Advances and Innovations in Culture Methods for Anaerobic Bacteria

TOPICAL COLLECTIONS

Guest Editors

Kevin Lee

Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Dr. Kevin Lee is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Food Science and Microbiology at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He also serves as the programme leader in Microbiology, with a primary research focus on microbial communities and genetics, utilising molecular and bioinformatic techniques. Dr. Lee's research portfolio encompasses diverse microbial ecology studies, with a specific emphasis on the distribution and diversity of microorganisms across multiple ecosystems such as geothermal sites, deserts, polar regions, the atmosphere, and marine animals, including the elusive colossal squid. His work has contributed towards the search for extraterrestrial life, through the investigation of analogous environments on Earth, including the hyper-arid Atacama Desert. Prior to joining AUT, Dr. Lee completed his PhD from the University of Waikato, in which he characterised the genomic, physiological, and ecological properties of the first isolate within the then newly discovered bacterial phylum Armatimonadetes, at the Extremophile Research Laboratory at GNS Science, Wairakei.

Kristina Wornell

Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

Kristina Wornell is a microbiologist with a primary research focus on the development of a route to industrial production of high value products by bacteria. Kristina has received her training at Auckland University of Technology, where she received a PhD in anaerobic bacteria of the fish gut, and the University of East Anglia, where she completed a BBNet funded project on bio-production of acrylic acid utilising anaerobic bacteria. Her expertise is in the development of novel methodology for culture of anaerobic bacteria and production of high value products. Kristina’s research portfolio includes a diverse set of microbiology research projects, from large scale seaweed fermentation, to microbial production of acrylic acid, and determination of DMSP production and degradation pathways in sediment residing microorganisms. Her work has a focus on anaerobic bacteria, with associated publication in the development of novel methodology, specifically designed for in vitro work with anaerobes. Her various roles have included research work on microbiota profiling, culture method development, genotyping and phenotypic identification of production and degradation pathways, with the end goal being industrial production of high value bacterial products.

Collection Overview

The diversity of cultured bacteria is limited by the great plate count anomaly, which has led to a lack of novel natural products. Uncultivated microorganisms are a large unexplored reservoir of biological compounds with great potential for structural diversity and use in novel drug development. Culturing bacteria enables the discovery and production of novel natural products. The culture of anaerobic bacteria represents a unique set of challenges. Recent work has included tailoring cultivation techniques utilizing antibiotics, nutrient dilutions, and cocultivation with other organisms.

We invite researchers and practitioners to submit their novel methodologies and protocols for culturing anaerobic bacteria in this Methods Collection. The collection focuses on research that employs culture-dependent methods to produce valuable natural products from anaerobic bacteria. Other topics of interest include tools to improve small or large-scale anaerobic fermentation, methodology for using anaerobic bacteria in industrial, food, or agriculture settings, protocols for the anaerobic investigation of specific bacterial genes or processes, and methodology for the culture of previously unculturable anaerobic bacteria.