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Research
The aim is to establish a critical mass of expertise that will create a step-change in our understanding of the molecular basis for cellular interaction with the environment.
Specific objectives are:
- Quantify rates of biodegradation with the numbers and activity of attached microbial colonies on minerals and rock
- Characterise the physical and community structure of biofilms with molecular biology methods and fluorescence microscopy
- Elucidate the biological physical chemistry of the cell surface that controls microbial attachment on minerals
- Develop a fundamental understanding of how biofilms and related biodegradation activity respond to environmental conditions
- Develop a framework to predict trends in attached growth and biodegradation activity and test against field-scale observations
The key deliverables are extensive experimental data on model systems down to nanometre observation scale, a rigorous framework linking regulation of the cell-mineral interface with changes in environmental conditions and exceptional interdisciplinary training for researchers. The resulting conceptual and process models will be tested against observed biodegradation rates at field sites.
The Cell-Mineral Interface Programme involves a number of research themes:
Cell-mineral surface chemistry
Physical-chemical interactions of biological macromolecules at interfaces
Microbial ecology and physiology of microorganisms at interfaces
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