Chen’s group focuses on cyanobacteria and cyanophages in the Chesapeake Bay, and use them as a model phage-host system to understand the ecological role of viruses in the marine environment. Several gene markers specific for cyanophage
and marine Synechococcus have been developed in Chen’s
lab, and are currently applied to monitor the population
dynamics of both phage and host over time and space.
 
Cyanobacteria and cyanophage
Team Members:
Feng Chen, PI
Kui Wang, Ph.D candidate (2001- present)
Jinjun Kan, Ph.D (2001-present)
 
Publications specific to this project:
I. Publications
Chen*, F., K. Wang, J. Stewart, R. Belas. 2006. Induction of prophages from a marine reseobacterium, Silicibacter sp. TM1040: A genomic approach. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:4995-5001.
Kan, J., B. Crump, K. Wang, and F. Chen*. 2006. Bacterioplankton community in Chesapeake Bay: Predictable or random assemblages. Limnol. Oceanogr. (in press).
Chen*, F., K. Wang, J, Kan, and M. Suzuki, E. Wommack. 2006. Diverse and unique picocyanobacteria found in the Chesapeake Bay. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:2239-2243.
Kan, J., T. E. Hanson, J. M. Ginter, K. Wang, F. Chen*. 2005. Metaproteomic analysis of Chesapeake Bay microbial communities. Saline Systems 1:7.
Kan, J., K. Wang, and F. Chen*. 2005. Temporal variation and detection limit of an estuarine bacterioplankton community analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Aquat. Microb. Ecol. 42:7-18.
Bettarel, Y., J. Kan, K. Wang, S. Cooney, K. Williamson, F. Chen, E. Wommack, W. Coats. 2005. Isolation and characterisation of a small nuclear inclusion virus infecting the diatom Chaetoceros  c.f. gracilis. Aquat. Microbial. Ecol. 40:103-114.
Lohr, J. E., F. Chen, and R. T. Hill. 2005. Genomic analysis of bacteriophage JL001: Insights into interaction with a sponge-associated alpha-proteobacterium. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 1598-1609.
Chen, F*., K. Wang, J. Kan, D.S. Bachoon, J. Lu, S. Lau, and L. Campbell. 2004. Phylogenetic diversity of Synechococcus in the Chesapeake Bay revealed by Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (RuBisCO) large subunit gene (rbcL) sequences. Aquatic Microbial Ecology. 36:153-164
Kan, J. and F. Chen*. 2004. Co-monitoring bacterial and dinoflagellates communities by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and SSU rDNA sequencing during a dinoflagellates bloom. Acta Oceanologia Sinica. 23 (3):483-492.
Wang, K. and F. Chen*. 2004. Genetic Diversity and Population Dynamics of Cyanophage Communities in the Chesapeake Bay. Aquatic Microbial Ecology 34:105-116, 2004.
 
