A Study of Ancient Microbes Entrapped in Glacial Ice

这项探索性研究小额赠款（SGER）支持研究评估回收被困在冰川深处冰芯中的古代微生物的可行性。一个主要目标将是建立获得古代生物与当代生物进行比较研究的可靠性。这项研究将建立有效的技术，从储存在纽约州布法罗的冰芯储存设施的冰芯中回收微生物，然后尝试从格陵兰岛和南极洲钻探的冰芯中回收有活力的古老生物。通过对冰芯中较古老地层的连续研究，可以估算出不同物种被冰包裹的寿命。成功恢复的生物也可以作为研究生物进化速率、休眠机制、生态相关性和自然保存过程的模式生物。

This Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) supports the research to assess the feasibility of recovering ancient microorganisms entrapped in deep glacial ice cores. A major goal will be to establish the reliability of obtaining ancient organisms for comparative studies with contemporary ogranisms. The reseach will establish valid techniques for the recovery of microorganisms from ice cores stored at the Ice Core Storage Facility in Buffalo, N.Y., and then attempt in recover viable, ancient organisms from ice cores drilled in Greenland and Antarctica. By studying successively older strata in ice cores, the longevity of different taxa entrapped in ice can be estimated. Organisms that are successfully recovered can also be used as model organisms for research on rates of biological evolution, mechanisms of dormancy, their ecological relevance and processes of natural preservation.