Single-cell-phenotyping-for-understanding-microbial-function

Speaker

Mary Lidstrom

Date

May 21, 2010, 1:15 pm–2:15 pm

Location

Kent 120
University of Chicago

Description

Professor Mary Lidstrom
University of Washington
Closs Lecture
“SINGLE-CELL PHENOTYPING FOR UNDERSTANDING MICROBIAL FUNCTION”
Abstract
One of the major challenges in understanding microbial community function in natural environments is linking genome-level sequences to function and role in the ecosystem. This area is often referred to as “ecogenomics”, and requires not only the extraction of functional information from metagenomic databases, but also the understanding of functional metabolic units and their role in natural systems. It is the intersection of these two approaches that provides the possibility to couple genomics and function in natural microbial communities. We are using an approach that couples a function-based live cell presorting step to single-cell analysis at both the physiological and genetic levels. This approach allows culture-independent enrichment of live cells involved in specific functions, analysis of a variety of phenotypic capabilities at the single cell level, then targeting of those cells that test positive for specific functions for further culture-dependent and sequencing analysis. Our test case involves C1 cycling in Lake Washington, a site for which we have carried out a variety of culture-dependent and culture-independent analyses of the communities involved in C1 cycling. We have developed a prototype single cell analysis system for carrying out the upstream screening, technology created within the Single Cell Observatory at the University of Washington. This system is effective in identifying cells capable of respiring C1 compounds, effectively coupling this function to both metagenomic and pure culture genomic databases.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Kent 120
1:15 P.M.
Host: Meghan Vincent
  4-8474

—
Meghan Bush Vincent
Graduate Student, Ismagilov Group
Department of Chemistry
University of Chicago
929 E. 57th St. CIS E347C
Chicago, IL 60637

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