Biology Commons^™

Are Incomplete Denitrification Pathways A Common Trait In Thermus Species From Geothermal Springs In China?, Julienne J. Paraiso, Brian P. Hedlund

McNair Poster Presentations

Temperature has strong impacts on ecosystem function and biogeochemical cycles, particularly within extreme environments such as geothermal springs above 60 °C. The primary focus of this study was to investigate the denitrification pathways of Thermus (Bacteria) isolates from geothermal springs from Tengchong, China. This study tested the hypothesis that incomplete denitrification is a common characteristic of the genus Thermus, regardless of geographic origin or species affiliation, which would implicate them in the efflux of nitrous oxide (a strong greenhouse gas) to the atmosphere. In this study, we cultivated 25 isolates, including six known Thermus species, and measured the stoichiometry …