The AP2 team at FORDA, Ministry of Forestry, Bogor, Indonesia in 2009.

AP2: Microbe Survey and Bioenergy Screening

The AP2 team includes scientists from UC Davis, LIPI and the Ministry of Forestry. The AP2 team has isolated and purified over 2,000 microbes from insect, plant, vertebrate and soil specimens at sites mapped out by the AP1 team. Microbial extracts are prepared for the AP3 team to screen for therapeutic activities.

Goals of AP2:

  • The AP2 team at FORDA, Ministry of Forestry, Bogor, Indonesia in 2009.
    The AP2 team at FORDA, Ministry of Forestry, Bogor, Indonesia in 2009.
    Back row: Erdy Santoso, Atit Kanti, Dwi, Achmad Dinoto, Agustinus Joko Nugroho, Najmullah, Aryanto, Ragil Irianto
    Front row: Irnayuli Sitepu, Kyria Boundy-Mills, Nathan Schiff
    Collect 2,000 microbes, including bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi
  • Manage microbial collections and data
  • Select strains for bioenergy and therapeutics screening
  • Screen for cellulase, xylanase and glucanase activity and genes
  • Screen yeasts for high lipid content

Scientists:

  • Kyria Boundy-Mills, AP2 leader, UC Davis, curator of the Phaff Yeast Culture Collection. www.phaffcollection.org
  • Nathan Schiff, Entomologist, USDA Forest service. http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/staff/522
  • Irnayuli Sitepu, AP2 co-leader, postdoc at UC Davis and researcher at FORDA.  http://www.forda-mof.org
  • Agustinus Joko Nugroho, AP2 co-leader, LIPI Biology.  http://www.biologi.lipi.go.id/
  • UC Davis technicians and students: Laura Ignatia, Matan Shelomi, Pamelia Hadiwidjaja, Vanessa Morales, Elaine Chow, Ain Mobeen, Enrique Fernandez, Sia Shelly Sianita, Shierly Mayasari, Pazao Lor, Paul Park, Ngoc-Lien Nguyen, Mary Stump, Marie Stark, Jessica Wijaya, Angela Pratiwiharja, Jaspreet Kaur
  • FORDA personnel: Sarah Faulina, Aryanto, Sira Silaban, Najmullah 
  • LIPI personnel: Atit Kanti, Arief Nurkanto, Achmad Dinoto, Dian Nurcahyanto

Major Accomplishments:

  • Four expeditions to the Mekongga and Papalia research sites in Sulawesi
  • Over 2,000 microbes collected, purified and preserved
  • Novel xylanase gene homologs discovered
  • Novel oleaginous (high lipid) yeast species discovered

Read more about our exciting results on the AP2: Microbes and Screening Results page!