Screening the Forest Microbiota

The forest soil and decomposing forest litter (decaying vegetation) are good places to begin screening as they harbor many different microbial species. Collected samples of soils and decaying wood are a potential source of microbial consortia that can be isolated and cultivated in the laboratory; agar nutrient medium formulated to isolate bacteria, fungi and yeasts. Purified isolates can be identified and classified morphologically, and further using molecular biology techniques (PCR technology: RAPD, ITS, mt-DNA).

Countless natural products can be sought through screening of microbial species. For example, as the biological route to bioproducts relies upon a good enzyme preparation to degrade cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, the principle components of wood, enzymes such as cellulases, xylanases and polyphenol oxidases (laccases) are important to degrade forest biomass more efficiently in a biorefining process. Enzyme production through fermentation also results in other natural bioproducts being produced, and these can be identified (and separated) using modern analytical procedures involving chromatography, mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance.

The BRI is interested in screening for products among the consortia of microbial species inhabiting the Boreal Forest microbiota:
(i) microbiocidal compounds active against pathogenic bacteria, fungi and yeasts; particularly those resistant to the commonly employed antibiotics. Actinomycetes may produce exciting antibiotics.
(ii) anti-cancer, anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory drugs.
(iii) unusual polysaccharides can find industrial applications in food and cosmetic products because of their rheological properties; and others because of their innate biological response modifying activities as health-foods (nutraceuticals), and pharmaceutical products (immunomodulatory).
(iv) enzymes for use in bioconversion and biotransformation processes.
(v) unusual fermentation products (direct conversion of lignocellulose into chemicals of strategic importance (bioethanol, butanol, acetone, adipic acid).

Lastly, microbial species (and their enzyme systems) find applications in treatment of environmental problems such as pollution through their use in bioremediation processes. In this respect, wood-decay microbial species may find appropriate roles in bioremediation of aromatic (PAH) and xenobiotic compounds.