Alison Buchan

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Alison Buchan
Alma materUniversity of Georgia
Scientific career
Thesis Ecology and genetics of aromatic compound degradation in the roseobacter lineage of marine bacteria  (2001)

Alison Buchan is the Carolyn Fite Professor at the University of Tennessee. She is known for her work on bacteria in natural environments, especially bacteria within the Roseobacter group. In 2022 she was named as a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology.

Contents

Education and career

Buchan received a B.Sc. from James Madison University in 1994. She then moved to the University of Georgia where she earned a M.Sc. (1997) and a Ph.D. (2001). She was a postdoctoral investigator at Yale University from 2003 until 2005 at which point she moved to the University of Tennessee. In 2016 she was promoted to professor, and as of 2022 she is the Carolyn Fite Professor. [1] [2]

Research

Buchan's early research examined biochemical pathways used by Roseobacter, a common marine bacteria, [3] [4] and the chemical compounds used by Roseobacter as they grow on surfaces. [5] Buchan's research revealed how viruses change the chemical compounds released by bacteria [6] and how heterotrophic bacteria alter the organic carbon produced by marine phytoplankton. [7] She has also examined the interactions between Roseobacter and the viruses that infect them. [8]

Selected publications

Awards and honors

In 2022 Buchan was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology, [9] and received the 2022 faculty achievement award from the University of Tennessee. [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Roseobacter</i> Genus of bacteria

In taxonomy, Roseobacter is a genus of the Rhodobacteraceae. The Roseobacter clade falls within the {alpha}-3 subclass of the class Alphaproteobacteria. The first strain descriptions appeared in 1991 which described members Roseobacterlitoralis and Roseobacterdenitrificans, both pink-pigmented bacteriochlorophyll a-producing strains isolated from marine algae. The role members of the Roseobacter lineage play in marine biogeochemical cycles and climate change cannot be overestimated. Roseobacters make up 25% of coastal marine bacteria and members of this lineage process a significant portion of the total carbon in the marine environment. Roseobacter clade plays an important role in global carbon and sulphur cycles. It can also degrade aromatic compounds, uptake trace metal, and form symbiotic relationship. In term of its application, Roseobacter clade produces bioactive compounds, has been used widely in aquaculture and quorum sensing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacterioplankton</span> Bacterial component of the plankton that drifts in the water column

Bacterioplankton refers to the bacterial component of the plankton that drifts in the water column. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word πλανκτος, meaning "wanderer" or "drifter", and bacterium, a Latin term coined in the 19th century by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg. They are found in both seawater and freshwater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacterial phyla</span> Phyla or divisions of the domain Bacteria

Bacterial phyla constitute the major lineages of the domain Bacteria. While the exact definition of a bacterial phylum is debated, a popular definition is that a bacterial phylum is a monophyletic lineage of bacteria whose 16S rRNA genes share a pairwise sequence identity of ~75% or less with those of the members of other bacterial phyla.

"Candidatus Scalindua" is a bacterial genus, and a proposed member of the order Planctomycetales. These bacteria lack peptidoglycan in their cell wall and have a compartmentalized cytoplasm. They are ammonium oxidizing bacteria found in marine environments.

The chloride cocaine esterase (EC 3.1.1.84, CocE, hCE2, hCE-2, human carboxylesterase 2; systematic name cocaine benzoylhydrolase) catalyses the reaction

Serratia symbiotica is a species of bacteria that lives as a symbiont of aphids. In the aphid Cinara cedri, it coexists with Buchnera aphidicola, given the latter cannot produce tryptophan. It is also known to habitate in Aphis fabae. Together with other endosymbionts, it provides aphids protection against parasitoids.

Roseobacter litoralis is a species of aerobic pink-pigmented bacteria. It contains Bacteriochlorophyll a. It contains spheroidenone, does not synthesize bacteriochlorophyll anaerobically, but shows aerobic phototrophic activity. It is also considered a photosynthetic marine bacterium. Cells are ovoid or rod-shaped and motile by subpolar flagella. R. litoralis does not reduce nitrate, while R. dentrificans does. R. litoralis can be found in marine seaweed.

