Brian Yee Rose Hills
Investigating methanol oxidation mechanisms in Komagataella yeasts
Methanol, a ubiquitous one-carbon compound, is released primarily from plant cell wall demethylation and serves as a significant, rapidly cycled carbon source that influences global soil carbon turnover. Komagataella phaffii, a widely studied yeast species in both environmental science and biotechnology contexts, has the ability to metabolize methanol as its sole carbon source. Using ITS sequencing, our lab has identified a high abundance of K. phaffii-like yeasts in the coastal grassland soils of Point Reyes, California. This specific field site is interesting due to its high acidity and concentration of calcium ions. Ca2+ ions can stabilize soil organic carbon and slow the decomposition of plant and microbial matter, making volatile carbon sources like methanol particularly important. We hypothesize that Komagataella is the primary driver of plant-derived methanol oxidation and that the unique environmental conditions of the Point Reyes pedosphere improve its relative fitness. This project aims to further our understanding of microbial contributions to carbon cycling and biological methods of carbon capture to address environmental challenges such as rising atmospheric CO2.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for your kindness and support! I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to pursue research full-time during the summer exploring the inner workings of the soil microbiome. Your generosity has allowed me and my fellow Berkeley undergraduates to cultivate a love of curiosity and discovery.