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Methylotuvimicrobium-Synechococcus Gas Feedstock Coculture

A defined synthetic methanotroph-cyanobacterium coculture developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for simultaneous use of methane and carbon dioxide gas feedstocks. The methanotrophic bacterium Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20z, currently represented by NCBI as Methylotuvimicrobium alcaliphilum 20Z, is coupled to the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC 7002, currently represented by NCBI as Picosynechococcus sp. PCC 7002. The coculture converts CH4 and CO2 into microbial biomass through oxygenic photosynthesis-driven O2 supply to the methanotroph and respiratory CO2 supply to the photoautotroph, with follow-up work using the same species pair for quantitative coculture characterization.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20z NCBITaxon:1091494
PRIMARY_DEGRADER
ABUNDANT
  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "The methanotrophic bacterium, Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20z"
  • PMID:33064298 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20ZR-Synechococcus sp. PCC7002"
Synechococcus PCC 7002 NCBITaxon:32049
PRIMARY_PRODUCER
ABUNDANT
  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "cyanobacterium, Synechococcus PCC 7002"
  • PMID:33064298 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Synechococcus sp. PCC7002"

Ecological Interactions

Ecological interaction network for Methylotuvimicrobium-Synechococcus Gas Feedstock Coculture Bipartite graph where circle nodes represent taxa and colored rectangles represent ecological interactions (cross-feeding, mutualism, syntrophy, competition, commensalism).
Taxon
Cross-feeding
Mutualism
Syntrophy
Competition
Commensalism
Niche partitioning
Colonization facilitation
Strain competition
Predation

Photosynthetic O2 Support for Methane Oxidation

MUTUALISM

Source Taxon: Synechococcus PCC 7002

Target Taxon: Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20z

Metabolites: oxygen (CHEBI:15379), methane (CHEBI:16183)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "via oxygenic photosynthesis"
  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "does not require CH4/O2 mixtures to be fed"

CO2 Utilization by Cyanobacterial Partner

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20z

Target Taxon: Synechococcus PCC 7002

Metabolites: carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "simultaneous utilization of methane and carbon dioxide"
  • PMID:33064298 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "individual consumption and production rates of O2 and CO2"

External Resources

Name Repository Resource ID
Exact-system primary publication - gas feedstock coculture
Primary publication reporting the M. alcaliphilum 20z and Synechococcus PCC 7002 coculture for simultaneous methane and carbon dioxide utilization.
OTHER PMID:28092828
  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20z"
Exact species-pair follow-up publication - quantitative characterization
Follow-up publication using the same Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum and Synechococcus PCC 7002 species composition, with a 20ZR methanotroph derivative, for quantitative measurement of individual biomass and O2/CO2 rates.
OTHER PMID:33064298
  • PMID:33064298 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum 20ZR-Synechococcus sp. PCC7002"

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Gas feedstock composition diverse gas mixtures ranging from biogas to natural-gas feedstock analogs N/A
  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "diverse gas mixtures ranging from biogas"
  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "synthetic natural gas feed"
Light and O2 limitation coupled light and O2 limitations N/A
  • PMID:28092828 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "coupled light and O2 limitations"

Growth Media