Prof. Riqing Yu
University of Texas in Tyler, United States
Abstract: As the side effect of coal-burning electricity industry developments and other industrial applications, mercury (Hg) has become a contaminant globally affecting wildlife and human health through food webs. Methylmercury, as the neurotoxin and organic form of Hg, has been detected in almost all aquatic products or seafood in natural ecosystems. Microbial Hg methylation and MeHg degradation are two key processes determining the fate and contamination status of MeHg. Understanding the mechanisms will provide fundamentals in mitigating Hg contamination. This seminar will briefly introduce historic studies of microbial Hg methylation, then present several development studies focusing on the contribution of co-existing SRB and FeRB to Hg methylation, methanogen as a new group of Hg methylators and roles of syntrophy in methylation, and finally explore new frontiers of hgcAB genes in Hg methylation and challenges in MeHg degradation studies. Gene characterization and phylogenetic analyses of the functional genes relating with Hg methylation will be the focus of this talk.
Host：Dr. Haiyan Hu
Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Time：09:00pm May 25, 2022 (Beijing time)
Zoom ID: 816 9975 7155
Password: 551621
Bilibili: 25002335
Video: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1zr4y1s7Y6?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0
https://www.koushare.com/lives/room/169253
