Uncultivated microorganisms and their domestication

Northeastern University, Boston MA

Investigators

Abstract

This research focuses on marine uncultivable microorganisms. The uncultivables represent one of the largest reservoirs of biological diversity in the ocean. The project will answer the following two questions: 1) what is the nature of uncultivability and why do the uncultivables not grow in the laboratory? and 2) how to change this and domesticate the uncultivables? Answering these questions is the long-term aim of the research and this project is a contribution towards this goal. With support from an NSF SGER, the PIs developed a novel approach for growing uncultivable microorganisms in pure culture in situ. The current research builds on these results and has the following objectives: Objective 1: to resolve the nature of uncultivability in selected microorganisms. Using their new technique, they isolated individual members of several consortia in pure culture in situ, and maintained their co-cultures in vitro. Using an array of fine chemical tools, the PIs plan to resolve the chemical nature of the interactions within these microbial synergisms. The PIs have designed the chemical analyses such that the objective will be achieved whether these microbial interactions are based on cross-feeding, removal of inhibitors, signaling, or other kinds of chemical exchange. Objective 2: to domesticate selected uncultivable microorganisms. Once the PIs have resolved the nature of chemical interactions between the members of microbial consortia, they plan to chemically mimic the presence of synergistic partners in Petri dish. The domestication process may prove highly specific to each microbe, or it may be applicable across a wider range of different microorganisms. Objective 3: to initiate a new culture collection of previously uncultivable microorganisms. The PIs see the detailed study of these "uncultivable" microorganisms as their long-term goal and, at this point, plan to make use of the newly isolated strains by building a new collection of novel microorganisms. The PIs plan to make this collection open to everyone so that their characterization will proceed in a timely manner. Broader impact of this research includes training of two graduate students, involvement of undergraduate students through work-study and honors programs, and data dissemination to the public at large through meetings with local residents.