II. Presentations at professional meetings
 
•    Chen, F., 2006. Characterization of conserved genes for virus group. The Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Research (SCOR)-working group on marine viruses. June 1-3, 2006, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. (invited speech).
•    Wang, K., K. Omara, J. Kan, and F. Chen. 2006. Estuarine cyanophages and their psbA gene. The Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Research (SCOR)-working group on marine viruses. June 1-3, 2006, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC. (poster)
•    Chen, F., K. Wang, J. Stewart, R. Belas. 2006. Induction of multiple prophages from a marine Roseobacterim, a genomic approach. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Summer Meeting, June 5-9, 2006, Victoria, Canada.
•    Kan, J., T. Hanson, C. Cary, E. Wommack, R. Hill, F. Chen. 2006. Community proteomics, a new way to explore microbial functions in natural environments. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Summer Meeting, June 5-9, 2006, Victoria, Canada.
•    Wang, K., and F. Chen. 2006. Seasonal successions and genetic diversities of estuarine Synechococcus and their co-occurring phages: A three-year survey in Chesapeake Bay. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Summer Meeting, June 5-9, 2006, Victoria, Canada.
•    O’Mara, K. J., K. Wang, J. Kan, S. Bench, T. Hanson, E. Wommack, F. Chen. 2006. Genetic diversity and seasonal patterns of cyanophage psbA gene in the estuarine environment revealed by a newly designed PCR primer set. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Summer Meeting, June 5-9, 2006, Victoria, Canada.
•    Eissler, Y., K. Wang, F. Chen, W. Coats. 2006. Molecular characterization of Chaetoceros cf gracilis virus isolated from Chesapeake Bay, USA. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Summer Meeting, June 5-9, 2006, Victoria, Canada.
Kan, J., T. Hanson, B. Campbell, C. Cary, E. Wommack, R. Hill, and F. Chen. Meta-proteomics, a new way to explore microbial function in natural environments. HUPO 4th Annual World Congress, August 28-September 1, 2005. Munich, Germany (Poster). The abstract was published in Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 4.8 (Suppl. 1):S286
Wang, K. and F. Chen. Isolation and Characterization of Cyanophages of Marine Cluster B Synechococcus. ASLO summer meeting June 18-24, 2005. Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Oral presentation.
Wang, K. and F. Chen. Characterization of cyanophages infecting estuarine Synechococcus spp. International Marine Biotechnology Conference, June 7-12, 2005, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Oral Presentation.
Chen, F., K. Wang, J. Kan, and M. Suzuki. Synechococcus ecotypes in Chesapeake Bay revealed by the RuBisCO gene and ITS sequences. International Marine Biotechnology Conference, June 7-12, 2005, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Oral Presentation.
Kan, J., T. Hanson, K. Wang, B. Campbell, C. Cary, E. Wommack, R. Hill, and F. Chen. Meta-proteomics, a New Way to Explore Microbial Processes in the Ocean? International Marine Biotechnology Conference, June 7-12, 2005, St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. Oral Presentation.
Chen, F., K. Wang, J. Kan, D. Bachoon, L. Campbell. Phylogenetic Diversity of Estuarine Synechococcus Revealed by Ribulose-1,5-Bisphophate Carboxylase-Oxygenase Large Subunit Gene Sequences. The 10th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, ISME-10. August 22-27, 2004. Cancun, Mexico. Poster presentation.
Chen, F., and J. Kan. A proteomic study of picoplankton community. The 10th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, ISME-10. August 22-27, 2004. Cancun, Mexico. Oral presentation.
Kan, J., M. Suzuki, K. Wang, and F. Chen. Spatial and temporal variation of Chesapeake bacterioplankton communities revealed by DGGE and clone libraries. The 10th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, ISME-10. August 22-27, 2004. Cancun, Mexico. Poster presentation.
Kan, J., and F. Chen. Are 5000 bacterial cells per ml the detection threshold for DGGE analysis? The 10th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, ISME-10. August 22-27, 2004. Cancun, Mexico. Poster presentation.
Wang, K., J. Kan, and F. Chen. Co-monitoring Synechococcus and synechophage in the Chesapeake Bay. The 10th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, ISME-10. August 22-27, 2004. Cancun, Mexico. Poster presentation.
Suzuki, M.T., J. Kan, F. Chen and S. E. Evans. Fast Screening and analysis of Chesapeake Bay bacterioplankton rIBOSOMAL RNA operon clone libraries. The 10th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, ISME-10. August 22-27, 2004. Cancun, Mexico (poster presentation).
Chen, F. and K. Wang. Population Dynamics and Genetic Diversity of Synechococcus in the Chesapeake Bay. Gordon Research Conference on Marine Microbes: Picophytoplankton, from Ecology to Genomics, June 6-10, Roscoff, Brittany, France. Poster presentation.
Isaacs, L. T., J, Kan, S. Sidiqqi, D. Horn, F. Chen, T. Wright, and J. Enticknap, and R. Hill. Analysis of the Microbial Community of the Chesapeake Redbeard Sponges, Microciona prolifera.  The 104th General Meeting of American Society of Microbiology. May, 2004, New Orleans. Poster presentation.
Wommack, K. E. and F. Chen. Diversity and community composition of virioplankton over an annual biological cycle of the Chesapeake Bay. Ocean Research Conference, February 15-20, 2004, Hawaii. Oral presentation.
Chen, Feng and Kui Wang. Phylogenetic Relationship of Estuarine Synechococcus spp. Revealed by the RubisCO Gene. Marine Biotechnology Conference September 21-27, 2003, Chiba, Japan. Oral presentation.
Kan, Jingjun and F. Chen. Genetic fingerprinting and proteomic analysis of bacterial communities in the Chesapeake Bay. Marine Biotechnology Conference September 21-27, 2003, Chiba, Japan. Oral presentation.
Wang, Kui and F. Chen. Isolation and characterization of Synechococcus spp. and their phages from Chesapeake Bay. Marine Biotechnology Conference September 21-27, 2003, Chiba, Japan. Poster presentation.
Wommack, K. E., Kurt E. Williamson, Danielle Winget, Rebekah R. Helton, Shellie Bench, F. Chen, Kui Wang, Jinjun Kan, D. W. Coats, Sean Cooney, and Yvan Bettarel. Microbial Observatory for Virioplankton Ecology (MOVE): The role of viruses in the annual biological cycle of the Chesapeake Bay. NSF Microbial Observatories Workshop, Arlington, VA, September 15-16, 2003. Poster presentation.
Chen, F. and J.J. Kan. Environmental microbial proteomics: linking microgeochemial functions. The 103th General Meeting of American Society of Microbiology. May 18-22, 2003, Washington DC. Poster presentation.
Wang, K. and F. Chen. Genetic diversity and population dynamics of   Synechococcus spp. and cyanophages in the Chesapeake Bay. The 103th General Meeting of American Society of Microbiology. May 18-22, 2003 Washington DC. Poster presentation.
Kan, J.J. and F. Chen. Spatial and temporal dynamics of bacterial communities in the Chesapeake Bay. The 103th General Meeting of American Society of Microbiology. May 18-22, 2003, Washington DC. Poster presentation.