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Home » ... » - Faculty » Faculty Pages » Handelsman, Jo |
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Handelsman, Jo
 Jo Handelsman
Professor
Research Area: Resistance Genes. Structure and function of microbial communities. Impact of antibiotics on distribution of antibiotic resistance genes in soil.
Home Dept: Plant Pathology, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Affiliated Depts: Molecular and Environmental Toxicology
Address
Plant Pathology
1630 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
608/263-8783 - Email
Patents
2006-Microorganism genomics, compositions and methods related thereto
2006-Triarylcation Antibiotics from Envrionmental DNA
2003-Enterotoxin-deficient bacillus
2000-Bacillus cereus strain W35
2000- Bacillus cereus strain Z8
1998-Bacillus cereus strain DGA34
1997- Bacillus cereus strain MS1-9, ATCC 55812
1997-Canavanine resistant strains of bacillus cereus
1997-Zwittermicin resistance gene and biocontrol bacteria with the gene
1996-Bacillus cereus strain AS4-12
1996-Method of identifying Bacillus cereus having biocontrol activity
1991-Fungicidal toxin and method and inoculum for controlling root rot and damping off
1989-Biological control of damping off and root rot and inoculum preparation therefor
Research
Research in the Handelsman lab focuses on understanding the structure and function of microbial communities, addressing questions that have challenged plant pathologists and microbiologists since the inception of our discipline. We are finding ways to better describe the organization of microbial communities through decoding the language by which the members communicate. This understanding will lead to development of new technologies to enhance plant health and discovery of new medicinal and agricultural chemistry.
The emerging image of microbial communication networks is one of numerous bacterial signals that are often scrambled or amplified by other members of the community. At this early stage in our understanding it is difficult to imagine how bacteria make sense of their chemical environment as they are bombarded with signals from all sides. But the study of carefully chosen systems will reveal the networks that provide order to the communication, and understanding communication, in turn, will help elucidate the structure and function of microbial communities. We have selected three discrete but complementary systems for this phase of our work, one of which follows the activities of a specific bacterium in a community context, one that explores the challenges of defining community, and one that represents a contained ecosystem that can be manipulated in the laboratory. - We are examining the interaction of Bacillus cereus with its host plant and the microbial community in which it functions, allowing for a detailed modeling of the chemical signaling in the plant rhizosphere that determines bacterial survival, gene expression, and effects on the host plant and on protists that affect plant health.
- We are using a new methodology, termed 'metagenomics,' to examine the genomes of uncultured microorganisms in soil communities, offering a fantastic and largely unexplored complement to our current cultu re-based understanding of microbial life that will bring new definition to the concept of microbial community.
- We are using the gypsy moth midgut as a wholly contained ecosystem, asking questions about the role of each of the microorganisms within the microbial community and as factors affecting the physiology of the host.
Publications- Guan, C., Ju, J., Borlee, B.R., Williamson, L.L., Shen, B., Raffa, K.F., and Handelsman, J. Signal mimics derived from a metagenomic analysis of gypsy moth gut icrobiota. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. (in review)
- Peterson, S.B., Dunn, A.K., Klimowicz, A.K., and Handelsman, J. 2006. Peptidoglycan from Bacillus cereus mediates commensalism with rhizosphere bacteria from the Cytophaga-Flavobacterium group. App. Environ. Microbiol. 72:5421-5427.
- Chan, Y.A., Boyne, M.T., Podevels, A.M., Klimowicz, A.K., Handelsman, J., Kelleher, N.L., and Thomas, M.G. 2006. Two new polyketide synthase extender units: ydroxymalonyl-acyl carrier protein and aminomalonyl-acyl carrier protein. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 103(41):14349-14354.
- Broderick, N.A., Raffa, K.F., and Handelsman, J. Midgut bacteria required for Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal activity. PNAS 103: 15196-15199.
- Schloss, P.D., and Handelsman, J. 2006. Introducing SONS, a tool for operational taxonomic unit-based comparisons of microbial community memberships and structures. App. Environ. MIcrobiol 72:6773-6779.
- Sabree, S.L., Bergendahl, V., Liles, M.R., Burgess, R.R., Goodman, R.M., Handelsman, J. 2006. Identification and characterization of the gene encoding the Acidobacterium capsulatum major sigma factor. Gene 376:144-151.
- Schloss, P.D., and Handelsman, J. 2006. Introducing TreeClimber, a test to compare microbial community structures. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 2379-2384.
- Schloss, P.D., Delalibera, I., Handelsman, J., and Raffa, K.F. 2006. Bacteria associated with the guts of two wood-boring beetles: Anolophora glabripennis and Saperda vestita (Cerambycidae). Environ. Entomol. 35: 625-629.
Check PubMed for other publications by Jo Handelsman
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