Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE)
Permanent URI for this communityhttps://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/9334
At the Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE), multidisciplinary research teams develop beneficial uses for microbial biofilms and find solutions to industrially relevant biofilm problems. The CBE was established at Montana State University, Bozeman, in 1990 as a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. As part of the MSU College of Engineering, the CBE gives students a chance to get a head start on their careers by working on research teams led by world-recognized leaders in the biofilm field.
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Item Low-Temperature Biosurfactants from Polar Microbes(MDPI AG, 2020-08) Trudgeon, Benjamin; Dieser, Markus; Balasubramanian, Narayanaganesh; Messmer, Mitch; Foreman, Christine M.Surfactants, both synthetic and natural, are used in a wide range of industrial applications, including the degradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. Organisms from extreme environments are well-adapted to the harsh conditions and represent an exciting avenue of discovery of naturally occurring biosurfactants, yet microorganisms fromcold environments have been largely overlooked for their biotechnological potential as biosurfactant producers. In this study, four cold-adapted bacterial isolates from Antarctica are investigated for their ability to produce biosurfactants. Here we report on the physical properties and chemical structure of biosurfactants from the genera Janthinobacterium, Psychrobacter, and Serratia. These organisms were able to grow on diesel, motor oil, and crude oil at 4 C. Putative identification showed the presence of sophorolipids and rhamnolipids. Emulsion index test (E24) activity ranged from 36.4–66.7%. Oil displacement tests were comparable to 0.1–1.0% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions. Data presented herein are the first report of organisms of the genus Janthinobacterium to produce biosurfactants and their metabolic capabilities to degrade diverse petroleum hydrocarbons. The organisms’ ability to produce biosurfactants and grow on different hydrocarbons as their sole carbon and energy source at low temperatures (4 C) makes them suitable candidates for the exploration of hydrocarbon bioremediation in low-temperature environments.Item Dynamic processing of DOM: Insight from exometabolomics, fluorescence spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry(2018-06) Smith, Heidi J.; Tigges, Michelle M.; D'Andrilli, Juliana; Parker, Albert E.; Bothner, Brian; Foreman, Christine M.Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in freshwater environments is an important source of organic carbon, supporting bacterial respiration. Frozen environments cover vast expanses of our planet, with glaciers and ice-sheets storing upwards of 6 petagrams of organic carbon. It is generally believed that DOM liberated from ice stimulates downstream environments. If true, glacial DOM is an important component of global carbon cycling. However, coupling the release of DOM to microbial activity is challenging due to the molecular complexity of DOM and the metabolic connectivity within microbial communities. Using a single environmentally relevant organism, we demonstrate that processing of compositionally diverse DOM occurs, but, even though glacially derived DOM is chemically labile, it is unable to support sustained respiration. In view of projected changes in glacier DOM export, these findings imply that biogeochemical impacts on downstream environments will depend on the reactivity and heterogeneity of liberated DOM, as well as the timescale.Item Physical and biochemical changes in sludge upon Tubifex tubifex predation(2016-09) de Valk, Steef; Khadem, Ahmad F.; Foreman, Christine M.; Lier, Jules B.; de Kreuk, Merle K.Worm predation (WP) on activated sludge leads to increased sludge degradation rates, irrespective of the type of worm used or reactor conditions employed. However, the cause of the increased sludge degradation rates remains unknown. This paper presents a comparative analysis of the physical and biochemical aspects of predated sludge, providing insight into the hydrolytic mechanisms underlying WP. To this end, the sessile worm Tubifex tubifex was used as a model oligochaete and was batch cultivated in an 18-L airlift reactor. Predation on activated sludge showed an average reduction rate of 12 ± 3.8%/d versus 2 ± 1.3%/d for endogenous respirated sludge. Sludge predation resulted in an increased release of inorganic nitrogen, phosphate and soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD). The sCOD consisted mainly of polysaccharides; however, fluorescence excitation emission matrix spectroscopy analysis also revealed the presence of Tryptophan-protein-like substances. Results suggest that the released polysaccharides contain a protein-like element. Additionally, soluble iron increased slightly in concentration after WP. The extent of hydrolysis seemed to reach an average plateau of about 40% volatile solids (VS) reduction after 4 days, which is substantially higher than the 29% VS reduction for endogenous decay of activated sludge after 30 days. Furthermore, T. tubifex predominantly consumed the protein fraction of the extracellular polymeric substances. Results suggest that that the worms specifically target a fraction of the sludge that is predominantly biodegradable under aerobic conditions, albeit at significantly higher degradation rates when compared to the endogenous decay of waste activated sludge.Item When a habitat freezes solid: Microorganisms over-winter within the ice column of a coastal Antarctic lake(2011-03) Foreman, Christine M.; Dieser, Markus; Greenwood, Mark C.; Cory, R. M.; Laybourn-Parry, Johanna; Lisle, John T.; Jaros, C.; Miller, P. L.; Chin, Yu-Ping; McKnight, Diane M.A major impediment to understanding the biology of microorganisms inhabiting Antarctic environments is the logistical constraint of conducting field work primarily during the summer season. However, organisms that persist throughout the year encounter severe environmental changes between seasons. In an attempt to bridge this gap, we collected ice core samples from Pony Lake in early November 2004 when the lake was frozen solid to its base, providing an archive for the biological and chemical processes that occurred during winter freezeup. The ice contained bacteria and virus-like particles, while flagellated algae and ciliates over-wintered in the form of inactive cysts and spores. Both bacteria and algae were metabolically active in the ice core melt water. Bacterial production ranged from 1.8 to 37.9 μg C L−1 day−1. Upon encountering favorable growth conditions in the melt water, primary production ranged from 51 to 931 μg C L−1 day−1. Because of the strong H2S odor and the presence of closely related anaerobic organisms assigned to Pony Lake bacterial 16S rRNA gene clones, we hypothesize that the microbial assemblage was strongly affected by oxygen gradients, which ultimately restricted the majority of phylotypes to distinct strata within the ice column. This study provides evidence that the microbial community over-winters in the ice column of Pony Lake and returns to a highly active metabolic state when spring melt is initiated.Item Comparative analysis of morphological, mineralogical and spectral properties of cryoconite in Jakobshavn Isbræ, Greenland, and Canada Glacier, Antarctica(2013-07) Tedesco, Marco; Foreman, Christine M.; Anton, J.; Steiner, N.; Schwartzman, T.We report the results of a comparative analysis focusing on grain size, mineralogical composition and spectral reflectance values (400–2500 nm) of cryoconite samples collected from Jakobshavn Isbræ, West Greenland, and Canada Glacier, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. The samples from the Greenland site were composed of small particles clumped into larger rounded agglomerates, while those from the site in Antarctica contained fragments of different sizes and shapes. Mineralogical analysis indicates that the samples from Jakobshavn Isbræ contained a higher percentage of quartz and albite, whereas those from Canada Glacier contained a higher percentage of amphibole, augite and biotite. Spectral measurements confirmed the primary role of organic material in reducing the reflectance over the measured spectrum. The reflectance of the samples from the Antarctic site remained low after the removal of organic matter because of the higher concentration of minerals with low reflectance. The reflectance of dried cryoconite samples in the visible region was relatively low (e.g., between ~ 0.1 and ~ 0.4) favouring increased absorbed solar radiation. Despite high reflectance values in the shortwave infrared region, the effect of the presence of cryoconite is negligible at infrared wavelengths where ice reflectance is low.Item Microbial growth under humic-free conditions in a supraglacial stream system on the Cotton Glacier, Antarctica(2013-07) Foreman, Christine M.; Cory, R. M.; Morris, Cindy E.; SanClements, M. D.; Smith, Heidi J.; Lisle, John T.; Miller, P. L.; Chin, Yu-Ping; McKnight, Diane M.During the austral summers of 2004 and 2009, we sampled a supraglacial stream on the Cotton Glacier, Antarctica. The