ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AND GEOMICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY

     ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY AND GEOMICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY

Associate Prof. Diliana Simeonova 
e-mail: dsimeonova@microbio.bas.bg
Phone:  +359 2 979 3115

Основни теми - The Geomicrobiology focuses on bacteria able to transform inorganic matter in living matter or vice versa. These bacteria actively take part and perform in biogeochemical cycles of elements in the nature – i.e. Arsenic (As), Phosphorus (P), Nitrogen (N), Sulphur (S), Iron (Fe) and practically any other chemical element or its inorganic forms or ions. They are transformed mainly by oxidation-reduction reactions, however other reactions catalyzed by bacteria can also take place. During these processes, most bacterial cells gain energy, which can be stored under ATP and further used for primary biomass production- i.e. growth and proliferation; other are using the processes as detoxification mechanisms, third are covering their assimilative needs.
      In Geomicrobiology, as a part of microbiological science, are used multiple different methods and techniques of analyses: classical microbiological methods, molecular microbiological techniques, proteomics, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, etc.

PRESENT

• EU Program FLAG-ERA; Graphene (Basic research) : DeGraph „ Biodegradation of graphene-based nanomaterials by bacteria isolated from graphitic deposits”, call 2021.

The international scientific consortium encompasses members from France, Bulgaria and Germany and associated project members –Italy and Spain.

Coordinator of the project Prof. D. Lievremont, Strasbourg, France.

The Bulgarian partner is funded by the The Bulgarian National Science Fund (BNSF). 

https://www.flagera.eu/funded-projects/

PREVIOUS PROJECTS

• “Bacterial Anaerobic Phosphite Oxidation”. DFG GZ: SI 1300/11. http://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/person/16420189?displayMode=print&fontSize=2&language=en

•  “Anaerobic phosphite oxidation – genetic and enzymatic studies”. DFG  GZ: SI 1300/41. http://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/person/16420189?displayMode=print&fontSize=2&language=en

• „Microbial communities thriving in arsenic contaminated ecosystems: structural and functional diversity (MICACE)”, FRANCE GENOMIQUE, „Large-scale genomic projects“,  2017. PI: Prof. Philippe Bertin, Strasbourg, France

• Poehlein A, Najdenski H, Simeonova DD., (2017). Draft genome sequence of Flavobacterium succinicans strain DD5b. Genome Announcements,  5(2). doi: 10.1128/genomeA.01492-16
• Poehlein A, Daniel R, Simeonova DD., (2015). Genome sequence of Pedobacter glucosidilyticus DD6b, isolated from zooplankton Daphnia magna. Stand Genomic Sci 2015, 10(1):1-9. doi: 10.1186/s40793-015-0086-xPoehlein A, Daniel R, Schink B, Simeonova DD., (2013). Life based on phosphite: a genome-guided analysis of Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans. BMC Genomics 2013;14(1):753. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/14/753
• Simeonova D.D., Wilson M.M., Metcalf W.W., Schink B., (2010). Identification and heterologous expression of genes involved in anaerobic dissimilatory phosphite oxidation by Desulfotignum phosphitoxidans. J Bacteriol 192(19):5237-5244.  doi: 10.1128/jb.00541-10
• Simeonova D.D., Susnea I., Moise A., Schink B., Przybylski M. (2009) “Unknown-genome”-proteomics: A new NAD(P)-dependent epimerase/dehydratase revealed by N-terminal sequencing, inverted PCR and high resolution mass spectrometry. Mol Cell Proteomics 8 (1): 122-131. doi: 10.1074/mcp.M800242-MCP200
• Muller D., Medigue C., Koechler S., Barbe V., Barakat M., et al. (2007) A tale of two oxidation states: Bacterial colonization of arsenic – rich environments. PLoS Genet 3(4):e53. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.0030053.
• Simeonova D.D., Micheva K, Muller D.A.E., Lagarde F., Lett M.-C., Groudeva V.I. and Lièvremont D.(2005) Arsenite oxidation during batch cultures with alginate-immobilized Cenibacterium arsenoxidans. Biotech Bioeng.91 (4) 440-446. doi: 10.1002/bit.20530
• Simeonova D.D., Lievremont D., Lagarde F., Muller D.A.E.,Groudeva V.I. and Lett M.-C.(2004) Microplate Screening Assay for the Detection of Arsenite-Oxidizing and Arsenate-Reducing Bacteria. FEMS Lett. 237 (2) 249-253. doi: 10.1016/j.femsle.2004.06.040