ROW: Role of Anaerobic Cellulolytic Bacteria in Carbon Cycling

位于阿默斯特的马萨诸塞州大学的苏珊·莱辛博士， 提出了一项对一组科学上新发现的微生物的研究： 纤维素降解、固氮和厌氧细菌。 生态学界对他们的发现感到兴奋， 在碳循环中的作用。 这些研究的结果将 有助于我们理解表型和基因型 在厌氧纤维素分解微生物中存在多样性， 它们对纤维素分解的定量贡献， 在自然环境中的数量分布。 可能的 与非纤维素分解的生理相互作用的作用 还将研究微生物。 这些调查 是为了填补我们对宇宙动力学理解的空白 自然环境中的碳循环。 而且 为进行这项研究而设计的技术通常是有用的 用于识别引入的（例如，基因工程）以及 作为不同环境中的土著微生物。

Dr. Susan Leschine, of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, proposes a study of a group of microorgnaisms new to science: cellulose degrading, nitrogen fixing, and anaerobic bacteria. The ecology community is excited about their discovery and possible roles in carbon cycling. Results of these studies will contribute to our understanding of the phenotypic and genotypic diversity present among anaerobic cellulolytic microorganisms, their quantitative contribution to cellulose breakdown, and their numerical distribution in natural environments. The possible role of physiological interactions with non-cellulolytic microorganisms will also be investigated. These investigations are intended to fill a gap in our understanding of the dynamics of carbon cycling in natural environments. Moreover, the techniques devised to conduct this study will be generally useful for identifying introduced (e.g., genetically engineered) as well as indigenous microorganisms in diverse environments.