Rumen microbiome metagenomics and metatranscriptomics for biomass degrading genes discovery

• Grant number: 12/03848-8
• Support Opportunities: Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: November 01, 2012
• End date: October 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Rodrigo Mendes
• Grantee: Rodrigo Mendes
• Host Institution: Embrapa Meio-Ambiente. Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA). Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (Brasil). Jaguariúna , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 12/24588-4 - Dynamics of the sheep (Ovis aries) rumen microbiome and its relationship with biomass degradation, BP.DR

Abstract

Brazil is one of the world's largest producers of biofuels. Biofuels derived from biomass represent and important renewable energy alternative to transportation fossil fuels. A major obstacle to industrial scale production of biofuels lies in the inefficient enzymatic plant destruction. In order to overcome this problem protein engineering of known enzymes has been used, however with limited success. Alternatively, the recovery of enzymes from naturally evolved biomass-degrading microbial communities, offers a promising strategy for identification of new lignocellulolytic enzymes with improved activities. In this context, the metagenomics approach represents a powerful tool for discovering new genomes and active genes in biomass degradation. By using a straightforward metagenomic/metatranscriptomic strategy including rumen DNA and RNA isolation, libraries construction, next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics, followed by heterologous gene expression, this project proposal aims the study of caprine rumen as a source of new enzymes to be used in the biofuel industry. The caprine rumen is a biological system where biomass-degrading microorganisms are enriched, which facilitates the directed bioprospection seeking new genes and enzymes associated to vegetal material hydrolysis. The project will provide a significant advancement in the fundamental understanding of genomic diversity, natural functions, and metabolic capacity of biomass-degrading microorganisms. This understanding on players and mechanisms involved during plant fiber hydrolysis will provide ways to obtain new molecules to be applied in the biofuel industry. (AU)

Publicações científicas

(Referências obtidas automaticamente do Web of Science e do SciELO, por meio da informação sobre o financiamento pela FAPESP e o número do processo correspondente, incluída na publicação pelos autores)

LOPES, LUCAS DANTAS; DE SOUZA LIMA, ANDRE OLIVEIRA; TAKETANI, RODRIGO GOUVEA; DARIAS, PHILLIP; FE DA SILVA, LILIA RAQUEL; ROMAGNOLI, EMILIANA MANESCO; LOUVANDINI, HELDER; ABDALLA, ADIBE LUIZ; MENDES, RODRIGO. Exploring the sheep rumen microbiome for carbohydrate-active enzymes. ANTONIE VAN LEEUWENHOEK INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GENERAL AND MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, v. 108, n. 1, p. 15-30, JUL 2015. (12/03848-8, 12/24588-4)