Welcome to the 31st IUBS General Assembly and Conference on ...

overexpressing mutated KRT75 in <strong>the</strong> fea<strong>the</strong>r follicles
indeed affects <strong>the</strong> fea<strong>the</strong>r structure.
demonstrated extraordinary adaptive
resilience <strong>to</strong> environmental change
Bacterial cellulosomes for efficient
degradation of lignocelluloses
Edward BAYER
Biological Chemistry, Weizmann Institute, 26 Herzl St. Rehovot,
Israel. Email: ed.bayer@weizmann.ac.il
Cellulose is <strong>the</strong> most abundant component of <strong>the</strong> plant
cell wall <strong>and</strong> thus <strong>the</strong> most abundant renewable organic
material on our planet. Its long rod‐like microfibrils are
embedded in<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> colloidal hemicellulose matrix, which
contains o<strong>the</strong>r types of plant cell wall polysaccharides. In
nature, cellulose assumes a structural, ra<strong>the</strong>r than a
s<strong>to</strong>rage role, <strong>and</strong> its glucose residues are ‘locked’ in place,
virtually inaccessible <strong>to</strong> organisms that would avail
<strong>the</strong>mselves of its use as an excellent food source.
Although plants aspire <strong>to</strong> protect <strong>the</strong> cellulose, nature has
provided ample corps of microorganisms (bacteria <strong>and</strong>
fungi) that can cope with decaying cellulosic matter. They
do so by virtue of <strong>the</strong>ir cellulolytic enzymes, <strong>the</strong> cellulases
that <strong>the</strong>y produce. Aerobic fungi <strong>and</strong> bacteria tend <strong>to</strong>
produce large amounts of cellulases <strong>and</strong> hemicellulases
that <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r act synergistically in decomposition of plant
polysaccharides <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir component soluble sugars. In
contrast, some prominent anaerobic bacteria achieve
<strong>the</strong>ir renowned potent cellulolytic properties by
fabricating multi‐enzyme cellulosome complexes, which
contain numerous cellulases, hemicellulases <strong>and</strong>
associated enzymes, attached <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> bacterial cell surface,
thus enabling efficient degradation of cellulosic substrates.
Recent work has centered on dismantling <strong>the</strong> cellulosome
in<strong>to</strong> its component parts <strong>and</strong> reassembling <strong>the</strong>m in<strong>to</strong>
‘designer cellulosomes’ of precise content <strong>and</strong>
configuration. The designer cellulosome approach shows
promise for underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>the</strong> rationale behind its
catalytic efficiency, <strong>and</strong> knowledge gained from <strong>the</strong>se
studies may provide <strong>the</strong> basis for creating improved
designer cellulosomes for conversion of plant‐derived
biomass in<strong>to</strong> liquid biofuels – a goal of major global
importance in <strong>the</strong> 21st century.
Barnacles (Cirripedia: Thoracica):
tenacious opportunists who have
John BUCKERIDGE
School of Civil Engineering <strong>and</strong> Chemical Engineer RMIT
University, Australia. Email: john.buckeridge@rmit.edu.au
Cirripede‐like organisms have <strong>the</strong>ir origins in <strong>the</strong>
Palaeozoic, but until <strong>the</strong> Cainozoic, were represented
primarily by pedunculated forms such as <strong>the</strong>
Scalpelliformes. Acorn barnacles (Balanomorpha) are
first recorded after <strong>the</strong> Cretaceous - Tertiary
extinction event. During <strong>the</strong> late Palaeogene, rapid
radiation of cirripedes resulted in sufficient
diversification for <strong>the</strong>m <strong>to</strong> occupy most marine
environments. That <strong>the</strong>y survived both <strong>the</strong>
Palaeocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Pleis<strong>to</strong>cene glaciation is testament <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir ability <strong>to</strong>
rapidly adapt <strong>to</strong> opportunities. The distribution of
balanomorphs in particular is unparalleled; <strong>the</strong>y are
known from <strong>the</strong> upper lit<strong>to</strong>ral (Chthamalus) <strong>to</strong>
depths of 3600 m (Tetrachaelasma) <strong>and</strong> within this
attached <strong>to</strong> rock, wood <strong>and</strong> miscellaneous flotsam,
plus in symbiosis or commensalism with larger
marine organisms. Darwin’s (1854) view of <strong>the</strong>
Tertiary as <strong>the</strong> age of barnacles is reflected in this
diversity, distribution <strong>and</strong> biomass. All cirripedes are
none<strong>the</strong>less at risk, from rapid habitat change,
competition, pollution <strong>and</strong>, especially in light of <strong>the</strong>ir
sessile habit, from predation. This paper assesses <strong>the</strong>
viability of a number of cirripedes <strong>and</strong> determines
which are most likely <strong>to</strong> survive following rapid
environmental change.
Biodiversity information infrastructure for
research, education <strong>and</strong> conservation in
China
Keping MA
Institute of Botany, CAS, Beijing, China 100093. Email:
kpma@ibcas.ac.cn
Capacity‐building Strategy for <strong>the</strong> Global Taxonomy
Initiative is <strong>to</strong> develop <strong>the</strong> human resources <strong>and</strong>
infrastructure necessary <strong>to</strong> generate, disseminate <strong>and</strong>
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