Mining the arctic soil microbiome for novel antimicrobial compounds of high industrial value. Bacteria

The purpose of this project is to discover new antimicrobials from soil bacteria. First, we will maximize the biodiversity of bacteria entering our discovery pipeline by isolating soil microorganisms from unique and previously unmined ecological niches within the Canadian High Arctic using new technology to “domesticate” previously unculturable bacteria, namely the Cryo-iChip. Second, using an already-in-place innovative crowdsourcing approach, we will engage hundreds of undergraduate microbiology students to phenotypically screen the isolates for antimicrobial activity. Third, we will put in place a high quality analysis pipeline to validate and characterize the most promising leads at the genomic, phenotypic, and chemical level. The anticipated outputs of the program include new knowledge of extremophile biology, discovery of leads of high value to industrial partners, and the training of highly qualified personnel with transdisciplinary expertise.