Graduate Student Jyoti Kashyap, Associate Professor of Microbiology D.J. Ferguson and graduate student Adam Greighbaum. 

Title: RUI: Methanogenesis from Quaternary Amines
Amount: $343,030 over 3 years
Description: This project involves the study of methanogens, microorganisms that produce methane (natural gas) as the primary end product of their metabolism. Methane is both a renewable energy source and a potent greenhouse gas. In this project they will be examining the metabolic pathways these organisms use to break down a class of compounds known as quaternary amines and trying to determine which organisms carry out this process in the environment and how abundant they are.