Thompson Rivers University

Purpose

Electroactive microorganisms possess unique features enabling them to use solid-state electron donors or acceptors located outside the cell. Acidophilic electroactive biofilms participate in acid rock drainage generation and although this process is of primary concern in mine waste management, the role of extracellular electron transfer (EET) in sulfide mineral oxidation has not been investigated yet. This project will use multi-omics and bioinformatics to elucidate the microbial components involved in biofilm formation and sulfide oxidation, with particular emphasis on EET. Nucleic acids and proteins will be extracted from biofilms growing on pyrite and sequencing libraries will be constructed. Metagenomics will give insight on the microbial composition of the biofilm. Metatranscriptomics and metaproteomics will identify changes in functional gene expression and surface protein composition as a function of biofilm development stage and metal solubilization, providing fundamental knowledge on how biofilm cells transfer electrons across the mineral-attached multilayered community.