228 George Lynn Cross Hall
770 Van Vleet Oval
Norman, OK 73019
Education:
M.S. Academy of Food Industry, Industrial Microbiology, 1980.
Ph.D., Microbiology, Moscow State University, 1985.
Postdoc, Institute of Medical Enzymology, Moscow. 1985-1987.
Research Areas:
Environmental microbiology and ecology of anaerobic microorganisms. Physiology and metabolism of strictly anaerobic microorganisms. Biogeochemistry of anaerobic microbiological processes. Petroleum microbiology.
Research Interests:
I’ve been conducting research in the field of anaerobic microbiology for about 20 years. During these years I’ve studied the physiology, activity and interactions in natural environments of all major groups of strictly anaerobic bacteria: methanogens, acetogens and sulfate-reducers. I was involved in microbial studies of various oil fields and related infrastructure, anaerobic marine environments and contaminated groundwater aquifers. I place a special emphasis on isolation and description of novel microorganisms/microbial consortia capable of degradation of hydrocarbon compounds. Currently my major interest is biodegradation of different classes of hydrocarbons under sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. This involves studies of novel metabolic pathways and biochemical reactions, such as the fumarate addition reaction, used by anaerobic bacteria for activation of hydrocarbon substrates in the absence of oxygen.
Relevant Publications:
Irene A Davidova, Tiffany R Lenhart, Mark A Nanny, Joseph M Suflita. 2021. Composition and Corrosivity of Extracellular Polymeric Substances from the Hydrocarbon-Degrading Sulfate-Reducing Bacterium Desulfoglaeba alkanexedens ALDC. Microorganisms. 9:1994. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9091994
Christopher R Marks, Amy V Callghan, Irene A Davidova, Kathleen E Duncan, Brandon E L Morris, Michael J McInerney. Joseph M Suflita. 2020. The complete genome sequence of Desulfoglaeba alkanexedens ALDC reveals multiple alkyl succinate synthase gene clusters. Microbiology Resourse Announcement. V.9 Iss.17 e00119-20 DOI: 10.1128/MRA.00119-20
Renxing Liang, Irene Davidova, Shin-ichi Hirano, Kathleen E. Duncan, Joseph M. Suflita. 2019. Community Succession in an Anaerobic Long-Chain Paraffin-Degrading Consortium and Impact on Chemical and Electrical Microbially Influenced Iron Corrosion. FEMS Microbial Ecol V.95 Iss. 8 doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiz111
Davidova IA, Marks CR, and JM Suflita. 2018. Anaerobic Hydrocarbon-Degrading Deltaproteobacteria. In: Taxonomy, Genomics and Ecophysiology of Hydrocarbon- Degrading Microbes, Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology. Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018 T. J. McGenity (ed). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60053-6_12-1
Davidova IA, Wawrik B, Callaghan AV, Duncan K, Marks CR, Suflita JM. 2016. Dethiosulfatarculus sandiegensis, gen. nov., sp. nov., Isolated From a Methanogenic Paraffin-Degrading Enrichment Culture and Emended Description of Desulfarculaceae Family. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 66: 1242-1248. doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.000864.
Wawrik B, Marks CR, Davidova IA, McInerney MJ, Pruitt S, Duncan KE, Suflita JM, Callaghan AV. 2016 Methanogenic paraffin degradation proceeds via alkane addition to fumarate by 'Smithella' spp. mediated by a syntrophic coupling with methanogens. Environ. Microbiol. 18:2604-19. doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.13374.
Irene Davidova, Kathleen Duncan, Monica Perez-Ibarra and Joseph Suflita. 2012. Involvement of thermophilic archaea in the biocorrosion of oil pipes. Environ. Microbiol., 14:1762-1771.
Lisa Gieg, Irene Davidova, Kathleen Duncan and Joseph Suflita. 2010. Methanogenesis, sulfate reduction and crude oil biodegradation on hot Alaskan oilfields. Environ. Microbiol., 12: 3074-3086.
Davidova, I.A., L.M. Gieg, K.E. Duncan, and J.M. Suflita. 2007. Anaerobic phenanthrene mineralization by a carboxylating sulfate-reducing bacterial enrichment. ISME Journal, 1: 436-442.
Davidova, I.A., K.E. Duncan, O.K. Choi, and J.M. Suflita. 2006. Desulfoglaeba alkanexedens gen. nov., sp. nov., an n-alkane-degrading, sulfate-reducing bacterium. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 56:2737-2742.
Davidova, I.A., L.M. Gieg, M., Nanny, K.G. Kropp, and J.M. Suflita. 2005. Stable Isotopic Studies of n-Alkane Metabolism by a Sulfate-Reducing Bacterial Enrichment Culture. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 8174-8182.
Davidova, I.A., and J.M. Suflita. (2005). Enrichment and isolation of anaerobic hydrocarbon degrading bacteria. In “Methods in Enzymology” (J. Leadbetter, Ed.) 397: 17-34. Elsevier Science.
