Mussie Y. Habteselassie Crop and Soil Sciences UGA Griffin Campus 3 rd YEAR REVIEW SPRING FACULTY MEETING, MACON, GA SOIL MICROBIOLOGY PROGRAM @ GRIFFIN.

Mussie Y. Habteselassie Crop and Soil Sciences

UGA Griffin Campus

3rd YEAR REVIEWSPRING FACULTY MEETING, MACON, GA

SOIL MICROBIOLOGY PROGRAM @ GRIFFIN CAMPUS

Came to UGA in 2008

30% teaching / 70% research appointment

Outline:

Research program

Sample projects

Teaching Responsibility

INTRODUCTION

RESEARCH PROGRAM

Environmental Soil Microbiology Program

1. The ecology of human and animal pathogens in soils

2. Environmental services of soil microbial community

3. Microbial water quality

1. Ecology Of Human and Animal Pathogens In Soils

Ecology of pathogens in soils

Use of model microorganisms

- Lux marked E. coli O157:H7/Salmonella spp

- GFP marked E. coli O157:H7/Salmonella spp

- Antibiotic resistant E. coli/Salmonella spp

Survival

Transmission to produce

E. coli Persistence in the Rhizosphere of Fresh Produce

Habteselassie, et al. 2010. Understanding the role of agricultural practices in potential colonization and contamination by E. coli in rhizospheres of fresh produce. JFP 73:2001-2009.

Growth (d)

3 5 14

Control plants were not visible due to absence of E. coli O157:H7 lux.

TC

TC

TC

Tracking E. coli O157:H7 Activity and Transmission on Fresh Produce

RootE. coli O157:H7 gfp

Pathogen Persistence and Transmission during lettuce harvest

Co-PI on a grant from UC, Davis in collaboration with Dr. Cannon at the UGA Center for Food Safety: $338,414

Two year project (Jan 2011-Dec 2012)

Soil organic matter accumulation on glove during harvest and its effect on pathogen persistence and transmission

Source tracking organic matter from soil vs lettuce

2. Environmental Services of Soil Microorganisms

Soil microbes & their environmental

services

Approach

- Molecular microbiology – targeting functional genes

- Stable isotope techniques – process characterization

N & C cycling

Pollutant remediation

A simplified Internal N cycle in soils

Microbial

Biomass

Plants

Organic N

NH4+ NO3

-

Leaching

Mineralization

Nitrification

Denitrification

N Cycling Under Contrasting Agricultural Management Systems

Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria vs Ammonia Oxidizing Archaea

Treatment

Cop

y #

( am

oA/g

soi

l)

2e+7

4e+7

6e+7

8e+7

AOB AOA

Control AS100 AS200 DC100 DC200 LW100 LW200

a

ba

a

b

ba ba

a

Changes in Soil N Cycling Organisms Following Repeated Poultry Litter application

Ammonia Oxidizing Bacteria Ammonia Oxidizing

Archaea

Treatment Plots – Litter @ different rates

Control Plots

Control Plots

Treatment Plots – Litter @ different rates

Functional and molecular diversity in nitrogen cycle enzymes under contrasting

agricultural management systems.

USDA-AFRI Microbial Communities Program. Habteselassie, M.Y. (Co-PI):$499,894

5-year project; starts in July 2011

Organic vs conventional farming systems

New Project On N Cycling

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Metabolizing organisms in Indoor Plants

Seed Money from the National Foliage Foundation (NFF)

VOCs from different sources such as carpets, computers

Some indoor plants efficient in removing VOCs

Microorganisms in the rhizosphere important players in VOCs removal

Survey in two homes in Athens, GA - >100 VOCs

Isolation and Characterization

PrimingExtraction, streaking & Isolation

Identification & Characterization

PCR

Cloning

Sequencing

TEACHING

# Courses Yr Taught

Student #

1 *CRSS 4610/6610: Soil Microbiology

2009, 2010

32

2 *CRSS 3060: Soils and Hydrology

2009, 2010

11

3 CRSS 4580: Soil Erosion and Conservation

2010 4

4 AESC 3920: Ag. and Environmental Sc. Internship

2010

2011

2

5 AESC 4960: Undergraduate Research

2009, 2010

2

Required Courses

Course Name

CRSS 4610/6610 Soil Microbiology

CRSS 3060 Soils and Hydrology

AESC 4960 Undergraduate Research

AESC 3510 Digital Imaging & Computer App in Ag.

AESC 4190/6190 Agricultural Ethics

CRSS 4440/6440 Environmental Physiology

CRSS 3050 Water Quality

…TEACHING

Natural Resources Science Major @ the Griffin Campus