Meetings and Publications
Call for Papers in a Special issue of Archaea;
Metabolism of Metals in Archaea
This special issue will encompass all aspects of Archaea-metal interactions. Metals are essential to life, and the study of their metabolism is an exciting area of research. Investigations carried out in Archaea are of particular interest. In fact, this domain shares with bacteria and eukaryotes many of the cellular processes where metals are involved (i.e., as catalysts in biological reactions, cofactors of enzymes, terminal electron acceptors in dissimilatory reactions, etc.), as well as the strategies evolved to ensure proper utilization of essential metals and to avoid metal toxicity. Yet, some peculiar mechanisms of metal interaction have been described so far only in Archaea. This might reflect an adaptation to extreme environmental conditions or perhaps represent an evolutionary relic. Furthermore, Archaea occupy a variety of aquatic and soil habitats, which extend to extreme environmental niches. This ubiquity and the metabolic diversity of Archaea make them important players in the biogeochemical cycling of metals and metalloids, and relevant in various types of practical applications, from remediation of metal contaminated sites to bioleaching of metal ores.
More information: http://www.hindawi.com/journals/arch/si/364208/cfp/
Manuscript Due: Friday, 2 November 2012
Special Session at the 2013 ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting
The next ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting http://www.aslo.org/neworleans2013/theme.html will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, during February 17-22, 2013. Abstract submission is open http://www.aslo.org/neworleans2013/submittal.html and one session you might be interested in is listed below. The abstract submission deadline is midnight (23:59 US CDT) on Friday, 5 October 2012.
SS49: Microbial Mediated Retention/Transformation of Organic and Inorganic Materials in Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems
Conveners: Jennifer J Mosher, Stroud Water Research Center, jmosher@stroudcenter.org; Richard Devereux, US Environmental Protection Agency, Devereux.Richard@epamail.epa.gov; Anthony V Palumbo, Oak Ridge National Lab, palumboav@ornl.gov
Aquatic ecosystems are globally connected by hydrological and biogeochemical cycles. Microorganisms inhabiting aquatic ecosystems form the basis of food webs, mediate essential element cycles, decompose natural organic matter, transform inorganic nutrients and metals, and degrade anthropogenic pollutants. The geochemical milieu determines the availability of resources that can be physiologically exploited by microorganisms. It is these interactions between the microorganisms and their resources that most likely contribute to metabolic diversity and determine whether one aquatic ecosystem is a source or sink for organic or inorganic materials with another. Understanding linkages among aquatic microorganisms, geochemical cycling, and hydrological transport is a vital step for managing anthropogenic inputs to aquatic environments and developing sustainable solutions for ecosystem protection. The goal of this session is to explore these linkages through presentations that include ecophysiological capacities of microbial communities in the transformation of matter through hydrologically connected ecosystems from streams and rivers to lakes or coastal zones and oceans. Research and policy focused contributions addressing these interactions in aquatic ecosystems are welcome.