Biochemistry

In the project microbial chlorate respiration, molecular biological methods such as gene cloning, PCR and RT-PCR are used, as well as various methods for protein purification for studies of the enzymes and gene regulating proteins that contribute to the ability of bacteria to degrade chlorate. The research aims to increase the understanding of the genetic and biochemical prerequisites for the biodegradation of oxochlorates. These processes are important for the purification of wastewater from bleaching of pulp in the forest industry. The project is supported by the Carl Trygger Foundation.

In the research conducted with analytical chemistry, separation of therapeutically interesting oligonucleotides by liquid chromatography is studied. The studies are performed in collaboration with the pharmaceutical industry and aim to improve existing methods for quality control of biological drugs.

Publications:

Expression of chlorite dismutase and chlorate reductase in the presence of oxygen and/or chlorate as the terminal electron acceptor in Ideonella dechloratans.
Hellberg Lindqvist M, Johansson N, Nilsson T, Rova M
Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 2012, 78, 4380-4385

Microbial metabolism of oxochlorates: A bioenergetic perspective.
Nilsson T, Rova M, Smedja Bäcklund A 
Biochim. Biophys. Acta-Bioenergetics, 2013, 1827, 189-197

Chlorate reductase is cotranscribed with cytochrome c and other downstream genes in the gene cluster for chlorate respiration of Ideonella dechloratans.
Hellberg Lindqvist M, Nilsson T, Sundin P, Rova M  
FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 2015, 326(6), fnv019

Investigation of factors influencing the separation of diastereomers of phosphorothioated oligonucleotides.
Enmark M, Rova M, Samuelsson J, Örnskov E, Schweikart F, Fornstedt T
Anal. Bioanal. Chem. April 2019. doi:10.1007/s00216-019-01813-2