Uncovering divergent hydrogen-dependent methane metabolism in novel Archaea. This project seeks to reveal broad new insights into non-traditional methanogens, by studying their enzymes and ecological

Description

Uncovering divergent hydrogen-dependent methane metabolism in novel Archaea. This project seeks to reveal broad new insights into non-traditional methanogens, by studying their enzymes and ecological roles in detail. By applying cutting-edge cultivation, structural biology, and multi-omic analyses, this project expects to unveil unique physiological strategies for methane production in non-traditional methanogens and their wider ecological roles relative to well-studied traditional methanogens. Expected benefits include basic knowledge on biological methane production, development of new tools for bioprospecting and comparative genomics of these ecologically relevant organisms, and knowledge of their ecology in wetlands and coal bed methane wells, which are high methane flux habitats.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 3101 - Biochemistry and Cell Biology. Lead: Dr Anthony Kohtz