Title: Darwin’s Invertebrates: A Transient Anoxic Microbial Oasis

Presenter: Prof. Harold L. Drake

University: Department of Ecological Microbiology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany

Time: 14:30-15:30, March 4, 2019

Venue: Room A203, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract: Although their subsurface lifestyle make earthworms an unseen feature of the terrestrial biosphere, Charles Darwin was fascinated by the capacity of these invertebrates to alter terrestrial habitats and documented their unique bioengineering skills in his final publication.  However, Darwin was not aware that the impact of the earthworm is due in part to interactions that occur between the earthworm and the ingested soil microbiome in the anoxic gut.  The talk will examine earthworm-microbe interactions that augment the production of greenhouse gases, the cycling of elements in the terrestrial biosphere, and diverse gut fermentations that facilitate the heterotrophic lifestyle and environmental impact of the earthworm.

Introduction of Presenter:

Prof. Harold L. Drake is Chair of the Department of Ecological Microbiology at the University of Bayreuth (Germany) and is Editor-in-Chief of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.  He received his Ph.D. from The University of Kansas (U.S.A.) in 1978.  His work focuses on (a) the physiology and ecology of anaerobes, (b) invertebrate microbiology, and (c) the intermediary ecosystem metabolism of environments (e.g., peatlands) that emit the greenhouse gases methane and nitrous oxide.  He has published approximately 165 papers and review articles.

Selected publications (Maximum 3 items)

1.      Hunger, S., G？？ner, A. S., Drake, H. L. 2011. Trophic links between the acetogen Clostridium glycolicum KHa and the fermentative anaerobe Bacteroides xylanolyticus KHb, isolated from Hawaiian forest soil. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 77: 6281-6285

2.      Schulz, K., Hunger, S., Brown, G.G., Tsai, S.M., Cerri, C.C., Conrad, R., Drake, H.L. 2015. Methanogenic food web in gut contents of the methane-emitting earthworm Eudrilus eugeniae from Brazil. ISME J. 9: 1778-1792.

3.      Hunger, S., G？？ner, A.S., Drake, H.L. 2015. Anaerobic trophic interactions of contrasting methane-emitting mire soils: processes versus taxa. FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 91 (doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiv045).