Title: “Impossible” anaerobic spookmicrobes involved in NH4+ and CH4 removal in coastal sediments of the Bothnian Sea" Prof. Mike Jetten. Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Where: Betula, Norrlands Universitetssjukhus. When: Friday 18-02-2022, 14:00 Contact: Felipe Cava, felipe.cava@umu.se
We are delighted to have with us Prof. Mike Jetten who is taking a short sabbatical at the department of molecular biology. Prof. Jetten is an eminent researcher in ecological microbiology. His research has led to radical new insights. For example, he has demonstrated that reactions previously considered 'impossible' are used by bacteria as a source of energy and play a vital role in the global cycles of nitrogen, methane, and sulfur in particular. Jetten discovered that under anaerobic conditions (without oxygen), anammox bacteria (ANaerobic AMMonium OXidising) can convert harmful ammonium together with nitrite into nitrogen gas and water. Half of all the nitrogen in the atmosphere is made through this reaction. Jetten's research stretches from the discovery and culture of organisms to unraveling the reactions at the biochemical, molecular biological, cellular, and ecosystem levels. His research includes fieldwork, experimental work, molecular biology, structural chemistry, and metagenomics. Jetten combines his pioneering fundamental research with efforts to facilitate the practical application of mechanisms he has discovered. His research into the methane cycle has provided important insights into climate change. Thanks to his research, anammox bacteria are used in more than forty installations throughout the world for the purification of sewage water. This approach gives energy savings of 80% and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 90%. An intermediate product of the anammox reaction, hydrazide, is a rocket fuel.
