Research Spotlight

Soil and Water Science - Soil Microbial Ecology Laboratory: The Soil Microbial Ecology Laboratory led by Andy Ogram is engaged in a range of activities that include research, teaching, and a service component. The primary activity of the laboratory is investigating linkages between microbial community structure and function in nutrient impacted regions of the Everglades. Much of this work is funded by the National Science Foundation in collaboration with colleagues from within UF and Florida State University, and NSF recently renewed funding for the project. Additional funding from UF has allowed us to work with collaborators in the UF College of Medicine to develop a highly innovative approach using functional microarrays to evaluate controls on methanogenesis and sulfate reduction.

An on-going project includes identification and optimization of microbial processes leading to degradation of the banned, but persistent, pesticide DDT and its daughter products DDE and DDT in organic soil from around Lake Apopka. Graduate student Hiral Gohil is currently enriching bacteria that are capable of utilizing DDT as a terminal electron acceptor, a process that appears to result in greatest loss of DDT and DDE in her studies. DDT is also highly hydrophobic, a property that greatly decreases its availability for microbial attack in organic soils. Hiral will soon begin investigating novel approaches to increasing the bioavailability of DDT for microbial attack.

For additional information on soil microbial ecology programs, contact Andy Ogram at aogram@ufl.edu or visit http://molecol.ifas.ufl.edu.

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