuela. These researchers share a long-standing interest in metal transformations by microorganisms and have both in recent years studied iron cycling in biofilm communities. Currently, very little is known about the diversity, genetics, and biochemistry of phototrophic iron-oxidizers, and even less is know about how these organisms interact with other bacteria in biofilms. These researchers will collaborate to isolate iron-oxidizers and iron-reducers from a biofilm forming on the surface of a corroding steel boat in San Esteban National Park, Venezuela. It is anticipated that this project will provide insights that will help launch a long-term collaboration to study the biochemistry and genetics of phototrophic iron-oxidation, and test the hypothesis that iron-oxidizing phototrophs can form biofilms that are sustained by iron-cycling in concert with iron-reducers.