stream dissolved organic matter (DOM) was low (44–48 µ M C) and lacked detectable humic fluorescence signatures. Analysis of the excitation emissions matrices (EEMs) indicated that amino-acid fluorophores dominated, consistent with DOM of microbial origin, with little humic-like fluorescence. In most aquatic ecosystems, humic DOM attenuates harmful UV radiation and its absence may represent an additional stressor influencing the microbial community. Nonetheless, the stream contained an active microbial assemblage with bacterial cell abundances from 2.94 x 104 to 4.97 x 105 cells ml-1, and bacterial production ranging from 58.8 to 293.2 ng C l-1 d-1. Chlorophyll-a concentrations ranged from 0.3 to 0.53 µ g 1-1 indicating that algal phototrophs were the probable source of the DOM. Microbial isolates produced a rainbow of pigment colors, suggesting adaptation to stress, and were similar to those from other cryogenic systems (Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes lineages). Supraglacial streams provide an example of contemporary microbial processes on the glacier surface and a natural laboratory for studying microbial adaptation to the absence of humics.Item Characterization of IHSS Pony Lake fulvic acid dissolved organic matter by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and fluorescence spectroscopy(2013-12) D'Andrilli, Juliana; Foreman, Christine M.; Marshall, Alan G.; McKnight, Diane M.We present the extensive characterization of Antarctic Pony Lake (PL) dissolved organic matter (DOM), an International Humic Substance Society (IHSS) fulvic acid (FA) reference standard, using electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS) and excitation–emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy (EEMS). PLFA is the first reference standard available through IHSS derived solely from a microbial source. A number of factors differentiate PLFA from other IHSS standards, including source material, geographic location, sunlight exposure, freeze–thaw conditions, and other in situ environmental influences. ESI FT-ICR MS and EEMS were used to compare the PLFA microbial DOM compositional signature with the IHSS Suwannee River (SR) FA, a standard frequently studied for environmental DOM analysis. Although CcHhOoNnSs(n = 0, 1, or 2 and s = 0 or 1) constituents were present in both IHSS samples, PLFA contained more N and S molecular species, whereas SRFA was dominated by CcHhOo compounds. Proteinaceous character was detected with both methods, in greater abundance for PLFA, which we attributed to its microbial source material and labile, potentially more reactive nature than SRFA. Characterization from both analytical techniques resulted in complementary data that reinforce the importance of PLFA as an IHSS reference standard that should be utilized for other microbiological environmental DOM comparisons.Item Characterization of fulvic acid fractions of dissolved organic matter during ice-out in a hyper-eutrophic, coastal pond in Antarctica(2013-10) Cawley, K. M.; McKnight, Diane M.; Penney, P. M.; Cory, R. M.; Fimmen, R. L.; Guerard, J.; Dieser, Markus; Jaros, C.; Chin, Yu-Ping; Foreman, Christine M.Dissolved humic material (HDOM) is ubiquitous to all natural waters and its source material influences its chemical structure, reactivity, and bioavailability. While terrestrially derived HDOM reference materials distributed by the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) have been readily available to engineering and scientific communities, a microbially derived reference HDOM was not, despite the well-characterized differences in the chemistry and reactivity of HDOM derived from terrestrial versus microbial sources. To address this gap, we collected a microbial reference fulvic acid from Pony Lake (PLFA) for distribution through the IHSS. Pony Lake is a saline coastal pond on Ross Island, Antarctica, where the landscape is devoid of terrestrial plants. Sample collection occurred over a 17-day period in the summer season at Pony Lake. During this time, the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations increased nearly two-fold, and the fulvic acid fraction (collected using the XAD-8 method) accounted for 14.6% of the DOC. During the re-concentration and desalting procedures we isolated two other chemically distinct fulvic acid fractions: (1) PLFA-2, which was high in carbohydrates and (2) PLFA-CER, which was high in nitrogen. The chemical characteristics (elemental analysis, optical characterization with UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, and 13C NMR spectroscopy) of the three fulvic acid fractions helped to explain their behavior during isolation.