BACT2ALGA · Chemical signalling between microbial films and spores of the marine macroalga Ulva
6РП — Действия „Мария Кюри“
- Период
- 2007-04-10 → 2008-04-09
- Финансиране от ЕС
- 85 534 €
- Участници
- 1
- Схема
- EIF
Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.
Накратко на български
Взаимодействията между морските бактериални филми и спорите на зелената водорос Ulva се анализират чрез микроскопия и проучване на водните потоци. Разбирането на тези процеси помага за създаването на екологични методи за ограничаване на натрупването на организми по корпусите на корабите.
Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.
Резултати накратко
Final Activity Report Summary - Bact2alga (Chemical signalling between microbial films and spores of the marine macroalga Ulva)
Biofouling, the growth of marine organisms on hard substrata, is a major problem for marine industries causing large economical and environmental costs. Fouling on a ship hull leads to higher fuel consumption, contributing to more CO2 from the burning of fossil fuels. The current antifouling technology is primarily based on the application of toxic substances that are harmful to the natural environment. Novel, environmentally friendly approaches for solving the biofouling problem are urgently needed. The approach taken within this project was to learn from nature. Solving the biofouling problem could be achieved with increased understanding of the involved biological processes. The critical part was to understand the mechanism that mediated the interactions among fouling organisms. In the project Bact2alga the interactions between marine bacterial films and alga were investigated. The green alga ulva was one of the most important biofouling organisms on ship hulls worldwide. Bacterial films were, during previous research efforts by Joint lab group, observed to play a major role in the development of this alga. Furthermore, flow conditions seemed to be important for settlement and attachment of this ulva spores and plants, as determined by Granhag lab group. In the first part of this project, the importance of flow for the interactions between bacteria and alga was studied. As synthetic bacterial signals proved difficult to include and measure in the micro flow cells, the research concentrated on natural bacterial biofilms that produced signal molecules. In the second project part, the composition of natural bacterial films was investigated with fluorescent probes in a microscopy technique called fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH). This technique worked very well and bacterial films with intact three-dimensional structure could be viewed. Results showed that the composition of bacterial groups was of great importance for the first growth, i.e. germination, in the fouling alga ulva. This new knowledge could offer important help for mitigating the problems of biofouling.
Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз
Цел на проекта
The aim of this project is to gain knowledge of processes in the early stages of marine bio fouling. This is an important and expensive problem and recent estimates suggest that the worldwide annual cost to shipping and marine industries is more than US$6 billion. Current attempts to control bio fouling rely on toxic chemicals and alternative ways not detrimental to the marine environment are urgently needed.This fellowship will allow the researcher to combine her existing expertise on bio hydrodynamics with the expertise in microbial ecology of the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and to develop a thorough understanding of the biological processes involved in bio fouling. The seaweed Ulva, which is a cosmopolitan intertidal macroalgae, is a highly successful bio-fouling organism.The reproductive stages, spores, are motile and settle onto a hard surface where they develop into a new plant. Settlement involves a process of `sensing a surface, and a choice of whether to attach permanently or move to another more suitable surface. Many factors are known to influence spore surface-selection but work at PML has shown that the presence of bacterial bio films is essential. In addition, the PML group has shown that spores respond to the chemical signal molecules that bacteria produce and use to communicate with other bacteria, a process known as quorum sensing".This fellowship will allow the researcher to gain expertise in the microbiology of surfaces and of how Ulva spores exploit bacterial signal molecules. It will complement her existing knowledge of the influence of water flows on spore settlement. The collaboration provides an opportunity to investigate new questions relating to how variable water flow dilutes the bacterial signal molecules in marine bio films. The researcher will gain excellent training at the PML, a marine laboratory with a world-class reputation, and will also gain project management skills and learn about potential commercialisation of the results."
Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).
Участници
- PLYMOUTH MARINE LABORATORY · PLYMOUTHКоординаторОбединеното кралство
Връзки
Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз