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Feng M, Du Y, Li X, Li F, Qiao J, Chen G, Huang Y. Insight into universality and characteristics of nitrate reduction coupled with arsenic oxidation in different paddy soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 866:161342. [PMID: 36603609 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.161342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nitrate reduction coupled with arsenic (As) oxidation strongly influences the bioavailability and toxicity of As in anaerobic environments. In the present study, five representative paddy soils developed from different parent materials were used to investigate the universality and characteristics of nitrate reduction coupled with As oxidation in paddy soils. Experimental results indicated that 99.8 % of highly toxic aqueous As(III) was transformed to dissolved As(V) and Fe-bound As(V) in the presence of nitrate within 2-8 d, suggesting that As was apt to be reserved in its low-toxic and nonlabile form after nitrate treatment. Furthermore, nitrate additions also significantly induced the higher abundance of 16S rRNA and As(III) oxidase (aioA) genes in the five paddy soils, especially in the soils developed from purple sand-earth rock and quaternary red clay, which increased by 10 and 3-5 times, respectively, after nitrate was added. Moreover, a variety of putative novel nitrate-dependent As(III)-oxidizing bacteria were identified based on metagenomic analysis, mainly including Aromatoleum, Paenibacillus, Microvirga, Herbaspirillum, Bradyrhizobium, Azospirillum. Overall, all these findings indicate that nitrate reduction coupled with As(III) oxidation is an important nitrogen-As coupling process prevalent in paddy environments and emphasize the significance of developing and popularizing nitrate-based biotechnology to control As pollution in paddy soils and reduce the risk of As compromising food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Feng
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Yanhong Du
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Xiaomin Li
- SCNU Environmental Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety & MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Fangbai Li
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Jiangtao Qiao
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Gongning Chen
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Technology, Guilin 541004, China
| | - Yingmei Huang
- National-Regional Joint Engineering Research Center for Soil Pollution Control and Remediation in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Agro-environmental Pollution Control and Management, Institute of Eco-environmental and Soil Sciences, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
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Sun F, Mellage A, Gharasoo M, Melsbach A, Cao X, Zimmermann R, Griebler C, Thullner M, Cirpka OA, Elsner M. Mass-Transfer-Limited Biodegradation at Low Concentrations-Evidence from Reactive Transport Modeling of Isotope Profiles in a Bench-Scale Aquifer. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:7386-7397. [PMID: 33970610 PMCID: PMC8173607 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c08566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Organic contaminant degradation by suspended bacteria in chemostats has shown that isotope fractionation decreases dramatically when pollutant concentrations fall below the (half-saturation) Monod constant. This masked isotope fractionation implies that membrane transfer is slow relative to the enzyme turnover at μg L-1 substrate levels. Analogous evidence of mass transfer as a bottleneck for biodegradation in aquifer settings, where microbes are attached to the sediment, is lacking. A quasi-two-dimensional flow-through sediment microcosm/tank system enabled us to study the aerobic degradation of 2,6-dichlorobenzamide (BAM), while collecting sufficient samples at the outlet for compound-specific isotope analysis. By feeding an anoxic BAM solution through the center inlet port and dissolved oxygen (DO) above and below, strong transverse concentration cross-gradients of BAM and DO yielded zones of low (μg L-1) steady-state concentrations. We were able to simulate the profiles of concentrations and isotope ratios of the contaminant plume using a reactive transport model that accounted for a mass-transfer limitation into bacterial cells, where apparent isotope enrichment factors *ε decreased strongly below concentrations around 600 μg/L BAM. For the biodegradation of organic micropollutants, mass transfer into the cell emerges as a bottleneck, specifically at low (μg L-1) concentrations. Neglecting this effect when interpreting isotope ratios at field sites may lead to a significant underestimation of biodegradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengchao Sun
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum
München, Ingolstädter
Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 17, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Adrian Mellage
- Center
for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstrasse 94−96, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Mehdi Gharasoo
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum
München, Ingolstädter
Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
- Department
of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecohydrology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Aileen Melsbach
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum
München, Ingolstädter
Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 17, Munich 81377, Germany
| | - Xin Cao
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group Helmholtz Zentrum, Gmunderstrasse 37, Munich 81379, Germany
| | - Ralf Zimmermann
- Joint
Mass Spectrometry Centre, Comprehensive
Molecular Analytics (CMA) Cooperation Group Helmholtz Zentrum, Gmunderstrasse 37, Munich 81379, Germany
| | - Christian Griebler
- Department
of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Martin Thullner
- Department
of Environmental Microbiology, UFZ—Helmholtz
Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstrasse 15, Leipzig 30418, Germany
| | - Olaf A. Cirpka
- Center
for Applied Geoscience, University of Tübingen, Schnarrenbergstrasse 94−96, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Martin Elsner
- Institute
of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum
