Research OverviewExtremophiles Organisms that thrive in extreme or harsh environments are known as extremophiles. Harsh conditions can include very high or very low temperatures, unusually dry or salty environments, acidic or alkaline conditions, high pressures, or environments with gases that are toxic to many animals and plants, such as hydrogen sulfide or carbon monoxide. Regulation of Gene Expression The chromosomes of every type of cell carry two major kinds of genetic information: DNA sequences that ultimately specify the amino acid sequence of proteins, and sequences that regulate the expression of those protein-coding sequences. Since DNA is first transcribed into RNA sequences and then... Complete Information... | Research DescriptionResearch Area: Microbial molecular genetics and physiology
Research Specialties: Research on nitrogen metabolism in marine and terrestrial bacteria, aquaculture microbial physiology and ecology control of glutamine synthetase operon expression, regulation of gene expression, adaptation of bacteria in extreme environments. Research Interests
My research is directed towards understanding the molecular genetic mechanisms utilized by microorganisms to respond to changes in their environment. Two systems are being examined, the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus and the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus subtilis. P. furiosus ("furious fireball!") grows optimally near the boiling point of water and is representative of micoorganisms found near deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities. The hyperthermophiles are gold mines for biotechnologically important products, e.g. proteins, that demonstrate enhanced biological activity and stability at high temperatures. We have isolated a group of genes whose expression is related to the presence, in the growth medium, of the sugar maltose. By studying the mechanisms involved in controlling these maltose-regulated genes, we hope... Complete Information... |
Representative PublicationsVan Rijn, J., Y. Tal and H. J. Schreier. (2006) Denitrification in recirculating systems: theory and applications. Aquacultural Engineering. [ABSTRACT] In Press. K. Neelon, H. J. Schreier, H. Meekins, P. M. Robinson and M. F. Roberts (2005). Compatible solute effects on thermostability of glutamine synthetase and aspartate transcarbamoylase from Methanococcus jannaschii. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Proteins and Proteomics. 1753: 164-173 [ABSTRACT]. Zohar, Y., Y. Tal, H. J. Schreier, C. Steven, J. Stubblefield and A. Place (2005) Commercially feasible urban recirculated aquaculture: Addressing the marine sector. In, Urban Aquaculture, B. Costa-Pierce, ed. CABI Publishing, Cambridge, MA, pp. 159-171.
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