Synechococcus and Biofuel

Synechococcus is a genus of unicellular marine cyanobacteria that are found in both freshwater and marine water environments. They comprise a vast majority of picoplanktonic marine cyanobacteria. [1] Species in this genus are capable of photoheterotrophic, chemoheterotrophic, photoautotrophic, and even nitrogen fixation. [2] The genomes of several species of Synechococcus have been fully sequenced, most notably Synechococcus elongatus strain PCC 7942 and species strain WH8102. Due to the diversity in its metabolism as well as a genome that can be readily manipulated, Synechococcus holds potential for biofuel production via these metabolic pathways

Introduction

Classification

Taxonomy

Bacteria; Cyanobacteria; Chroococcales; Synechococcus [3]

Metabolism

Discuss various pathways of metabolism

Further Reading

[Sample link] Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Special Pathogens Branch

References

[Sample reference] Takai, K., Sugai, A., Itoh, T., and Horikoshi, K. "Palaeococcus ferrophilus gen. nov., sp. nov., a barophilic, hyperthermophilic archaeon from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimney". International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 2000. Volume 50. p. 489-500.

Edited by (Caitlyn Young), a student of Nora Sullivan in BIOL168L (Microbiology) in The Keck Science Department of the Claremont Colleges Spring 2014.