In the Biotechnology Seminar series at the Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Gadjah Mada (Faperta UGM), the second session featured Dr. Chiho Suzuki-Minakuchi from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo. Her presentation, titled “Survival Strategies of Xenobiotic-Degrading Bacteria: Heterogeneity in Plasmid-Borne Catabolic Ability,” examined how environmental bacteria adapt to xenobiotic stress through complex genetic and regulatory mechanisms.
Dr. Suzuki-Minakuchi explained that plasmids act as carriers of heterogeneous catabolic abilities, allowing each bacterial strain to show variations in its metabolic capacity. These differences were clearly seen in the dynamics of the P_ant promoter expression between two bacterial constructs, CA10 and KTPC. Research results showed that the number of AntR homologs determines the level of transcriptional heterogeneity and ultimately affects the metabolic ability of a single cell.
Through the displayed illustrations, Dr. Suzuki-Minakuchi depicted how interactions between bacterial strains can be either cooperative or competitive. In the CA10 construct, bacteria tend to show a “Get together!” behavior emphasizing cooperation in compound degradation. Conversely, in KTPC, greater variation was seen with a tendency of “Why don’t you come with us?”, signaling different adaptation strategies. These findings show that plasmid genetic heterogeneity is a key factor in determining bacterial survival strategies in environments full of xenobiotic stress.
The material presented by Dr. Suzuki-Minakuchi enriched the academic community’s understanding of environmental microbiology and has real implications for sustainable development, covering SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production, SDG 13: Climate Action, and SDG 15: Life on Land.
Writer: Beny Nabila Happy Fauziah
Editor: Tantriani
Documentation: Faperta UGM Media Unit