Chika Ugwuodo, PhD, coauthored “Aromatic Amino Acid Metabolism and Active Transport Regulation are Implicated in Microbial Persistence in Fractured Shale Reservoirs” in ISME Communications. Chika was lead author of the paper, which was published in the November 26, 2024, edition of the journal.

His coauthors are Fabrizio Colosimo of New England Biolabs; Jishnu Adhikari of Tetra Tech; Samuel Purvine, Elizabeth Eder, David Hoyt, Stephanie Wright, and Mary Lipton of the Environmental and Biological Sciences Directorate; and Paula Mouser of the University of New Hampshire.

Chika is a Senior Staff Scientist based in Georgia who focuses on environmental forensics and litigation support and offers expertise in data science, bioinformatics, environmental genomics, microbiology, chemistry, and nature-based solutions. He has a PhD in Natural Resources and Earth Systems Science from the University of New Hampshire.

ISME Communications is an online open-access journal that publishes discovery-based and methods-oriented content in microbial ecology. The journal encourages contributions that offer substantial advances in the study of microbial ecosystems, communities, and interactions of microorganisms in the environment. It is published on behalf of the International Society of Microbial Ecology.

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing has unlocked vast amounts of hydrocarbons trapped within unconventional shale formations. This large-scale engineering approach inadvertently introduces microorganisms into the hydrocarbon reservoir, allowing them to inhabit a new physical space and thrive in the unique biogeochemical resources present. Advancing our fundamental understanding of microbial growth and physiology in this extreme subsurface environment is critical to improving biofouling control efficacy and maximizing opportunities for beneficial natural resource exploitation. Here, we used metaproteomics and exometabolomics to investigate the biochemical mechanisms underpinning the adaptation of model bacterium Halanaerobium congolense WG10 and mixed microbial consortia enriched from shale-produced fluids to hypersalinity and very low reservoir flow rates (metabolic stress). We also queried the metabolic foundation for biofilm formation in this system, a major impediment to subsurface energy exploration. For the first time, we report that H. congolense WG10 accumulates tyrosine for osmoprotection, an indication of the flexible robustness of stress tolerance that enables its long-term persistence in fractured shale environments. We also identified aromatic amino acid synthesis and cell wall maintenance as critical to biofilm formation. Finally, regulation of transmembrane transport is key to metabolic stress adaptation in shale bacteria under very low well flow rates. These results provide unique insights that enable better management of hydraulically fractured shale systems, for more efficient and sustainable energy extraction.

More Information

Read the article here.
Learn more about the publication: ISME Communications
For more information on microbial communities and hydraulic fracturing, as well as on other issues involving environmental genomics and data science, contact Chika at chika.ugwuodo@geosyntec.com.
Learn more about Chika: Chika Ugwuodo, PhD | LinkedIn