Mautusi Mitra's Research Lab - University of West Georgia

Research Projects

a) Current microbial genomics research project: At UWG, our current research involves microbial Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Bioinformatics. The microbiology project is centered on biochemical and molecular characterizations and whole genome-based bioinformatics of two novel bacterial strains (Sphingobium yanoikuyae and Acidovorax temperans) and one novel species of Microbacterium. These bacteria were isolated from contaminated Chlamydomonas (a green micro-alga) culture plates. We have sequenced the whole genomes of these three bacterial strains using the PacBio continuous long read technology and have submitted them on National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Genome mining and wet lab experiments have shown that these bacteria produce commercially important pigments, are resistant to specific antibiotics, can tolerate heavy metal stress and are xenobiotics-degraders with the abilities to convert plastic and other deadwood waste into industrially valuable chemicals and has the potential to be used in bioremediation. The three bacterial strains also produce unique pigments that are powerful antioxidants and are used in UV-protective cosmetics. Currently we are working on several bioinformatics projects centered on deciphering functions of hypothetical genes present in the genomes of these three bacterial strains in collaboration with Dr. Ana Stanescu (Associate Professor, UWG, Computer science) and working on a manuscript centered on characterizing the identified new Microbacterium species.

b) Photo-acclimation and photo-protection research project (past project): This project is centered on studying photo-acclimation and photo-protection in Chlamydomonas under different light conditions, employing functional genomics.

c) Educational Research project (past project): This project involves designing new inexpensive hands-on labs that are based on published Chlamydomonas research, for K16 education in a fun way (Please see the light powered-algae bead bracelet pictures that changes color with shift from light to dark to teach photosynthesis to K16 students).

World of microbes: Left: A false-colored SEM of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii; Middle: Chlamydomonas and the non-photosynthetic Sphingobium yanoikuyae strain CC4533 living in harmony; Right: Sphinogbium yanoikuyae, Microbacterium sp. and Acidovorax temperans (clockwise direction) on a blood-agar plate.

5A7, a brown Chlamydomonas mutant, defective in the CHLI1 gene, a gene that encodes the CHLI1 subunit of the enzyme Magnesium chelatase that is involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis.

Light-powered Chlamydomonas bead bracelets change color from pale orange to deep purple to yellow when shifted from light to dark. The color change occurs as the phenol red pH indicator in the water inside the bracelet change color with the pH change that happens during light to dark shift. Our lab designed these algae bead bracelets for the Plant-BLOOME project funded by the American Society of Plant Biologists to teach the interplay of Photosynthesis and Cellular respiration to students in a fun way!

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