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Kim Min-ji, a graduate student in the Department of Biology (Advisor Prof. Park Soo-je) at the Graduate School of Jeju National University, published a thesis in Microbiology Spectrum(5-yr IF 5.9, within top 30% of JCR), an internationally renowned journal in the field of microbiology, published by the American Society for Microbiology.

The thesis is about a pangenome study of the genus Flavobacterium, which is known as a major opportunistic pathogen of bacterial cold water disease. These microorganisms are being studied in very limited areas, including those on opportunistic pathogenicity.

Kim secured a total of 187 genomes, including 20 microorganisms of the genus Flavobacterium isolated from various environments in Korea, including the intestinal environment of abalone from Jeju, and analyzed metabolic characteristics, genome diversity, and environmental adaptation of microorganisms through large-scale genome analysis. And I did research on evolution, etc.

Looking at the main results first confirmed through large-scale genome analysis in this study, she predicted that microorganisms of the genus Flavobacterium would have acquired antiviral (viral silalidase) and prophage genes, including the ability to break down various carbohydrates through horizontal gene transfer.

In particular, it has been experimentally confirmed that some microorganisms of these genera isolated from the Korean soil environment have a bacterial photoactive protein, proteorhodopsin, and that this protein responds to oxidative stress in light and aerobic conditions.

Such large-scale, pangenome analysis studies can be expected to reveal the potential characteristics of microorganisms that have not yet been identified, and to further increase the possibility of using new materials derived from microorganisms, including identification of their ecological and physiological characteristics.

Prof. Park Soo-je (the Department of Biology), her academic advisor, said, “Large-scale pan-genome research is a very challenging research field that requires high physiological and biochemical knowledge beyond simple genetic analysis.”, adding, “Progressively, long-term basic research rather than following trends will be continued.”