 |
Home |
Research Interests of Participating Faculty
Alice Wright, Biology.
We are interested in investigating the how microorganisms and
microbial communities change with agricultural practices. This
includes studying how microbial communities (bacterial and fungal)
change after the application of pesticides or after a specific
agricultural practice. Changes in microbial communities are
determined with extraction of total DNA from soil and the genes
coding for ribosomal RNA are amplified. The amplified DNA fragments
are then analyzed. We also use enrichment techniques to isolate and
characterize bacteria that degrade pesticides, specifically
pesticide alternatives to methyl bromide. Phylogenetic trees showing
the relationship of the isolated degrading organisms are developed.
The chemistry and genetics for the degradation of the pesticides in
the characterized bacteria is accomplished with gas chromatography
(GC), GC-Mass Spectrometry, and transposon mutagenesis. Generation
of transposon mutants is also the first step in genetic
characterization of these mutants. To determine the diversity of
regulatory systems in 2,4-D pathways, we are examining regulatory
elements in a collection of organisms that degrade 2,4-D. We hope
that our studies will aid in the understanding of the evolution of
catabolic pathways. Collaborators include Dr. Jerry Kukor (Rutgers)
and Dr. Husein Ajwa (University of California, Davis).
[Prev <] [Research]
[> Next] |
