报告主题：Microbial adaptation to the deep ocean carbon cycling - a story of SAR202 bacteria
时间：2025年3月5日（星期三），10:00-11:00
地点：翔安校区周隆泉楼B3-202
报告人：Feng Chen, University of Maryland
邀请人：焦念志 教授
摘要
The ocean is the largest carbon reservoir on Earth. Approximately 95% of the ocean’s dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exists as recalcitrant DOC (RDOC) and can persist in the ocean for millennia. The processes and mechanisms underlying the formation and removal of RDOC in the ocean are still poorly understood. With deep metagenomic sequencing in the Atlantic Ocean, we uncovered many new genome types of SAR202 in the water column. SAR202 bacteria are relatively more abundant in the dark ocean and exhibit genomic adaptations for degrading complex and resistant DOC in deep waters. We also conducted a year-long incubation study to investigate the interactions between microbes and DOC. Interestingly, the incubation experiment showed that SAR202 bacteria became more abundant in the later stages of incubation and engaged in the degradation of RDOC. Both field and laboratory studies suggest that SAR202 bacteria possess enhanced metabolic capabilities to transform RDOC in the dark ocean.
报告人简介
Dr. Feng Chen is a tenured professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science. He received his Ph.D. in Marine Microbial Ecology from the University of Texas at Austin in 1995. He joined the University of Maryland in 2000 as a tenure-track Assistant Professor. His main research interests focus on the diversity and function of microorganisms (mainly viruses, bacteria, cyanobacteria, and microalgae) and their ecological role in the marine ecosystem. He applies both traditional cultivation methods and advanced molecular or omics technologies to discover novel microbes and understand their physiology, ecology, and evolution. He also develops algae-based biotechnology as a solution for sustainable environments and renewable energy. His latest research uncovered novel groups of SAR202 bacteria in the ocean and further supports their metabolic potential in deep ocean carbon cycling through deep metagenomic sequencing.
