This is a proposal to investigate an innovative and novel biodegradation system that may be applicable to difficult-to-degrade chemicals or complex mixtures of chemicals. The system is based upon extracellular enzymes that catalyze free radical reactions that evolved to degrade lignin, natures most recalcitrant chemical. Lignin is an insoluble, non-stereoselective, complex heteropolymer. We propose that a system that evolved to degrade lignin should be useful for the biodegradation of a wide variety of very recalcitrant, man-made chemicals. The ultimate objective is to reduce the amount and toxicity of environmental pollutants. The system should be adapted to both aqueous and solid matrices and it may be that availability of the chemical may not be as critical as with other systems. Also, the fungus should have a major competitive advantage if the systems are based upon lignocellulose nutrients. We propose to use a white rot fungus to biologically reduce the risk associated with environmental pollutants in hazardous waste sites or hazardous waste streams. It is a highly integrated yet interdisciplinary program where various areas of expertise are brought to bear on critical subjects of interest to all of the individual investigators. The program will be coordinated with other projects to test the system for the bioremediation of TNT and PCP contaminated soil and HMX contaminated water. The program will be part of and support the Toxicology Degree Program of the Center for Environmental Toxicology. It is expected that several students will pursue a joint Toxicology/Molecular Biology degree. The program will involve faculty in Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology and Environmental Engineering at Utah State University, and Molecular and Cell Biology at Pennsylvania State University and Chemistry and Biochemistry at Notre Dame. The research will include molecular biology, recombinant DNA technology, enzyme engineering, enzymology, biodegradation studies, factors involved in fungal competition and bioreactor design and engineering.
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