STC Center in Microbial Ecology

这份来自密歇根州立大学（MSU）的提案要求为建立微生物生态学科学技术中心提供资金。中心主任将由James M. Tiedje教授担任。为了实现中心的目标，研究围绕三个关键知识领域进行：生物体的遗传特征，这些生物体的生理能力，以及环境对这些生物体的影响。该中心的目的是最大限度地影响对了解生物在其栖息地的成功和功能至关重要的未解问题。该研究计划将根据三个关键领域的选定组成项目进行组织。这些项目将包括基因库可及性、种群多样性、群落多样性、新生物、底物有效性、环境控制、粘附性、天然毒素、化学分析和DNA探针方法。每一个都有一个明确的研究范围，包括短期目标（3-5年）和长期目标（10-11年）。各个项目在许多方面相互作用，以促进对更广泛问题的理解。项目相互作用的一个例子是发展生物降解危险废物的新工艺的问题。这需要关于新型脱氯生物及其从自然界分离的信息（新型生物），以及关键基因是否可以在这些不寻常的生物中扩增或转移，或者需要新的载体开发（基因库可及性）。利用这些生物可能需要保留它们（粘附），并对该过程进行排序以降解副产物（环境控制）。在所有的研究中，中心将以基本原则为基础，汇集相关学科资源来解决特定问题。然后，来自工业界和其他联邦机构的资金将把这些原则转化为非常有用的技术。

This proposal from Michigan State University (MSU) requests funds to establish a Science and Technology Center in Microbial Ecology. The Director of the Center will be Professor James M. Tiedje. To achieve the goal of the Center the research has been organized around three key areas of knowledge: the genetic features of organisms, the physiological capacity of these organisms, and the effect of the environment on these organisms. The Center is intended to make the greatest impact on the unanswered questions important to understanding the success and function of organisms in their habitat. The research program will be organized under selected component projects that contribute to the three key areas. The projects will be gene pool accessibility, population diversity, community diversity, novel organisms, substrate availability, environmental control, adhesion, natural toxins, chemical analysis, and DNA probe methodology. Each of these has a well defined research scope consisting of short term goals (3-5 years) and longer range objectives (10-11 years). The individual projects interact in many ways to advance understanding of broader issues. An example of the project interaction is the problem of developing new processes to biodegrade hazardous wastes. This requires information on novel dechlorinating organisms and their isolation from nature (Novel Organisms), and on whether critical genes can be amplified or transferred in these unusual organisms, or requires novel vector development (Gene Pool Accessibility). The exploitation of these organisms may require that they be retained (Adhesion), and that the process be sequenced to degrade byproducts (Environmental Control). In all of its research the Center will build on basic principles, drawing together the relevant disciplinary resources to solve particular problems. Funding from industry as well as other Federal agencies will then translate these principles into highly useful technology.