A postgraduate student/PostDoc is wanted for work on aerobic
anoxygenic phototrophs.
supervisor: Michal Koblizek PhD
Inst Microbiology CAS
Trebon, Czech Republic
Summary of the project:
Aerobic Anoxygenic Phototrophs (Aerobic photosynthetic bacteria)
are only recently discovered organisms. They contain
bacteriochlorophyll-a as a major light-harvesting pigment and
perform a photoheterotrophic metabolism, using light as an auxiliary
source of energy aside of oxidative phosphorylation. These
organisms were found to be widespread in marine environment
(Kolber et al Science 292: 2492, 2001, Beja et al Nature 415: 630,
2002, Karl DM Nature 415: 590, 2002).
We will employ both biophysical and molecular techniques
to study distribution and diversity of photoheterotrophs in aquatic
environment. The work will consist of field measurements - pigment
analyses, bacteriochlorophyll fluorescence measurement, DNA work
and laboratory work, culture work - isolating the strains, general
characterization and sequencing of genes of interest. First, the study
will be held in freshwater environment to develop necessary
techniques. Later, the techniques will be used also in marine
environment to get more general implications about global carbon
cycle and role of the photoheterothrophs in the environment.
The work will be done in collaboration with following institutions:
MBARI, Moss Landing, CA, USA
Inst of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, NJ, USA
All the best
Michal Koblizek
Institute of Microbiology
Laboratory of Photosynthesis
Opatovicky mlyn, 379 81 Trebon
Czech Republic
phone: +420-384721101
fax : +420-384721246
http://www.alga.cz/mk/koblizek.htm
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