Metagenomic characterization of novel Actinobacteria from geothermal features of Hawaiʻi

Prior to the introduction of bioinformatic tools, microbiology studies were limited and relied on physical characterization of the few cultivatable strains - Most of the microbes were left undiscovered and were termed as “dark matter” of microbiology. However, modern bioinformatic technologies cast light into the darkness. Metagenomic assembled genomes are genomes recovered from sequencing environmental samples. With the help of de novo genome assemblers, the uncharacterized species can be discovered from the reconstructed genomic sequences. Harnessing the powering of metagenomics, this study investigated the actinobacteria population dwelling in geothermal environments in Hawaiʻi. From the metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), metabolic potential and genes for secondary metabolites and pathogenicity of these actinobacteria were characterized. The result has shown that Actinobacteria communities in the Hawai’ian geothermal system were distinct. They consisted of many uncharacterized novel species, mostly thermoleophilia and acidimicrobiia with few actinomycetia. These newly identified species demonstrated different physiological patterns compared to the well-studied members of actinomycetia.

Author

• Zhang, Chengxuan

Language

• en

Keyword

• Actinobacteria
• Metagenomic assembly
• Extremophile

Date created

• 2023

Type of Work

• Master's Thesis

License

• All rights reserved

Rights statement

• In Copyright

GW Unit

• Biological Sciences

Degree

• M.S.

Advisor

• Saw, Jimmy

Committee Member(s)

• Eleftherianos, Ioannis

Persistent URL

•  https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/etd/7m01bm487