Aerobic Hydrocarbon-degrading Microbial Communities in Oilsands Tailings Ponds

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atmire.migration.oldid5158
dc.contributor.advisorDunfield, Peter F.
dc.contributor.authorRochman, Fauziah
dc.contributor.committeememberVoordouw, Gerrit
dc.contributor.committeememberGieg, Lisa
dc.contributor.committeememberHettiaratchi, Patrick
dc.date.accessioned2016-12-22T20:40:10Z
dc.date.available2016-12-22T20:40:10Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.date.submitted2016en
dc.description.abstractOilsands process-affected water (OSPW), produced by the surface-mining oilsands industry in Alberta, Canada, is alkaline and contains salts, various metals, and hydrocarbon compounds. In this thesis, aerobic communities involved in several key biogeochemical processes in OSPW were studied. Degradation of several key hydrocarbons was analyzed in depth. Benzene and naphthalene were used as models for aromatic hydrocarbons, in which their oxidation rates, degrading communities, and degradation pathways in OSPW were researched. The potential oxidation rates were 36.7 μmol L-1 day-1 for benzene and 85.4 μmol L-1 day-1 for naphthalene. Via stable isotope probing (SIP), and high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, it was discovered that strains of the genera Methyloversatilis and Zavarzinia were the main benzene degraders, while Thiococcus and Pseudomonas were the main naphthalene degraders. Cultivated strains of Zavarzinia and Pseudomonas were shown to be growing on benzene and naphthalene. Metagenomics analysis revealed genes encoding oxygenases active against aromatic compounds, as well as catechol oxidases. Although these belonged to many phylogenetically diverse bacteria, only few bacteria were predominant in the SIP experiments. A highly divergent pmoA-like gene was also detected in the metagenome data. Here, the possibility of this gene allowing growth on short alkanes (C1 to C3) was examined. This gene was investigated via SIP and quantitative PCR. Results showed that the monooxygenase encoded by the gene has high affinity toward ethane and mostly propane. For the study of lighter hydrocarbons, methane, ethane, and propane were chosen as model compounds. OSPW was capable of supporting methane oxidation with a rate of 108.2 μmol of CH4 L−1 OSPW d−1, ethane oxidation with a rate of 83.2 μmol of C2H6 L−1 OSPW d−1, and propane oxidation with a rate of 58.6 μmol of C3H8 L−1 OSPW d−1. SIP analysis uncovered Methyloparacoccus to be predominant in methane-incubated samples, whereas Methyloversatilis was predominant in ethane and propane-incubated samples. SIP technique was also employed to study photosynthetic bacterial communities and indigenous aerobic bacterial communities that assimilate methanol, acetate, and protein extracts. All OSPW photosynthetic ‘heavy-DNA’ samples were dominated by unidentified Planctomycetes. Predominant groups in methanol, acetate, and protein extract-SIPs were Betaproteobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. Finally, via a modified cultivation technique, a novel Verrucomicrobia was isolated from OSPW. The aerobic bacterium was named Oleiharenicola alkalitolerans gen. nov., sp. nov., and it was studied in depth via phylogenetic, chemotaxonomic and whole-genome sequencing techniques.en_US
dc.identifier.citationRochman, F. (2016). Aerobic Hydrocarbon-degrading Microbial Communities in Oilsands Tailings Ponds (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24733en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/24733
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/3508
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.classificationTailings Pondsen_US
dc.subject.classificationHydrocarbon degradationen_US
dc.subject.classificationBenzeneen_US
dc.subject.classificationNaphthaleneen_US
dc.subject.classificationMetagenomicsen_US
dc.subject.classificationAerobic alkane degradationen_US
dc.subject.classificationHydrocarbon degrading genesen_US
dc.subject.classificationStable Isotope Probingen_US
dc.titleAerobic Hydrocarbon-degrading Microbial Communities in Oilsands Tailings Ponds
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineBiological Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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