Data Mining of Bacterial Genes for Enzymes to Use for Biofuel Production: Determining Pathways of Interest in Halanaerobium strain sapolanicus
Department
Biological Sciences
Major
Biological Sciences
Research Advisor
Mormile, Melanie R.
Advisor's Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract
Halanaerobium strain sapolanicus is an alkaliphilic bacterium that shows promise in producing biofuel. The presence of hydrogenases and dehydrogenases in its genome offers a potential mechanism from which biohydrogen can be obtained. Alcohol forming enzymes, producing alcohols such as propane-1,3-diol, 1-propanol, propane-1,2-diol and ethanol, are also apparent in its genome and can be of essential industrial use. In addition to these renewable energy-producing enzymes, the carbohydrate metabolism of this bacterium indicates the presence of xylanase, capable of converting xylan into xylose. Xylose is the precursor to hemicellulose, a component of biomass. The findings in this genome have not, however, been tested in a laboratory setting; they have only been discovered when analyzing the annotation of its genome. If this bacterium carries out the functions that are present in its genome, Halanaerobium strain sapolanicus will be very beneficial in the shift from fossil fuels to biofuels.
Biography
Jill is a senior at Missouri S&T, majoring in Biology with a premed emphasis. She will be attending Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in the fall of 2011. She is currently the secretary of Phi Sigma Honor Society and has been the pianist for several Missouri S&T musicals.
Research Category
Sciences
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Document Type
Presentation
Location
Turner Room
Presentation Date
06 Apr 2011, 10:00 am - 10:30 am
Data Mining of Bacterial Genes for Enzymes to Use for Biofuel Production: Determining Pathways of Interest in Halanaerobium strain sapolanicus
Turner Room
Halanaerobium strain sapolanicus is an alkaliphilic bacterium that shows promise in producing biofuel. The presence of hydrogenases and dehydrogenases in its genome offers a potential mechanism from which biohydrogen can be obtained. Alcohol forming enzymes, producing alcohols such as propane-1,3-diol, 1-propanol, propane-1,2-diol and ethanol, are also apparent in its genome and can be of essential industrial use. In addition to these renewable energy-producing enzymes, the carbohydrate metabolism of this bacterium indicates the presence of xylanase, capable of converting xylan into xylose. Xylose is the precursor to hemicellulose, a component of biomass. The findings in this genome have not, however, been tested in a laboratory setting; they have only been discovered when analyzing the annotation of its genome. If this bacterium carries out the functions that are present in its genome, Halanaerobium strain sapolanicus will be very beneficial in the shift from fossil fuels to biofuels.