München, Ingolstädter
Landstrasse 1, Neuherberg 85764, Germany
- Chair
of Analytical Chemistry and Water Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Marchioninistrasse 17, Munich 81377, Germany
- Phone: +49 89 2180-78232
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Yang L, Hnatko JP, Elsey JL, Christ JA, Pennell KD, Cápiro NL, Abriola LM. Exploration of processes governing microbial reductive dechlorination in a heterogeneous aquifer flow cell. WATER RESEARCH 2021; 193:116842. [PMID: 33545437 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2021.116842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although microbial reductive dechlorination (MRD) has proven to be an effective approach for in situ treatment of chlorinated ethenes, field implementation of this technology is complicated by many factors, including subsurface heterogeneity, electron donor availability, and distribution of microbial populations. This work presents a coupled experimental and mathematical modeling study designed to explore the influence of heterogeneity on MRD and to assess the suitability of microcosm-derived rate parameters for modeling complex heterogeneous systems. A Monod-based model is applied to simulate a bioremediation experiment conducted in a laboratory-scale aquifer cell packed with aquifer material from the Commerce Street Superfund site in Williston, VT. Results reveal that (uncalibrated) model application of microcosm-derived dechlorination and microbial growth rates for transformation of trichloroethene (TCE), cis-1,2-dichloroethene (cis-DCE), and vinyl chloride (VC) reproduced observed aquifer cell concentration levels and trends. Mean relative errors between predicted and measured effluent concentrations were quantified as 6.7%, 27.0%, 41.5%, 32.0% and 21.6% over time for TCE, cis-DCE, VC, ethene and total volatile fatty acids (fermentable electron donor substrate and carbon source), respectively. The time-averaged extent of MRD (i.e., ethene formation) was well-predicted (4% underprediction), with modeled MRD exhibiting increased deviation from measured values under electron donor limiting conditions (maximum discrepancy of 14%). In contrast, simulations employing a homogeneous (uniform flow) domain resulted in underprediction of MRD extent by an average of 13%, with a maximum discrepancy of 45%. Model sensitivity analysis suggested that trace amounts of natural dissolved organic carbon served as an important fermentable substrate, providing up to 69% of the reducing equivalents consumed for MRD under donor-limiting conditions. Aquifer cell port concentration data and model simulations revealed that ethene formation varied spatially within the domain and was associated with regions of longer residence times. These results demonstrate the strong influence of subsurface heterogeneity on the accuracy of MRD predictions, and highlight the importance of subsurface characterization and the incorporation of flow field uncertainty in model applications for successful design and assessment of in situ bioremediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lurong Yang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jason P Hnatko
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA; ERM, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jack L Elsey
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Kurt D Pennell
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Natalie L Cápiro
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Linda M Abriola
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA; School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
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Contaminant concentration versus flow velocity: drivers of biodegradation and microbial growth in groundwater model systems. Biodegradation 2018; 29:211-232. [PMID: 29492777 PMCID: PMC5943387 DOI: 10.1007/s10532-018-9824-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Aromatic hydrocarbons belong to the most abundant contaminants in groundwater systems. They can serve as carbon and energy source for a multitude of indigenous microorganisms. Predictions of contaminant biodegradation and microbial growth in contaminated aquifers are often vague because the parameters of microbial activity in the mathematical models used for predictions are typically derived from batch experiments, which don’t represent conditions in the field. In order to improve our understanding of key drivers of natural attenuation and the accuracy of predictive models, we conducted comparative experiments in batch and sediment flow-through systems with varying concentrations of contaminant in the inflow and flow velocities applying the aerobic Pseudomonas putida strain F1 and the denitrifying Aromatoleum aromaticum strain EbN1. We followed toluene degradation and bacterial growth by measuring toluene and oxygen concentrations and by direct cell counts. In the sediment columns, the total amount of toluene degraded by P. putida F1 increased with increasing source concentration and flow velocity, while toluene removal efficiency gradually decreased. Results point at mass transfer limitation being an important process controlling toluene biodegradation that cannot be assessed with batch experiments. We also observed a decrease in the maximum specific growth rate with increasing source concentration and flow velocity. At low toluene concentrations, the efficiencies in carbon assimilation within the flow-through systems exceeded those in the batch systems. In all column experiments the number of attached cells plateaued after an initial growth phase indicating a specific “carrying capacity” depending on contaminant concentration and flow velocity. Moreover, in all cases, cells attached to the sediment dominated over those in suspension, and toluene degradation was performed practically by attached cells only. The observed effects of varying contaminant inflow concentration and flow velocity on biodegradation could be captured by a reactive-transport model. By monitoring both attached and suspended cells we could quantify the release of new-grown cells from the sediments to the mobile aqueous phase. Studying flow velocity and contaminant concentrations as key drivers of contaminant transformation in sediment flow-through microcosms improves our system understanding and eventually the prediction of microbial biodegradation at contaminated sites.
