MAGICPAH Molecular Approaches and MetaGenomic Investigations for optimizing Clean-up of PAH contaminated sites
Country: European Union
Start Date:   1/4/2010         Duration: 48 months         Project Type: RTD
Contract Number: 245226
Organisation Type:  EC Project
Topics: 
Contaminated land-->Contaminants-->PAH
Contaminated land-->Remediation options-->In situ treatment technologies
Contaminated land-->Soil and groundwater processes-->Microbiology
Diffuse pollution-->Contaminants-->Persistent Organic Pollutants
Project objectives: 
The main objectives of MAGICPAH are:  
1. to generate a knowledge base of the microbial aerobic catabolome with particular relevance to biodegradation of PAHs in various impacted environmental 
settings  
  
  
2.to develop concepts to quantify in situ degradation of PAH employing combined hydrogen and carbon stable isotope analysis  
  
  
3.to identify key players and key reactions involved in anaerobic PAH metabolism  
  
  
4.to achieve a detailed understanding on key processes for PAH metabolism in marine and composting environments  
  
  
5.to develop methods to predict the ultimate fate and the kinetics of aerobic degradation of PAH under different conditions of bioavailability  
  
  
6.to isolate and sequence novel key players in PAH metabolism to understand the genomic basis of niche specificities that allow microbes to thrive and function 
in extreme PAH impacted environments  
  
  
7. to investigate the potential synergistic links between environmental biotechnology and medical biotechnology by assessing novel biocatalysts for 
their use in new biocatalytic processes  
  
  
8.to integrate detailed catabolome and reactome information through bioinformatic techniques to re-construct metabolic networks  
  
  
9.to apply gathered information to improve the treatment performance of PAH contaminated sites
Project Summary: 
 
  
  
MAGICPAH aims to explore, understand and exploit the catalytic activities of microbial communities involved in the degradation of persistent PAHs. It 
will integrate (meta-) genomic studies with in-situ activity assessment based on stable isotope probing particularly in complex matrices of different terrestrial 
and marine environments. PAH degradation under various conditions of bioavailability will be assessed as to improve rational exploitation of the catalytic 
properties of bacteria for the treatment and prevention of PAH pollution. We will generate a knowledge base not only on the microbial catabolome for biodegradation 
of PAHs in various impacted environmental settings based on genome gazing, retrieval and characterization of specific enzymes but also on systems related 
bioavailability of contaminant mixtures. MAGICPAH takes into account the tremendous undiscovered metagenomic resources by the direct retrieval from genome/metagenome 
libraries and characterization of enzymes through activity screens. These screens will include a high-end functional small-molecule fluorescence screening 
platform and will allow us to directly access novel metabolic reactions followed by their rational exploitation for biocatalysis and the re-construction 
of biodegradation networks. Results from (meta-) genomic approaches will be correlated with microbial in situ activity assessments, specifically dedicated 
to identifying key players and key reactions involved in anaerobic PAH metabolism. Key processes for PAH metabolism particularly in marine and composting 
environments and the kinetics of aerobic degradation of PAH under different conditions of bioavailability will be assessed in model systems, the rational 
manipulation of which will allow us to deduce correlations between system performance and genomic blueprint. The results will be used to improve treatments 
of PAH-contaminated sites.
Achieved Objectives:
Product Descriptions:
Additional Information:
Project Resources:
Weblink:
http://www.magicpah.org/
Funding Programme(s): 
EC FP7: Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development.
Link to Organisations:
Submitted by: EUGRIS Team Professor Paul Bardos  Who does what?  05/10/2012 17:04:00