Bruna Matturro
Researcher at the Water Research Institute of the National Council of Research in Italy (IRSA-CNR) withscientific interest in the environmental microbiology and molecular biology and expertise in thebioremediation of contaminated environments, including water, soils and sediments. In the last tenyears of research activities, my contribution aimed at the development of innovative biotechnologiesfor the remediation of polluted environments, focusing on the identification, characterization andquantification of biomarkers (i.e. microbial cells, functional genes) involved in the biodegradationpathways of toxic compounds with particular attention to chlorinated compounds and petroleumderived compounds. Expertise developed in the bioremediation of contaminated sites has been conductedfrom laboratory scale to field applications. In addition to the research activities, I'm involved in a SpinOff company operating in the field of environmental biotechnologies for bioremediation solutions.
Address: Water Research Institute - CNR
Area della Ricerca Roma 1
Montelibretti – Via Salaria km. 29,300
C.P. 10, 00015
Monterotondo (RM) - Italy
mail: matturro@irsa.cnr.it
Skype: Bruna Matturro
Address: Water Research Institute - CNR
Area della Ricerca Roma 1
Montelibretti – Via Salaria km. 29,300
C.P. 10, 00015
Monterotondo (RM) - Italy
mail: matturro@irsa.cnr.it
Skype: Bruna Matturro
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Chlorinated compounds pose environmental concerns due to their toxicity and wide distribution in several matrices. Microorganisms specialized in leading anaerobic reductive dechlorination (RD) processes, including Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc), are able to reduce chlorinated compounds to harmless products or to less toxic forms. Here we report the first detailed study dealing with the RD potential of heavy polluted marine sediment by evaluating the biodegradation kinetics together with the composition, dynamics and activity of indigenous microbial population.
A microcosm study was conducted under strictly anaerobic conditions on marine sediment collected near the marine coast of Sarno river mouth, one of the most polluted river in Europe. Tetrachloroethene (PCE), used as model pollutant, was completely converted to ethene within 150 days at reductive dechlorination rate equal to 0.016 meq L-1 d-1. Consecutive spikes of PCE allowed increasing the degradation kinetics up to 0.1 meq L-1d-1 within 20 days. Strictly anaerobiosis and repeated spikes of PCE stimulated the growth of indigenous Dhc cells (growth yield of ~7.0E+07 Dhc cells per μM Cl-1 released). Dhc strains carrying the reductive dehalogenase genes tceA and vcrA were detected in the original marine sediment and their number increased during the treatment as demonstrated by the high level of tceA expression at the end of the microcosm study (2.41E+05 tceA gene transcripts g-1). Notably, the structure of the microbial communities was fully described by Catalysed Reporter Deposition Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (CARD-FISH) as wells as the dynamics of the dechlorinating bacteria during the microcosms operation. Interestingly, a direct role of Dhc cells was ascertained suggesting the existence of strains adapted at salinity conditions. Additionally, non-Dhc Chloroflexi were retrieved in the original sediment and were kept stable over time suggesting their likely flanking role of the RD process.
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Kinetic batch experiments, carried out after a pseudo-steady state performance had been established, revealed that the observed dechlorination rates followed the order RM3 (PCE-enriched)>B2 (TCE-enriched)>B3 (cis-DCE-enriched).
Dechlorinating bacteria were quantified by combining in situ hybridization techniques and PCR-based approaches. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH and CARD-FISH) allowed the cell numbers estimation of active and not active i) dechlorinating bacteria involved in the partial degradation of PCE or TCE to cis-DCE (Desulfitobacterium spp., Dehalobacter spp., spp., Geobacter spp., Sulfurospirillum spp.) as well as ii) “Dehalococcoides” spp. known to be able to completely dechlorinate such compounds to harmless ethene. Gene expression profile of reductive dehalogenase genes (tceA, bvcA, vcrA) were also estimated and correlated to kinetic performances and dechlorinating bacteria abundances. The potential for field application of the outputs of this study will be discussed.""""
Chlorinated compounds pose environmental concerns due to their toxicity and wide distribution in several matrices. Microorganisms specialized in leading anaerobic reductive dechlorination (RD) processes, including Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc), are able to reduce chlorinated compounds to harmless products or to less toxic forms. Here we report the first detailed study dealing with the RD potential of heavy polluted marine sediment by evaluating the biodegradation kinetics together with the composition, dynamics and activity of indigenous microbial population.
A microcosm study was conducted under strictly anaerobic conditions on marine sediment collected near the marine coast of Sarno river mouth, one of the most polluted river in Europe. Tetrachloroethene (PCE), used as model pollutant, was completely converted to ethene within 150 days at reductive dechlorination rate equal to 0.016 meq L-1 d-1. Consecutive spikes of PCE allowed increasing the degradation kinetics up to 0.1 meq L-1d-1 within 20 days. Strictly anaerobiosis and repeated spikes of PCE stimulated the growth of indigenous Dhc cells (growth yield of ~7.0E+07 Dhc cells per μM Cl-1 released). Dhc strains carrying the reductive dehalogenase genes tceA and vcrA were detected in the original marine sediment and their number increased during the treatment as demonstrated by the high level of tceA expression at the end of the microcosm study (2.41E+05 tceA gene transcripts g-1). Notably, the structure of the microbial communities was fully described by Catalysed Reporter Deposition Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (CARD-FISH) as wells as the dynamics of the dechlorinating bacteria during the microcosms operation. Interestingly, a direct role of Dhc cells was ascertained suggesting the existence of strains adapted at salinity conditions. Additionally, non-Dhc Chloroflexi were retrieved in the original sediment and were kept stable over time suggesting their likely flanking role of the RD process.
""""
Kinetic batch experiments, carried out after a pseudo-steady state performance had been established, revealed that the observed dechlorination rates followed the order RM3 (PCE-enriched)>B2 (TCE-enriched)>B3 (cis-DCE-enriched).
Dechlorinating bacteria were quantified by combining in situ hybridization techniques and PCR-based approaches. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH and CARD-FISH) allowed the cell numbers estimation of active and not active i) dechlorinating bacteria involved in the partial degradation of PCE or TCE to cis-DCE (Desulfitobacterium spp., Dehalobacter spp., spp., Geobacter spp., Sulfurospirillum spp.) as well as ii) “Dehalococcoides” spp. known to be able to completely dechlorinate such compounds to harmless ethene. Gene expression profile of reductive dehalogenase genes (tceA, bvcA, vcrA) were also estimated and correlated to kinetic performances and dechlorinating bacteria abundances. The potential for field application of the outputs of this study will be discussed.""""
Simona Rossetti, IRSA-CNR, Italy
Anna Barra Caracciolo, IRSA-CNR, Italy
Federico Aulenta, IRSA-CNR, Italy
Claudia Beimfohr, Vermicon, Germany
Philippe Corvini , University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Northwestern Switzerland, Switzerland
Paola Grenni, IRSA-CNR, Italy
Nicolas Kalogerakis, Technical University of Crete, Greece
Caterina Levantesi, IRSA-CNR, Italy
Mauro Majone, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
Bruna Matturro, IRSA-CNR, Italy
Jochen Müller, UFZ, Germany
Maurizio Petruccioli, DIBAF, University of Tuscia, Italy
Valter Tandoi, IRSA-CNR, Italy
Paul Wilmes, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Giulio Zanaroli, University of Bologna, Italy""