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Hofmann R, Grösbacher M, Griebler C. Mini Sediment Columns and Two-Dimensional Sediment Flow-Through Microcosms: Versatile Experimental Systems for Studying Biodegradation of Organic Contaminants in Groundwater Ecosystems. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/8623_2016_210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
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Kern M, Watzinger A, Scherr KE. 15N-nitrate and 34S-sulfate isotopic fractionation reflects electron acceptor 'recycling' during hydrocarbon biodegradation. N Biotechnol 2016; 38:91-100. [PMID: 27079862 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of stable carbon isotopes for the assessment of contaminant fate in the aquifer is impeded in the case of petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) by their chain length. Alternatively, the coupled nitrogen-sulfur-carbon cycles involved into TPH biodegradation under sulfate- and nitrate reducing conditions can be investigated using nitrogen (δ15N) and sulfur (δ34S) isotopic shifts in terminal electron acceptors (TEA) involved in anaerobic TPH oxidation. Biodegradation of a paraffin-rich crude oil was studied in anaerobic aquifer microcosms with nitrate (NIT), sulfate (SUL), nitrate plus sulfate (MIX) and nitrate under sulfate reduction suppression by molybdate (MOL) as TEA. After 8 months, TPH biodegradation was not different (around 33%) in experiments receiving only nitrate (NIT, MOL) versus under mixed TEA-conditions (MIX), despite higher biodiversity under mixed conditions (H'NIT and H'MOL≈5.9, H'MIX=8.0). Molybdate addition effected higher nitrate depletion, possibly by increasing the production of nitrate reductase. Additional sulfate depletion under mixed conditions suggested bioconversion of polar intermediates. Microcosms only receiving sulfate (SUL) showed no significant TEA and TPH decrease. A Rayleigh kinetic isotope enrichment model for isotopic 15N/14N and 34S/32S shifts in residual TEA gave apparent enrichment factors ɛN,NIT and ɛN,MOL values of -16.7 to -18.0‰ for nitrate as sole TEA and ɛN,MIX of -6.0‰ and ɛS,MIX of -4.1‰ under mixed electron accepting conditions. The low isotopic fractionation under mixed terminal electron accepting conditions was attributed to lithotrophic, sulfide-dependent denitrification by Thiobacillus species, while it was hypothesized that Desulfovibrio replenished the reduced sulfur pool via oxidation of polar hydrocarbon metabolites. Concurrently, organotrophic denitrification was performed by Pseudomonas species, with isotopic fractionation expressed by ɛN,MIX representing the superposition of both denitrification processes. This is, to our knowledge, the first characterization of sulfur and nitrogen isotopic shifts associated to concurrent organotrophic and lithotrophic denitrification in a hydrocarbon-contaminated environment, and offers the prospect of improved understanding of biogeochemical cycles including in situ hydrocarbon biotransformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kern
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Department IFA-Tulln, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - Andrea Watzinger
- AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Energy Department, Environmental Resources and Technologies, Konrad Lorenz Straße 24, 3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - Kerstin E Scherr
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Department IFA-Tulln, Institute for Environmental Biotechnology, Konrad Lorenz Strasse 20, 3430 Tulln, Austria.
