Proteogenomic tools for studying microbial degradation of polymers and additives

During his PhD studies, Jan Struckmann Poulsen addressed the need to understand polymer and micropollutant biodegradation in anaerobic and aerobic environments, as well as the utilization of waste streams for upcycling and energy recovery. Insufficient knowledge of microbial communities in anaerobic digestion hinders AD technology efficiency and resource recovery.

Proteogenomics approaches can be used to establish the link between identity and function for single and mixed cultures, particularly using the protein-SIP method. The study demonstrated the high-throughput capacity of proteogenomics to link function with identity in complex ecosystems.

(This summary was prepared by the PhD student.)