Team:Dalhousie Halifax NS/Description

DESCRIPTION

Shubenacadie Wildlife Park Microbiome Survey | Isolation of Bacteria | Metagenomic Library

A “Spike” in Biofuel Production: Mining the Porcupine Microbiome to Engineer a Softwood Feedstock Platform

Dwindling fuel resources and rising environmental concerns have catalyzed the development of biofuel production in microorganisms. In Nova Scotia, softwood waste from the lumber industry is an untapped source for low-cost biofuel feedstock; however, this waste cannot be utilized by traditional biofuel processes due to toxic compounds such as turpentines and unavailable carbon compounds such as cellulose. The porcupine microbiome provides a unique solution as it is capable of digesting bark and toxic products. Working with Schubenacadie Wildlife Park, we aim to not only identify cellulose and/or turpentine-degrading bacteria in the porcupine microbiome, but to also characterize microbial communities found within the Park’s mammal population. To achieve these goals, we are using fecal samples to construct a DNA library of the porcupine and to analyze each mammal’s microbial rRNA. Future experiments include introducing identified cellulose and/or turpentine-degrading pathways into E. coli to produce an economically viable and sustainable biofuel-generating organism.

Shubenacadie Wildlife Park Microbiome Survey

Text for Microbiome Survery Description here

This will be a description of the second part of our project (isolation of cellulose and tree sap degrading bacteria from fecal samples)

This will be a description of the third part of out project (metagenomic library based on cells that degrade cellulose and sap)