Roseobacter denitrificans is a species of aerobic pink-pigmented bacteria. It contains Bacteriochlorophyll a. It contains spheroidenone, does not synthesize bacteriochlorophyll anaerobically, but shows aerobic phototrophic activity. Cells are ovoid or rod-shaped and motile by subpolar flagella. R. litoralis does not reduce nitrate, while R. denitrificans does.

Vibrio coralliilyticus is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium. It has a polar flagellum that is used for motility and has been shown to be critical for its virulence to corals. It is a versatile pathogen, impacting several marine invertebrates including Pocillopora damicornis corals, both the Pacific and Eastern Oyster's larvae and some vertebrates such as the rainbow trout. It is a bacterium of considerable interest given its direct contribution to temperature dependent coral bleaching as well as its impacts on aquaculture where it can contribute to significant mortalities in larval oyster hatcheries. There are several known virulent strains, which appear on both the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts of the United States. After its initial discovery some strains were incorrectly classified as Vibrio tubiashii including the RE22 and RE98 strains but were later reclassified as Vibrio coralliilyticus.

Pelobacter carbinolicus is a species of bacteria that ferments 2,3-butanediol and acetoin. It is Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic and non-spore-forming. Gra Bd 1 is the type strain. Its genome has been sequenced.

Ruegeria pomeroyi is a species of Gram-negative, rod-shaped, aerobic dimethylsulfoniopropionate-demethylating bacterium. Its type strain is DSS-3T. Its genome has been sequenced.

Desulfovibrio oxyclinae is a bacterium. It is sulfate-reducing, and was first isolated from the upper 3mm layer of a hypersaline cyanobacterial mat in Sinai.

Sodalis is a genus of bacteria within the family Pectobacteriaceae. This genus contains several insect endosymbionts and also a free-living group. It is studied due to its potential use in the biological control of the tsetse fly. Sodalis is an important model for evolutionary biologists because of its nascent endosymbiosis with insects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bioluminescent bacteria</span>

Bioluminescent bacteria are light-producing bacteria that are predominantly present in sea water, marine sediments, the surface of decomposing fish and in the gut of marine animals. While not as common, bacterial bioluminescence is also found in terrestrial and freshwater bacteria. These bacteria may be free living or in symbiosis with animals such as the Hawaiian Bobtail squid or terrestrial nematodes. The host organisms provide these bacteria a safe home and sufficient nutrition. In exchange, the hosts use the light produced by the bacteria for camouflage, prey and/or mate attraction. Bioluminescent bacteria have evolved symbiotic relationships with other organisms in which both participants benefit close to equally. Another possible reason bacteria use luminescence reaction is for quorum sensing, an ability to regulate gene expression in response to bacterial cell density.

Roseivivax halotolerans is a species of bacteria. It is aerobic and bacteriochlorophyll-containing, first isolated from the epiphytes on the stromatolites of a saline lake located on the west coast of Australia. It is chemoheterotrophic, Gram-negative, motile, rod-shaped and with subpolar flagella. Its type strain is OCh 210T.

Hentriacontanonaene is a long-chain polyunsaturated hydrocarbon produced by numerous gamma-proteobacteria primarily from the marine environment. Hentriacontanonaene was originally isolated from bacterial isolates from Antarctic sea ice cores. All isolated bacteria that produced hentriacontanonaene also produced the polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Given its polyunsaturated nature it has been proposed that this molecule is produced as part of a response to maintain optimal membrane fluidity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corina Brussaard</span> Dutch leading scientist for Antarctic viral ecology

Corina P. D. Brussaard is a leading scientist for Antarctic viral ecology working for the Royal Institute of Sea Research (NIOZ) and is a Special Professor of Viral Ecology at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics of the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

Mary Ann Moran is a distinguished research professor of marine sciences at the University of Georgia in Athens. She studies the role of bacteria in Earth's marine nutrient cycles, and is a leader in the fields of marine sciences and biogeochemistry. Her work is focused on how microbes interact with dissolved organic matter and the impact of microbial diversity on the global carbon and sulfur cycles. By defining the roles of diverse bacteria in the carbon and sulfur cycles, she connects the biogeochemical and organismal approaches in marine science.

