Thermophilic and hyperthermophilic microorganisms are an important component of geothermal ecosystems, which include continental hot springs, solfataras, and both shallow and deep-sea hydrothermal vents. These organisms play a critical role in our understanding of several fundamental biological processes, such as microbial adaptations to elevated temperatures and prokaryotic evolution, and they represent a natural source for… [Read More]

In the context of global warming, understanding how ecosystems contribute to the cycling of carbon compounds and how these systems will react to changing climatic conditions is becoming more and more important. At present, knowledge about the microbial contributions to carbon and sulfur transformations, especially in terrestrial ecosystems, is limited. While tallying up contributions to… [Read More]

“Selenospirillum indicus” is the first cultured species of the proposed new genus “Selenospirillum“, and the sequencing of its genome will expand the range of experimental approaches that researchers can use to characterize its metabolic pathways for energy production and understand how these pathways are regulated. “S. indicus” is notable for its ability to reduce selenate… [Read More]

DOE-JGi will sequence the genomes of two members of the Micromonosporaceae: Micromonospora strain L5, which was originally isolated from roots of Casuarina equisetifolia, an actinorhizal plant that is nodulated by Frankia, and recently shown to fix atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia; and the ATCC strain M. aurantiaca 27029, which, based on 16S RNA DNA phylogeny, is… [Read More]