Multi-omics applied to the understanding and exploitation of Antarctic microbiomes

Abstract

Indigenous Antarctic microbes possess unique biochemical and metabolic properties encoded within their genetic resources, which make them able to adapt and survive to extreme environmental conditions, such as high salinity levels, pressures that exceed 100 MPa, low or high and extremely fluctuating temperatures (from 89 °C up to 90 °C), low nutrient availability and high solar radiation. However, it is well known that although cultivation techniques have been improved and allowed the in vitro recovery of a growing number of yet uncultivated microorganisms, our knowledge about their ecology is still insufficient to culture the majority of them. In this sense, this project proposes to employ a combination of traditional microbiological methods (isolation and culturing) and multi-omics approaches (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics and metabolomics) for broad exploitation of Antarctic microbial resources focusing on enzymes and metabolites of biotechnological application. The fosmid clones and microbial isolates will be submmitted to high throughput screening assays for the evaluation of diverse activities, including heavy metal biotransformation, and metabolite (antimicrobials and pigments), enzyme (chitinases, peroxidases, anti-freezing proteins - AFP) and hydrocarbon production. Furthermore, a scanning of the phylogenetic and functional diversity of the metagenômic libraries and selected Antarctic samples collected in the Deception Island will be performed using large-scale DNA sequencing platforms. The obtained sequence dataset will allow us to carry out a rational sequence-driven screening of the metagenômic libraries, through the design of specific primer sets for the detection of fosmid clones bearing the target genes for subsequent genetic characterizations, overcoming eventual limitatios inherent to heterologous expression. The expected results include the detection of new genes, enzymes and bioactive compounds with differential properties and potential use in future biotechnological processes. In addition, we believe that inedit results regarding the phylogenetic and functional diversity present in the samples will contribute to the understanding of the microbial interactions and molecular mechanisms underlying life under the extreme conditions in Antarctic environments. (AU)