Lone Gram is Danish microbiologist known for her work in bacterial physiology, microbial communication, and biochemicals that originate from bacterial cultures. She is an elected member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters and has received the Order of the Dannebrog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plastic degradation by marine bacteria</span> Ability of bacteria to break down plastic polymers

Plastic degradation in marine bacteria describes when certain pelagic bacteria break down polymers and use them as a primary source of carbon for energy. Polymers such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are incredibly useful for their durability and relatively low cost of production, however it is their persistence and difficulty to be properly disposed of that is leading to pollution of the environment and disruption of natural processes. It is estimated that each year there are 9-14 million metric tons of plastic that are entering the ocean due to inefficient solutions for their disposal. The biochemical pathways that allow for certain microbes to break down these polymers into less harmful byproducts has been a topic of study to develop a suitable anti-pollutant.

References

  1. Buchan, Alison. "The Buchan Lab at UTK". Molecular Microbial Ecology. Alison Buchan. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  2. "Alison Buchan, Ph.D." ASM.org. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  3. Buchan, Alison; Neidle, Ellen L.; Moran, Mary Ann (2004). "Diverse Organization of Genes of the β-Ketoadipate Pathway in Members of the Marine Roseobacter Lineage". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 70 (3): 1658–1668. Bibcode:2004ApEnM..70.1658B. doi:10.1128/AEM.70.3.1658-1668.2004. ISSN   0099-2240. PMC   368412 . PMID   15006791.
  4. Buchan, Alison; Collier, Lauren S.; Neidle, Ellen L.; Moran, Mary Ann (2000). "Key Aromatic-Ring-Cleaving Enzyme, Protocatechuate 3,4-Dioxygenase, in the Ecologically Important Marine Roseobacter Lineage". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 66 (11): 4662–4672. Bibcode:2000ApEnM..66.4662B. doi:10.1128/AEM.66.11.4662-4672.2000. ISSN   0099-2240. PMC   92364 . PMID   11055908.
  5. Cude, W. Nathan; Mooney, Jason; Tavanaei, Arash A.; Hadden, Mary K.; Frank, Ashley M.; Gulvik, Christopher A.; May, Amanda L.; Buchan, Alison (2012-07-15). "Production of the Antimicrobial Secondary Metabolite Indigoidine Contributes to Competitive Surface Colonization by the Marine Roseobacter Phaeobacter sp. Strain Y4I". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 78 (14): 4771–4780. Bibcode:2012ApEnM..78.4771C. doi:10.1128/AEM.00297-12. ISSN   0099-2240. PMC   3416362 . PMID   22582055.
  6. Ankrah, Nana Yaw D.; May, Amanda L.; Middleton, Jesse L.; Jones, Daniel R.; Hadden, Mary K.; Gooding, Jessica R.; LeCleir, Gary R.; Wilhelm, Steven W.; Campagna, Shawn R.; Buchan, Alison (2014). "Phage infection of an environmentally relevant marine bacterium alters host metabolism and lysate composition". The ISME Journal. 8 (5): 1089–1100. Bibcode:2014ISMEJ...8.1089A. doi:10.1038/ismej.2013.216. ISSN   1751-7370. PMC   3996693 . PMID   24304672.
  7. Buchan, Alison; LeCleir, Gary R.; Gulvik, Christopher A.; González, José M. (2014). "Master recyclers: features and functions of bacteria associated with phytoplankton blooms". Nature Reviews Microbiology. 12 (10): 686–698. doi:10.1038/nrmicro3326. ISSN   1740-1534. PMID   25134618. S2CID   26684717.
  8. Cookson, Clive (2019-02-18). "Researchers plan to enlist ocean viruses in climate change fight". Financial Times. Retrieved 2023-01-28.
  9. "65 Fellows Elected into the American Academy of Microbiology". February 15, 2022.
  10. "SEC Announces Dr. Alison Buchan Wins 2022 Faculty Achievement Award for University of Tennessee". SECU. March 28, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-28.