Genetic Engineering of a Radiation-Resistant Bacterium for Biodegradation of Mixed Wastes Page: 1 of 2
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73833 (formerly 60150)
Genetic Engineering of a Radiation-Resistant Bacterium for Biodegradation of
Mixed Wastes
FG07-97ER20294
June 10, 2002
Lead Principal Investigator:Prof. Mary E. Lidstrom
University of Washington
Departments of Chemical Engineering and Microbiology
Box 351750
Seattle WA 98195-1750
(206)616-5282
lidstrom@u.washington.edu
Graduate students/post-docs: 3
DOE Problems: above-ground bioremediation treatment systems to remove halogenated
organics from mixed waste
Research Objective: The mixture of toxic chemicals, heavy metals, halogenated solvents
and radionuclides in many DOE waste materials presents a challenging problem for
separating the different species and disposing of individual contaminants. One approach
for dealing with mixed wastes is to genetically engineer the radiation-resistant bacterium,
Deinococcus radiodurans to survive in and detoxify DOE's mixed waste streams, and to
develop process parameters for treating mixed wastes with such constructed strains. The
goal for this project is to develop a suite of genetic tools forDeinococcus radiodurans and to
use these tools to construct and test stable strains for detoxification of haloorganics in
mixed wastes.
Research Progress and Implications:
This report summarizes work after 4-1/2 years of a 6-year project. In the first 3 years of the
project, we developed a suite of genetic tools forD. radiodurans, analyzedD. radiodurans
promoters, and developed stable expression systems for broad host-range oxygenases. In
the most recent year of the project we have focused on systems necessary for effective
application of treatment strains. First, we have studied stress response systems, because
treatment processes will involve chemical and physical stress. TheD. radiodurans genome
does not appear to contain known stress response regulatory genes, and so it is of central
importance to understand basic stress response in this bacterium, in order to monitor and
manipulate stress response for treatment. Second, we have studied the phosphate regulon,
in collaboration with Prof. Jay Keasling at UC-Berkeley. The Keasling group has a DOE-
funded project to assess the feasibility of using their system for precipitating metal
phosphates on the surface of cells in D. radiodurans, to not only provide broad spectrum
metal resistance, but to also potentially remove toxic metals and radionuclides. This
system involves manipulation of polyphosphate metabolism, such that high concentrations
of phosphate are released at the surface of the cell. We have joined forces to achieve this
goal in our treatment strain, with the idea of simultaneously removing metals and
detoxifying solvents. Our part of this project involves characterizing the phosphate regulon
of D. radiodurans.
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Lidstrom, Mary E. Genetic Engineering of a Radiation-Resistant Bacterium for Biodegradation of Mixed Wastes, report, June 10, 2002; Seattle, Washington. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc777053/m1/1/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.