Topic: Detection, Distribution and Activity of Anammox Bacteria in Different Ecosystems
Speaker: Assoc. Prof. Ji-Dong Gu
Date: Dec. 11th, 2018( Tuesday)
Time: 17:00-18:00
Venue: E207, GTIIT
Research on anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidizing) bacteria, since the first discovery over two decades ago, is still attracting increasing attention due to their biogeochemical and industrial significance to the removal of reactive nitrogen in the environments to complete the nitrogen cycle.
By coupling NH4+ and NO2- biochemically to form N2 gas as the end product, anammox bacteria may contribute significantly to the global marine and terrestrial nitrogen balance, N fertilizer utilization efficiency and also energy-conserving nitrogen removal from wastewater treatment plants. Polymer chain reaction (PCR)-based detection and quantification of anammox bacteria are an easy and commonly used technique for detecting and quantifying them in widely diverse environmental niches using the available PCR primer sets, but the success in practice is a challenge.
This talk will start with the effective PCR detection of anammox bacteria from different ecosystems for methodology establishment to the distribution of them in freshwater and marine ecosystems before further in-depth analysis of their activity with the current metagenomics and transcriptonomics tools available in full-scale wastewater treatment plants. Nitrogen stable isotope N-15 was also applied to quantify the relative contribution of anammox and denitrifying bacteria to the total N2 evolved from selective ecosystems. Finally, some remaining questions on future research with this group of bacteria will be discussed.
Ji-Dong Gu is currently an associate professor of the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD degree from Virginia Tech (USA). He worked in the Microbial Ecology Laboratory of Harvard University between 1993 and 1998 before joining The University of Hong Kong in 1999 as an assistant professor and then in 2004 promoted to associate professor. His recent research interest includes anaerobic ammonium oxidation and nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation; oil field microbiology for enhanced oil recovery and pollution remediation; and microbiology of cultural heritage.
He has published in the areas of applied and environmental microbiology and toxicology with more than 370 refereed scientific journal papers, 40 book chapters. He co-edited a book with Ralph Mitchell on 'Environmental Microbiology'(2nd ed, John Wiley-Blackwell. 2010), and wrote a book on 'Biosusceptibility of Polymers and Fiber-reinforced Composites and Testing Methods' (Springer, 2018). He has >12,400 citations, h-index of 58, and i10-index of 243.
He is the editor-in-chief for International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, and Applied Environmental Biotechnology; assistant chief editor for Frontier in Microbiology: Microbiotechnology Ecotoxicology and Bioremediation (till 2016); associate editor for Ecotoxicology, Journal of Environmental Engineering & Ecological Science, Journal of Polymers and the Environment, and International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, and as editorial board member for Biodegradation, Environmental Geochemistry and Health, and Microbes and the Environment (2007-2010).
He also serves as International Board Member of International Society for Subsurface Microbiology (2016– ); ambassador of International Society for Microbial Ecology; and International Board Member, International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation Society.
主题: 不同生态系统中厌氧氨氧化细菌的检测方法、分布和活性
嘉宾: 顾继东（香港大学副教授）
日期: 12月11日( Tuesday)
时间: 17:00-18:00
地点: E207
厌氧氨氧化细菌自二十多年前被发现起，越来越多人投入到对于它的研究中。该细菌可在自然界氮循环中承担去除活性氮的任务，具备一定的生物化学及工业意义。
厌氧氨氧化细菌通过生物化学方法耦合铵根和硝酸根，最终形成无害的氮气，可显着促进全球海洋和陆地氮平衡、提高氮肥利用效率以及降低废水处理厂的氮去除成本。
基于PCR（聚合物链式反应）技术的对于厌氧氨氧化细菌的检测与测定是一种最为简单及普遍的方法。如果使用恰当的PCR引物，我们可以使用这种方法来检测及测定普遍环境下存在的厌氧氨氧化细菌。这种方法理论上是可行的，但是实际操作起来存在一定难度。
本讲座将从对来自不同生态系统的厌氧氨氧化细菌进行有效的PCR检测开始，指出将其应用在处理淡水及海洋生态系统中的活性氮的潜在可能，然后利用现有的宏基因组学和转录组学工具对其活性进行深入分析。此方法将用氨稳定同位素N-15检测厌氧氨氧化细菌和反硝化细菌在选定的生态系统中分解产生的氮气。而对这种细菌未来的研究当中仍然存在一些问题，顾教授亦希望能够和GTIIT的师生们一同探讨。
顾继东教授在美国弗吉尼亚理工大学获得博士学位，于1993年至1998年在哈佛大学微生物生态实验室开展工作。他在1999年加入香港大学理学院，目前为香港大学生物科学学院副教授。他的研究兴趣包括：厌氧氨氧化和亚硝酸盐依赖的厌氧甲烷氧化、油田微生物学、文化遗产微生物学等。
顾教授在应用和环境微生物学和毒理学领域发表超过370篇论文，完成40个书籍章节。2010年他与哈佛大学教授Ralph Mitchell 共同编写《Environmental Microbiology》，今年则出版了《Biosusceptibility of Polymers and Fiber-reinforced Composites and Testing Methods》一书。顾教授发表的文章被引次数为12,400次，H指数为58，I10指数为243。
顾教授目前担任《International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation》、《Applied Environmental Biotechnology》主编。曾任《Frontier in Microbiology: Microbiotechnology Ecotoxicology and Bioremediation》主编助理，《Ecotoxicology》、《Journal of Environmental Engineering & Ecological Science》、《Journal of Polymers and the Environment》和《International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology》副编辑，《Biodegradation, Environmental Geochemistry and Health》、《Microbes and the Environment》编委。
此外，顾教授还担任 International Society for Subsurface Microbiology国际理事会成员（2016年至今）、International Society for Microbial Ecology大使和International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation Society国际理事会成员。
