Lecture

Sulfur and Nitrogen Cycles

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In course

ENV-202: Microbiology for engineers

"Microbiology for engineers" covers the main microbial processes that take place in the environment and in treatment systems. It presents elemental cycles that are catalyzed by microorganisms and that have a major impact on planet Earth. ...

Description

This lecture covers the environmental significance of the sulfur and nitrogen cycles, including the use of wetlands to treat AMD waters, bioleaching in abandoned mines, and the diversity of sulfur and sulfate reducing bacteria. It also explores the processes of nitrogen fixation, denitrification, nitrification, and anammox, highlighting the key enzymes and organisms involved. The lecture delves into the complex interplay of microbial processes that transfer nitrogen between different oxidation states, emphasizing the critical role of microbes in maintaining nitrogen levels in various environments.

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Instructors (4)

Christof Holliger

Expertise BioremediationWastewater treatmentAnaerobic digestionBiogas and biofuelEnvironmental microbiologyMicrobial Ecology Teaching & PhD Past EPFL PhD Students Doulaye Koné, Katia Szynalski, Karin Kaufmann, Christian Balsiger, Julien Maillard, Enrique Lara, Benoît Zen-Ruffinen, François-Nicolas de Glutz, Laure Prat, Noam Shani, Samuel Lochmatter, David Gregory Weissbrodt, Elsa Marina Lacroix, Aamani Rupakula Boyanapalli, Géraldine Florence Buttet, Aline Sondra Adler, Mathilde Stéphanie Willemin, Lorenzo

Julien Maillard

2011 - present: Research associate at the Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology (LBE, IIE-ENAC, EPFL) 2007 - 2010: Postdoctoral Fellow at the Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology (LBE, IIE-ENAC, EPFL) 2005 - 2006: Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of East Anglia (UEA, Norwich, UK) 2000 - 2004: PhD thesis at the Laboratory for Environmental Biotechnology (LBE) 1995 - 2000: B.sc & M.sc at the Swiss Federal Institute for Technology, Zurich (ETHZ)

Rizlan Bernier-Latmani

HIGHER EDUCATION Summer course: Advances in Genome Technology and Bioinformatics Course at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. October 2005. Ph.D. 2001 Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, CA (Advisor, Jim Leckie, Biodegradation of uranyl (UO22 )-complexed citrate and implications for uranyl mobility in the subsurface) M.S. 1995 Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, CA B.S. 1993 Natural Resources with Honors, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT 2013-present Associate professor with tenure, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne 2005-2013 Assistant professor tenure track, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne 2001-2005 Post-Graduate Researcher, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA (PI: Brad Tebo) 1995-2001 Graduate Research Assistant, Stanford University (Advisor: Jim Leckie) RESEARCH INTERESTS Gemicrobiology, metal-bacteria interactions, biological reduction and oxidation of metals, biological nanoparticle formation; Characterization of microbial communities in terrestrial environments; Using genomic, microscopic and spectroscopic tools to understand metal transformations by microorganisms. ACADEMIC HONORS Rotary Foundation University Professor grant, 2004. Swiss National Science Foundation Post-doctoral Fellowship, 2001. Leon B. Reynolds Memorial Scholarship in the School of Engineering at Stanford University, 1995-96. Graduated with Honors from Cornell University, 1993. BIBLIOMETRY http://www.researcherid.com/rid/E-4398-2011 ResearcherID: E-4398-2011

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Biology

Ecology: Ecosystems

Chemistry

Chemical reactions: Chemical substances

Related concepts (32)

Sulfuric acid

Sulfuric acid (American spelling and the preferred IUPAC name) or sulphuric acid (Commonwealth spelling), known in antiquity as oil of vitriol, is a mineral acid composed of the elements sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen, with the molecular formula . It is a colorless, odorless, and viscous liquid that is miscible with water. Pure sulfuric acid does not occur naturally due to its strong affinity to water vapor; it is hygroscopic and readily absorbs water vapor from the air.

Lime sulfur

In horticulture, lime sulphur (American spelling lime sulfur) is mainly a mixture of calcium polysulfides and thiosulfate (plus other reaction by-products as sulfite and sulfate) formed by reacting calcium hydroxide with elemental sulfur, used in pest control. It can be prepared by boiling in water a suspension of poorly soluble calcium hydroxide (lime) and solid sulfur together with a small amount of surfactant to facilitate the dispersion of these solids in water.

Nitrification

Nitrification is the biological oxidation of ammonia to nitrite followed by the oxidation of the nitrite to nitrate occurring through separate organisms or direct ammonia oxidation to nitrate in comammox bacteria. The transformation of ammonia to nitrite is usually the rate limiting step of nitrification. Nitrification is an important step in the nitrogen cycle in soil. Nitrification is an aerobic process performed by small groups of autotrophic bacteria and archaea.

Nitrogen

Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at seventh in total abundance in the Milky Way and the Solar System. At standard temperature and pressure, two atoms of the element bond to form N2, a colorless and odorless diatomic gas. N2 forms about 78% of Earth's atmosphere, making it the most abundant uncombined element in air.

Nitrifying bacteria

Nitrifying bacteria are chemolithotrophic organisms that include species of genera such as Nitrosomonas, Nitrosococcus, Nitrobacter, Nitrospina, Nitrospira and Nitrococcus. These bacteria get their energy from the oxidation of inorganic nitrogen compounds. Types include ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB).

Related lectures (64)

Nitrogen Cycle: Understanding Its Processes and Impacts

Covers the nitrogen cycle, its processes, and the impact of human activities on nitrogen levels in the environment.

Nitrification and Anammox

Covers nitrification and anammox processes, explaining the oxidation of ammonium under different conditions and their significance in water biogeochemistry.

Microbial sulfur oxidation

Explores microbial sulfur oxidation pathways, key intermediates, and environmental significance in acid mine drainage and bioleaching.

Nitrogen Cycle: Mechanisms and Microbial Processes

Discusses the nitrogen cycle, focusing on fixation, nitrification, and denitrification processes and their ecological significance.

Carbon Fixation: Pathways and Mechanisms