Extremophiles-Guide for student research projects

We are presently focusing on cold adaptation at the level of genomics, proteomics, cellular physiology, gene regulation and protein structure in the cold adapted archaea, Methanococcoides burtonii and Methanogenium frigidum.

i. Genomics of two Antarctic archaea: We are involved in the genome sequencing programs for M. frigidum and M. burtonii, including genome closure and comparative genomic analysis, using in-house bioinformatics. The genomics underpins our ability to characterise the biology of these organisms and provides the backdrop for proteomic analysis and the functional analysis of targeted genes.

ii. Structural properties of cold active proteins: Wild-type and mutant proteins of academic and biotechnological interest are examined from the psychrophilic archaea and compared with those from thermophiles and hyperthermophiles. This work involves molecular biology (PCR and novel techniques for DNA sequencing, gene cloning and site-directed mutagenesis, and gene library construction), protein purification (protein overexpression and purification), protein modelling (computer based homology modelling) and x-ray crystallography (growing crystals and determining x-ray crystal structures in collaboration with Paul Curmi, BioPhysics, UNSW).

iii. Physiological adaptation and gene regulation: Cellular responses to temperature are monitored at the transcriptional and translational level. The role of a cold regulated RNA helicase and several other cold regulated genes, are being examined at the level of protein structure and function, and gene regulation. A genetic system is being developed with collaborators in the USA. A broad range of molecular biology and microbiology techniques are implemented in these studies.