U.S.-Japan Collaborative Project on Microbial Evolution

该奖项将支持一系列短期和长期访问， 日本的学生和教师位于中心的微生物 密歇根州立大学的生态学。 这些访问将在 该中心与一项为期五年的协议的主持人 日本研究开发公司（JRDC） 联合 研究项目由詹姆斯Tiedje教授领导，主任 密歇根大学微生物生态学中心 密歇根大学和长冈大学的Keiji Yano教授 技术. 在日本，研究将在长冈进行 技术大学和物理和化学研究所 化学研究所（RIKEN）在东京地区。 中心 微生物生态学致力于了解潜在的 微生物原理与微生物在自然界中的作用 管理栖息地。 研究项目将包括确定 微生物具有一定的降解污染物的能力， 赋予它们这种能力的遗传化学 决定了什么样的进化变化可能发生， 他们更有效。 研究结果应该揭示关于自然基因的新信息 微生物物种之间的转移。 虽然重点的 研究是在基础知识，它也有望产生 在环境保护领域的实际利益， 有毒废物的微生物降解，地下水质量， 植物生产力和农业和 环境生物技术 美国人普遍 公认的微生物生态学的领导者，而日本的 专业知识在于涉及基因的分子生物学领域 在生物降解方面。 预计这项研究，以及 交流，将提供智力和文化拓宽 为每一位参与该计划的研究人员提供经验。

This award will support a series of short and long-term visits to Japan by students and faculty located at the Center for Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. These visits will be under the auspices of a five-year agreement that the Center has with the Japan Research and Development Corporation (JRDC). The joint research project is headed by Professor James Tiedje, Director of the MSU Center for Microbial Ecology at the University of Michigan and Professor Keiji Yano at the Nagaoka University of Technology. In Japan the research will be preformed at Nagaoka University of Technology and at the Institute for Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN) in the Tokyo area. The Center for Microbial Ecology is dedicated to understanding the underlying principles of microbial and function of microorganisms in natural and managed habitats. Research projects will include identifying microbes that have some ability to degrade pollutants, examining the genetic chemistry that gives them that ability and determining what evolutionary changes may be taking place to make them more effective. Research results should reveal new information about natural gene transfer among microbial species. Although the focus of the research is on basic knowledge, it is also expected to produce practical benefits in areas of environmental protection such as the microbial degradation of toxic wastes, groundwater quality, plant productivity and the regulation of agricultural and environmental biotechnologies. Americans are generally acknowledged leaders in microbial ecology whereas the Japanese's expertise lies in the area of molecular biology of genes involved in biodegradation. It is expected that this research, and the exchanges, will provide intellectually and culturally broadening experiences for every researcher taking part in the program.