From February until May 2017, I am doing an internship at the environmental microbiology department of the UFZ Helmoltz Center for Environmental research (Leipzig, Germany). The studies of Dr. Dietmar Schlosser, my internship supervisor, are focus on some strains of fungi that are able to degrade micro-pollutants(1) found in in the environment, with a industrial origin, such as pharmaceuticals (ibuprofen…), endocrine disruptor (bisphenol A…), hormones... The impact of these pollutants is various and hazardous: it has been recorded that it might change the gender of aquatic animals!(2) I started to test the degradation ability of 5 different fungal strains: Phoma sp., Coniothyrium sp, Stachybotrys chlorohalonata and two others unidentified (yet) marine strains. After cultivate the strains, they are inoculated in contact of a mixture of three micro-pollutants (Bisphenol A, Dibutylphtalate, Diethylphtalate) with a salt medium to mimic a marine environment. The next step is to collect samples approximately each days over one week, and analyze it by UPLC (Ultra Performant Liquid Chromatography) – I will explain how does this machine works on another blogpost :) Mycoremediation might be one solution to water pollution, let’s see what we can do with this potential ! (-in a next blogpost also haha) don’t forget to follow me on instagram :) Sources:
(1) - "Unttapped potential: exploiting fungi in bioremediation of hazardous chemicals" -Harms & Schlosser, 2011 (2) - "Sex Hormones originating from different lifestock production systems: fate and potential disrupting activity in the environment" - G Lange and all, 2002
7 Comments
NoƩmie Paillon
23/3/2017 08:18:43 am
Hello Yulian !
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Yulian
1/4/2017 08:20:36 am
Pollutants are metabolized, and converted to a less toxic component. The main aim woulb be to convert them to CO2 and H2O, they will be completely mineralized and won't be a danger for the environment. But products are often less toxic, with a similar chemical geometry but with a significant change, such as a removal of a special group. Fungi survive to pollutants, they are not affected to it, unlike others organisms (fishes, amphibians...), but fungi do not find they nutrient in the water, so their lifetime is limited.
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Clara Haas
23/3/2017 07:34:58 pm
Hi Yulian and Noémie!
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Yu
1/4/2017 08:24:37 am
You're right my dear!
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Margaux
31/3/2017 01:32:03 am
fungi and insta? You're such a hipster Dear :p
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Yu
1/4/2017 08:26:33 am
In the spectrum given after the UPLC, we find peaks corresponding the the three toxic pollutants. Then, after a calibration step, we quantify it, and we them be able to see they concentration through time and them, they degradation. Kiss
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Margaux
1/4/2017 11:34:08 am
Ho.. and do you have other peaks allowing you to see what are your degradation products? Leave a Reply. |