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Eckert D, Kürzinger P, Bauer R, Griebler C, Cirpka OA. Fringe-controlled biodegradation under dynamic conditions: quasi 2-D flow-through experiments and reactive-transport modeling. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2015; 172:100-11. [PMID: 25496820 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Revised: 11/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Biodegradation in contaminated aquifers has been shown to be most pronounced at the fringe of contaminant plumes, where mixing of contaminated water and ambient groundwater, containing dissolved electron acceptors, stimulates microbial activity. While physical mixing of contaminant and electron acceptor by transverse dispersion has been shown to be the major bottleneck for biodegradation in steady-state plumes, so far little is known on the effect of flow and transport dynamics (caused, e.g., by a seasonally fluctuating groundwater table) on biodegradation in these systems. Towards this end we performed experiments in quasi-two-dimensional flow-through microcosms on aerobic toluene degradation by Pseudomonas putida F1. Plume dynamics were simulated by vertical alteration of the toluene plume position and experimental results were analyzed by reactive-transport modeling. We found that, even after disappearance of the toluene plume for two weeks, the majority of microorganisms stayed attached to the sediment and regained their full biodegradation potential within two days after reappearance of the toluene plume. Our results underline that besides microbial growth, also maintenance and dormancy are important processes that affect biodegradation performance under transient environmental conditions and therefore deserve increased consideration in future reactive-transport modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Eckert
- University of Tübingen, Center for Applied Geoscience, Hölderlinstr. 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Petra Kürzinger
- Helmholtz Center Munich, Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Robert Bauer
- Helmholtz Center Munich, Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christian Griebler
- Helmholtz Center Munich, Institute of Groundwater Ecology, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Olaf A Cirpka
- University of Tübingen, Center for Applied Geoscience, Hölderlinstr. 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany.
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Rabus R, Trautwein K, Wöhlbrand L. Towards habitat-oriented systems biology of "Aromatoleum aromaticum" EbN1: chemical sensing, catabolic network modulation and growth control in anaerobic aromatic compound degradation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2014; 98:3371-88. [PMID: 24493567 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-013-5466-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Revised: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The denitrifying betaproteobacterium "Aromatoleum aromaticum" EbN1 is a well-studied model organism for anaerobic degradation of aromatic compounds. Following publication of its genome in 2005, comprehensive physiological-proteomic studies were conducted to deduce functional understanding from the genomic blueprint. A catabolic network (85 predicted, 65 identified proteins) for anaerobic degradation of 24 aromatic growth substrates (including 11 newly recognized) was established. Newly elucidated pathways include those for 4-ethylphenol and plant-derived 3-phenylpropanoids, involving functional assignment of several paralogous genes. The substrate-specific regulation of individual peripheral degradation pathways is probably initiated by highly specific chemical sensing via dedicated sensory/regulatory proteins, e.g. three different σ⁵⁴-dependent one-component sensory/regulatory proteins are predicted to discriminate between three phenolic substrates (phenol, p-cresol and 4-ethylphenol) and two different two-component systems are assumed to differentiate between two alkylbenzenes (toluene, ethylbenzene). Investigations under in situ relevant growth conditions revealed (a) preferred utilization of benzoate from a mixture with succinate results from repressed synthesis of a C₄-dicarboxylate TRAP transporter; (b) response to alkylbenzene-induced solvent stress comprises metabolic re-routing of acetyl-CoA and reducing equivalents to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis, alteration of cellular membrane composition and formation of putative solvent efflux systems; and (c) multifaceted adaptation to slow growth includes adjustment of energy demand for maintenance and preparedness for future nutritional opportunities, i.e. provision of uptake systems and catabolic enzymes for multiple aromatic substrates despite their absence. This broad knowledge base taken together with the recent development of a genetic system will facilitate future functional, biotechnological (stereospecific dehydrogenases) and habitat re-enacting ("eco-"systems biology) studies with "A. aromaticum" EbN1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf Rabus
- Institut für Chemie und Biologie des Meeres (ICBM), AG Allgemeine und Molekulare Mikrobiologie, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Carl-von-Ossietzky Str. 9-11, 26111, Oldenburg, Germany,
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