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Phytoremediation - Terry Lab UCB |
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TERRY LAB CURRENT RESEARCH The Terry lab is currently pursuing several new research directions. First, we are studying the relationship between plants, microbes, and the element boron (B). Boron is a common contaminant of wastewater from electric utility plants, and there are currently no efficient and affordable methods to remediate it. We would like to use plants to solve this problem. Second, the Terry lab is focusing on the study of botanical drugs. The long-term goal of this research is to rationalize the process of development and production of Chinese herbs for medicinal purposes. Third, we are interested in developing a natural method to remediate hydrocarbons. We are studying the combination of composting and vermi-composting to break down oil. See our descriptions and links below for more information: BORON BOTANICAL DRUGS OIL REMEDIATIONIn order to use plants to remediate B, first we have to elucidate the biochemical mechanism by which plants interact with B. Plants that are able to tolerate high concentrations of B do so using one of two main mechanisms. The first mechanism is to "exclude" B. Certain plants have developed methods to prevent B from entering the roots, or are able to pump the B out of the roots once it enters. This prevents the element from entering the plant tissue and negatively affecting plant health. The second method is to "sequester" B. Certain plants are able to complex B and sequester it in their tissues, thereby protecting the sensitive areas of the plant. When a plant has the ability to sequester the majority of B in the aboveground tissues, it is termed a "hyperaccumulator". In our laboratory, in collaboration with the laboratory of Dr. Mehmet Babaoglu from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Selcuk, Turkey, we are studying both B-excluding and B- hyperaccumulator plants. Our study of these plants focuses on determining the upper limit of B tolerance, as well as the mechanisms these plants use to tolerate high concentrations of B in the soil. Preliminary studies of some species identified in Turkey by Dr. Mehmet Babaoglu's laboratory have demonstrated that some species are able to withstand extremely high B concentrations (unpublished results). While B did accumulate in the plant tissue during our preliminary experiment, it only accumulated to a concentration approximately twice that of the external B concentration. This indicates that it is successfully preventing the uptake of high concentrations of B. Our next goals are to determine the upper limits of B tolerance and to elucidate, at the biochemical level, how the plant is able to protect itself so effectively from such high concentrations of B. Preliminary studies of another plant species identified in Turkey by Dr. Mehmet Babaoglu’s laboratory have demonstrated its ability to similarly withstand high concentrations of B (unpublished results). This plant species however, accumulates B in its aboveground tissues at concentrations 25-30 times that of the external B concentration. Our next goal is to determine how the plant is able to tolerate such high concentrations of B in its aboveground tissue. We hope that through our collaborative research with these two model species, we will bring new dimensions into B research and phytoremediation of B-toxic soils. Bacteria exist that are able to live and thrive in high concentrations of boron. These are known as extremophiles, because they are able to live in conditions that would be toxic to the majority of living organisms. While some bacteria are simply able to tolerate high concentrations of boron, other types of bacteria actually require high concentrations of boron. In our laboratory, we are currently working to isolate bacteria from soil samples collected from a boron mine in Southern California. Once these bacteria have been isolated, we can then work to understand the mechanisms they use to tolerate high concentrations of boron. We hope to transfer these abilities to fast-growing, high-biomass plants, and thereby utilize plants as a form of remediation. In collaboration with Dr. Chunzhao Liu at the National Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China, the Terry lab is focusing on two main herbs, snow lotus and Artemisia annua. Snow lotus extract has been used for centuries in China as a treatment for many ailments, and we are particularly interested in its anti-inflammatory effect on rheumatoid arthritis. Snow lotus is an herb that grows naturally only in a very specific and limited habitat (high in the Himalayan mountains). Its natural population is suffering from over-harvesting and environmental degradation. The goal for this research is 1) to develop methods to produce high quantities of snow lotus biomass in the laboratory through either tissue culture techniques or via hydroponics, and 2) to develop a standardized procedure for production of an extract of consistent high quality. Artemisia produces the anti-malarial drug, artemisinin. Our laboratory is studying the effect of both environmental parameters and the potential use of biotechnology to increase the production of artemisinin in the plant. In collaboration with a non-profit organization, Matter of Trust, and Thomas Azwell, the laboratory is interested in studying the ability of compost to breakdown hydrocarbons. Over 706 million gallons of oil are introduced into our oceans each year. Matter of Trust has discovered a natural material that is very effective at removing contaminating oil from water. Once the oil has been collected, they would like to identify a natural method to remediate the contaminated material. Using a combination of composting and vermi-composting, we hope to develop a method to do this. In addition, we want to understand, at the molecular level, what is happening to the contaminating hydrocarbons in the compost.
Department of Plant and Microbial
Biology
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