Development of 3D-gradient cultivation method for as-yet-uncultivated microorganisms growing in a narrow range of environmental conditions

• Project/Area Number: 16K14663
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Conservation of biological resources
• Research Institution: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: KATO Shingo 国立研究開発法人海洋研究開発機構, 次世代海洋資源調査技術研究開発プロジェクトチーム, 特任研究員 (40554548)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: 分離培養 / 難培養微生物 / 難培養性微生物 / 単離培養 / 応用微生物 / 生態学 / 生理学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Isolation and cultivation of as-yet-uncultivated microorganisms are essential for basic and applied studies of microorganisms. However, most of microbial species is still as-yet-uncultivated. In the present study, I developed new cultivation methods to efficiently isolate not-yet-cultivated microorganisms. Using the methods, some novel species of iron oxidizers and ammonia oxidizers were successfully isolated or enriched in culture from natural environments. The new cultivation methods will contribute to discover and exploit novel useful microorganisms.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Long-Term Cultivation and Metagenomics Reveal Ecophysiology of Previously Uncultivated Thermophiles Involved in Biogeochemical Nitrogen Cycle (2018)
  • Author(s): Kato, S., Sakai, S., Hirai, M., Tasumi, E., Nishizawa, M., Suzuki, K. and Takai, K.
  • Journal Title: Microbes and Environments Volume: 33 Issue: 1 Pages: 107-110
  • DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.ME17165
  • NAID: 130006581753
  • ISSN: 1342-6311, 1347-4405
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Novel Pelagic Iron-Oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria from the Chesapeake Bay Oxic-Anoxic Transition Zone (2017)
  • Author(s): Chiu Beverly K.、Kato Shingo、McAllister Sean M.、Field Erin K.、Chan Clara S.
  • Journal Title: Frontiers in Microbiology Volume: 8 Pages: 1280-1280
  • DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01280
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research