Project information
Applications of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis for the characterisation of cold-adapted oligotrophic bacteria from the Antarctic environment

The proposed project focuses on the characterisation of cold-adapted bacteria from the Antarctic environment. I would like to analyse oligotrophic Antarctic bacterial isolates from water samples, including cryoconites, that have been exposed to extreme conditions such as cold, UV radiation and nutrient deficiency. In particular, I would like to concentrate on the whole cell fatty acid composition. Using fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis as well as genomic and bioinformatic tools, I aim to explore the metabolic pathways responsible for cold tolerance. My long-term goal is to integrate metagenomic analysis of Antarctic samples into microbial research at the CCM. This approach will lead to a more comprehensive understanding of microbial structure and its changes in response to different environmental conditions.