Enhancing the understanding of microbial transformation of polyfluoroalkyl chemicals and microbial defluorination

增强对多氟烷基化学品的微生物转化和微生物脱氟的理解

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-05667
• 负责人: Liu, Jinxia
• 金额: $ 2.62万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=713773
• 关键词: Enhancing; understanding; microbial; transformation; polyfluoroalkyl

Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are widely found in soil and sediment, surface and ground water, as well as our drinking water systems. PFASs, especially the ones originated from aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs), are a significant and constant threat to groundwater quality. Since only a few PFASs among several thousand used in commerce are regulated in Canada, environmental and public health protection agencies are urgently gathering the data required to address the safety and regulatory questions related to many PFASs. Impacted communities worldwide are searching for effective solutions to remediate polluted soil and water systems. Despite multiple C-F bonds in their structure, most of the polyfluoroalkyl chemicals can undergo biotransformation and even defluorinate. Transformation products are found to be complex; some are persistent while others are highly toxic. The failure to identify and monitor many transformation products could lead to a great uncertainty on the environmental impact of PFASs. Therefore, to develop effective strategies for management and remediation of thousands of PFAS contaminated sites, improved understanding of transformation pathways present in microbial systems is warranted. The identity, diversity, and richness of microorganisms, as well as functional genes that are responsible for such transformations, must be explored. The overall goal of the research is to elucidate novel processes and mechanisms by which microorganisms break down C-F in polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, and to discover the diversity and identity of such microorganisms. One major focus of the work in my groups is to establish new biotransformation rules through experimental work using model PFASs and to develop prediction capability that can be applied to elucidating the environmental fate of several hundred PFASs detected in the environment. In the meantime, we will use mixed and pure bacterial culture to investigate the mechanisms and limitations of “one-carbon removal pathways”, which microorganisms employ to defluorinate PFASs. We will also be working towards identifying the microbes involved in degrading polyfluoroalkyl chemicals in the environment through a culture-independent technique of stable-isotope probing. The interdisciplinary research linking environmental chemistry with microbiology is necessary for generating the insight into the interactions of PFASs with microorganisms or enzymes. The proposed research program will prioritize the training of HQP using an integrated multidisciplinary approach and a collaborative training environment. At least 1 postdoctoral fellow, 2 Ph.D., 2 Master's and 5 undergraduates will be receiving training through this program and obtain the skills and visions that are needed for the Canadian workforce in emerging areas of engineering and applied science.

全氟烷基和多氟烷基物质 (PFAS) 广泛存在于土壤和沉积物、地表水和地下水以及我们的饮用水系统中，特别是源自水成膜泡沫 (AFFF) 的 PFAS，是一个重大且持续的威胁。由于加拿大商业用途的数千种 PFAS 中只有少数受到监管，环境和公共卫生保护机构正在紧急收集解决与地下水质量相关的安全和监管问题所需的数据。全世界受影响的社区正在寻找有效的解决方案来修复受污染的土壤和水系统。而另一些则具有剧毒。如果未能识别和监测许多 PFAS 的转化产物，可能会导致 PFAS 的环境影响存在很大的不确定性，因此，需要制定有效的策略来管理和修复数千种 PFAS。为了更好地了解微生物系统中存在的转化途径，必须探索微生物的同一性、多样性和丰富性，以及负责此类转化的功能基因。 该研究的总体目标是阐明微生物分解多氟烷基化学品中的 C-F 的新过程和机制，并发现此类微生物的多样性和特性。我的小组工作的一个主要重点是通过建立新的生物转化规则。使用模型 PFAS 进行实验工作，并开发可用于阐明环境中检测到的数百种 PFAS 的环境命运的预测能力。同时，我们将使用混合和纯细菌培养物。研究微生物用于脱氟 PFAS 的“单碳途径去除”的机制和局限性。我们还将致力于通过不依赖于培养的稳定同位素探测技术来识别参与降解环境中多氟烷基化学品的微生物。将环境化学与微生物学联系起来的跨学科研究对于深入了解 PFAS 与微生物或酶的相互作用是必要的。拟议的研究计划将优先考虑 HQP 的培训。采用综合多学科方法和协作培训环境，至少 1 名博士后、2 名博士、2 名硕士和 5 名本科生将通过该计划接受培训，并获得加拿大新兴劳动力市场所需的技能和愿景。工程和应用科学领域。