Methanogenic Paraffin Biodegradation and the Underlying Syntrophic Relationships

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atmire.migration.oldid4319
dc.contributor.advisorGieg, Lisa
dc.contributor.authorOberding, Lisa Kara
dc.contributor.committeememberVoordouw, Gerrit
dc.contributor.committeememberHubert, Casey
dc.date.accessioned2016-05-03T14:30:02Z
dc.date.available2016-05-03T14:30:02Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.date.submitted2016en
dc.description.abstractPetroleum hydrocarbons are important for their energy value and the environmental concerns they pose when spilled. Methanogenic biodegradation through syntrophy plays an important role in their degradation, with implications for remediation and oil recovery. There is still much to learn about methanogenic biodegradation of recalcitrant hydrocarbons such as paraffinic n-alkanes, or the overall syntrophic metabolism underlying these processes. Here, methanogenic solid and liquid paraffin-degrading enrichments were established, with Smithella identified as the hydrocarbon degrader. Fumarate addition was identified as the putative hydrocarbon activation mechanism through alkylsuccinate synthase gene presence and expression, and factors (biosurfactant production) which affect biodegradation were determined. In addition, gene families related to energy transfer were found to distinguish known and potentially syntrophic environments using metagenomic analysis. This approach was used to determine gene families which may play unknown roles in syntrophy. Together, these studies give key insights into how hydrocarbons are degraded under methanogenic conditions.en_US
dc.identifier.citationOberding, L. K. (2016). Methanogenic Paraffin Biodegradation and the Underlying Syntrophic Relationships (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26892en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/26892
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/2930
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectMicrobiology
dc.subject.classificationMicrobiologyen_US
dc.subject.classificationEnvironmental Microbiologyen_US
dc.subject.classificationPetroleum Microbiologyen_US
dc.subject.classificationSyntrophyen_US
dc.titleMethanogenic Paraffin Biodegradation and the Underlying Syntrophic Relationships
dc.typemaster thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineBiological Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (MSc)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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