Whole genome sequence analysis of Geitlerinema sp. FC II unveils competitive edge of the strain in marine cultivation system for biofuel production

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat/CRISPR-Associated Protein and Its Utility All at Sea: Status, Challenges, and Prospects

Initially discovered over 35 years ago in the bacterium Escherichia coli as a defense system against invasion of viral (or other exogenous) DNA into the genome, CRISPR/Cas has ushered in a new era of functional genetics and served as a versatile genetic tool in all branches of life science. CRISPR/Cas has revolutionized the methodology of gene knockout with simplicity and rapidity, but it is also powerful for gene knock-in and gene modification. In the field of marine biology and ecology, this tool has been instrumental in the functional characterization of 'dark' genes and the documentation of the functional differentiation of gene paralogs. Powerful as it is, challenges exist that have hindered the advances in functional genetics in some important lineages. This review examines the status of applications of CRISPR/Cas in marine research and assesses the prospect of quickly expanding the deployment of this powerful tool to address the myriad fundamental marine biology and biological oceanography questions.

Stromatolites as Biosignatures of Atmospheric Oxygenation: Carbonate Biomineralization and UV-C Resilience in a Geitlerinema sp. - Dominated Culture

Modern stromatolites are key to the record of past microbial activity preserved in fossil carbonate deposits. Mono-phototrophic cultures dominated by the cyanobacterium Geitlerinema sp. were obtained from a laboratory-maintained, low magnesium-calcite stromatolite originating from Lagoa Vermelha, Brazil. This lagoonal system has been described as a Precambrian analog, illustrating a period of photosynthetically induced atmospheric oxygenation, which created a global sanctuary from shortwave solar radiation and enabled the evolution of modern life on Earth. The enrichment cultures precipitate carbonates in minimal media, suggesting that cyanobacterial photosynthesis and extracellular polymeric substance production may be crucial in the mineralization of the studied stromatolite. We further show that Geitlerinema sp. can build and maintain filamentous mats under long-term UV-C exposure. Our results suggest that present day stromatolites dominated by cyanobacteria may be interpreted as biosignatures of atmospheric oxygenation and have implications for the search for putative biological traces on Mars.

Potential use of a thermal water cyanobacterium as raw material to produce biodiesel and pigments

Global energy demand is increasing every day and most is still derived from non-renewable sources. Therefore, sustainable alternatives are sought to produce biofuels, such as biodiesel. Several studies have demonstrated the potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria to produce biodiesel and pigments. These pigments, such as lutein and astaxanthin, have a high commercial value and can economically support the production of biodiesel. However, few studies have explored the potential of cyanobacteria collected in thermal water. In these microorganisms, both biomass and metabolites production can be altered by the culture form. Thus, a cosmopolitan filamentous cyanobacterium (Geitlerinema amphibium) from thermal water was collected and isolated to evaluate its potential to produce fatty acids, biodiesel, and pigments in two culture media. G. amphibium was cultured in WC (Wright's Cryptophyte) and BBM (Bold's Basal Medium) media. Thermal stress (40 °C for 48 h) was applied to the medium, which generated higher productivity of the biomass in BBM. The cyanobacterium contained higher biodiesel content in the WC medium and higher pigment content in the BBM medium. Thermal stress increased the biodiesel content by 350%, but decreased pigment content. Two pigments with high commercial value (astaxanthin and lutein) were identified. G. amphibium produced up to 2.74 mg g^-1 of astaxanthin and 5.49 mg g^-1 of lutein, which is seven times more lutein than Marigold, currently the main raw material used commercially. Therefore, G. amphibium has the potential to produce biodiesel, astaxanthin, and lutein concomitantly.