Professor Longfei Wu from the Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology (IMM), French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), was invited to IHB on June 5, 2023. (Credit: IHB)

Professor Longfei Wu from the Mediterranean Institute of Microbiology (IMM), French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), was invited to the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on June 5, 2023 for an academic exchange. He delivered a lecture titled "'Dark Matter' in the hydrothermal vent fields of deep ocean".    

Professor Wu introduced his team's utilization of molecular biology, bioinformatics, and relevant geographical and physical knowledge to elucidate the growth mechanisms of certain anaerobic organisms in deep-sea hydrothermal areas.    

The team employed metagenomic analysis to identify and purify anaerobic bacteria with dependence on chlorophyll or bacteriochlorophyll photoreceptors. Additionally, they conducted related molecular experiments, inferring that high-pressure conditions do not affect DNA replication and cell division plate formation, but do hinder cell elongation.    

Apart from pressure as an influencing factor, cell growth is closely related to light wavelength and oxygen concentration. This research represents a preliminary exploration of how species adapt to extreme environments, providing new avenues for further understanding the related molecular mechanisms of adaptation to extreme conditions.    

Professor Wu has been studying microbial adaptation to deep-sea environments since 2013. To date, he has published over 100 papers in journals such as PNAS and EMBO J.