Seminars – Center for Microbial Dynamics and Infection

Current schedule here. This trainee-run seminar series focused on new research in CMDI. It’s Fridays at 3pm and includes coffee and cookies. Most seminars are in Klaus 1447 for Spring 2024.

Upcoming seminar:

Abstract:

Cable bacteria are centimeter-long filamentous members of the Desulfobulbaceae that occur globally in freshwater and marine sediments where they oxidize sulfide in sulfidic and suboxic layers. The resulting electrons are then transported via periplasmic Ni-S-containing nanowires over cm-distances to oxygen at the sediment surface. Cable bacteria are thus multicellular organisms with division of labor, where only the anoxic cells conserve energy while the few oxic cells just “flare off” electrons.

From an environmental perspective, the activity of cable bacteria leads to major changes in sediment biogeochemistry, including the dissolution of Fe-sulfide, pH anomalies, and an electric field that affects ion transport. Using recent genomic, expression, and environmental data, I will in this presentation give an update on the diversity, metabolism, and function of cable bacteria as “ecosystem engineers” and their possible influence on sediment microbiomes, element cycling, and greenhouse emissions.