Webinar title: Soil Microorganisms Drive the Coupling of Mercury Transformation and Element Metabolism

Speaker: Yurong Liu

Webinar time: November 5, 2024 (Tuesday) 15:00

Venue: Room 231, New Environmental Building

Inviter: Xiaoyun Xu, Xinde Cao

Abstract:

Mercury is the only heavy metal capable of long-distance transport in its gaseous state and is listed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of the global priority pollutants. Methylmercury, the most toxic form of mercury, exhibits bioaccumulation and biomagnification through the food chain. Soil methylmercury primarily originates from the methylation of mercury by microorganisms, and soil microorganisms can also degrade methylation. However, due to the complexity of soil components and high microbial diversity, the transformation processes and migration mechanisms of mercury remain unclear. This study analyzed the microbial groups involved in mercury methylation in typical paddy soils in China, elucidated the main microbial groups responsible for the degradation of soil methylmercury and their coupling processes with the metabolism of other elements, and further explored the synergistic mechanisms driven by interspecies interactions among soil microorganisms for the degradation of methylmercury.

About the speaker:

Yurong Liu, a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and a member of the National Young Top-notch Talent Program, is affiliated with Huazhong Agricultural University. His primary research interests lie in the interaction between soil microorganisms and pollutants, as well as the ecological processes regulated by microorganisms. He has led various research projects, including the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, key national research and development programs, major scientific and technological projects in Hubei Province, and general funds. As the first/corresponding author, he has published more than 60 papers in journals such as Nature Food, Nature Communications, ISME J, Microbiome, Environmental Science & Technology, and Global Change Biology.