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The Gardner Lab applies computational and experimental tools to map and engineering the metabolic pathways of Shewanella oneidensis to achieve enhanced current production. The organism also serves as a model system for the development and application of systems biology tools for metabolic engineering. Our two primary projects include:

1. Engineering transcription & metabolic networks in Shewanella: The objectives of this research are to build an integrated understanding of the metabolic and gene regulatory systems of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and their impact on electron flux. We have designed the first high-density Affymetrix oligonucleotide array for S. oneidensis MR-1, and are compiling a database of several hundred RNA expression profiles (http://m3d.bu.edu). We are combining these data with metabolic profiling data to map the transcriptional and metabolic pathways in Shewanella and to rationally optimize nutrient conditions and genetic modifications for enhanced electrical power output.
2. Microfluidic MFC's: The Gardner Lab is developing microfluidic, transparent, electrode arrays for single cell and community analysis of metal reduction and current generation in electrogenic microbes in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN. Techniques are being developed for controlled attachment of bacteria on patterned electrode surfaces inside microfluidic flow chambers enabling simultaneous, live cell multi-strain assays. The development of this technology will (1) enable high-throughput analysis of metal reducing bacterial physiology under precisely controlled growth and surface conditions, (2) enable quantitative modeling of microbial electron transport in metal reducing bacteria, and (3) accelerate optimization of bioremediative strategies and strain engineering for microbial fuel cells.

The home page: http://gardnerlab.bu.edu