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.

Text by Ji-Dong Gu, GTIIT News & Public Affairs, Yuan Chunlin

Photo by GTIIT News & Public Affairs