Long and Medium-Term Research: In Situ Analysis of the Distribution and Phylogeny of Bacteria Isolated from Deep- Sea Hydrothermal Vents

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Long & Medium-Term Research: In Situ Analysis of the Distribution and Phylogeny of Bacteria Isolated from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents This award is under the Long and Medium-Term Research at Foreign Centers of Excellence Program, which enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twelve months of research abroad at research centers of proven excellence. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad. This award will support a three-month postdoctoral research visit by Dr. S. Craig Cary of Oregon State University to the Institut Francais de Recherche pour L'Exploitation de La Mer (IFREMER) to work with Dr. Daniel Desbruyeres. The discovery of the deep-sea hydrothermal vents revealed a unique community of marine invertebrates solely supported on reduced carbon fixed by chemoautotrophic endosymbiotic bacteria. The restricted geography of these deep-sea vents and geochemically similar habitats lends itself to interesting questions concerning the diversity and distribution of the free-living bacteria. An unprecedented collection of bacterial isolates from a range of hydrothermal and cold-seep sites has been established at IFREMER. Dr. Cary and Dr. Desbruyeres will examine the phylogeny and distribution of deep-sea bacteria within and between hydrothermal and cold-seep habitats. Isolates of autotrophic bacteria from different geographic locations and depth ranges will be examined. 16S ribosomal RNA sequence analyses will be used to determine the genetic diversity and relationship of the bacteria. Computer comparisons of these sequences with established sequence data bases will allow phylogenetic analysis to define the structure of the microbial community. The genetic diversity of bacteria found associated with the tube-dwelling vent polychaete Alvinella pompejana will also be ascertained and compared to the free-living and endosymbiotic representatives. The award recommendation provides funds to cover international travel and a stipend for three months.