reSEArch-EU - European University of the Seas

SEA EU Talent Comnunication – Blue Growth

Title

Piezophile adaptation to amino-acid deficiency at high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) conditions

Abstract

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are unique areas of the sea where most of the regions are under HHP and the organisms growing there are generally piezophilic i.e. pressure loving. They play a very important role in the cycling of nutrients and may also produce thermostable and piezostable enzymes having potential industrial use. However, many of their adaptation features remain a mystery. The piezophile Thermococcus barophilus has shown downregulation of aminoacid synthesis and increased aminoacid requirement at HHP. However, the mechanisms by which they make up for this amino-acid deficiency is unknown. In project PIEZOPRO, we are testing whether unique proteases are secreted at HHP which degrade polypeptides for generation of peptides and oligopeptides which may be then taken up by the cell. I am working at the interface of microbiology, genetics, ‘omics’, and bioinformatics for investigating this phenomenon. It should help us understand an important aspect of piezophile survival.

Trinetra Mukherjee – Short CV

She is a microbiologist and a BIENVENÜE MSCA-COFUND post-doctoral researcher at BEEP lab, Universite de Bretagne Occidentale, France. Currently, she works on the investigation of adaptations by deep-sea piezophile under high pressure conditions, and the biotechnological potential of molecules responsible for such adaptations.

She obtained her Ph.D. as a DST-INSPIRE fellow (Govt. of India) in microbiology, from the University of Burdwan, India.  where she worked on the bioprospecting of thermophilic microbes from hot springs. She was awarded with a 14-month PhD internship by DAAD to conduct part of her PhD work in Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.

She also received a FEMS Early Career Research Grant for presenting her work in MD 2019, Italy. She has taught as a lecturer at MUC Women’s College and Kazi Nazrul University, India and also worked as a post-doctoral research associate in CSIR-IICT, India. Her research interests include the physiological characterization of extremophilic microorganisms like piezophiles and thermophiles and towards the development of products derived from them which may have environmental, industrial and biotechnological potential.

trinetra.mukherjee@univ-brest.fr