Channel: iBiology

Category: Science & Technology

Tags: methane productionmethanosarcina acetivoransmethyl-coenzyme m reductasemethanemethanosarcinapost-translational modificationsmethanogensarchaea

Description: ibiology.org/microbiology/archaea In her second video, Nayak describes research she has done on methanogenic archaea - microorganisms that produce the potent greenhouse gas methane. One species of methanogens, Methanosarcina acetivorans, has unique chemical modifications on the enzyme it uses to produce methane. Dr. Nayak describes how she used CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to determine that these modifications are used to protect M. acetivorans from environmental stress to ensure that the organism can support its metabolic needs in a changing environment. 0:00 Introduction 2:50 Investigating Methanosarcina enzyme function 9:12: The future of archaea research Speaker Biography: Dipti Nayak received her PhD in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University in 2014. She performed postdoctoral research at the University of Illinois, where she studied the physiology and evolution of methanogenic archaea. The Nayak lab at UC Berkeley employs genetic, genomic, and biochemical tools to study the physiology, metabolism, evolution, and cell biology of methanogenic archaea. mcb.berkeley.edu/faculty/ggd/nayakd Credits: Elliot Kirschner (SCL): Executive Producer Sarah Goodwin (SCL): Executive Producer Shannon Behrman (iBiology): Executive Producer Brittany Anderton (iBiology): Producer Eric Kornblum (iBiology): Editor, Videographer Derek Reich (ZooPrax Productions): Videographer Adam Bolt (The Edit Center): Editor Rebecca Ellsworth (iBiology): Editor