LEXEN: Prokaryotes and Their Viruses in Thermal Soils: Diversity and Relationships in an Unexplored Habitat

Timothy McDermott 9809360摘要土壤是地球上生物多样性的重要来源，因为它的化学和物理性质是异质的。在这项研究中，首次对原核生物及其病毒进行了全面的检查，将在位于黄石国家公园的极热土壤（温度范围60 - 85 ℃）中进行。原核生物和它们的病毒有着千丝万缕的联系，了解它们在这种环境中的关系将为我们提供一个新的嗜热性和进化的视角。分子生物学技术将研究热土壤原核生物及其病毒的系统发育关系，极端嗜热菌和病毒将使用传统的培养方法和新的方法，利用生物膜反应器和土壤恒化器的流通特性进行分离。从这项研究中获得的信息将扩大我们对微生物世界中嗜热性分布的理解，并对科学具有根本的重要性。预计从这项研究中获得的知识和资源将对生物技术产业具有重要价值。

Timothy McDermott 9809360Abstract Soils are a great source ofbiodiversity on earth due to its heterogeneous chemical and physical properties. In this study, the first comprehensive examination of prokaryotes and their viruses, will be perfomed in an extreme thermal soil (temperature range 60-85C) located in Yellowstone National Park. Prokaryotes and their viruses are inextricably tied and understanding their relationships in this environment promises a new view ofthermophily and evolution. Molecular techniques will examine phylogenetic relationships of thermal soil prokaryotes and their viruses, and extreme thermophiles and viruses will be isolated using traditional culturing methods and novel methods that take advantage of the flow-through properties of a bio~lm reactor and a soil chemostat. Information derived from this study will expand our understanding of the distribution of thermophily in the microbial world and will be of fundamental importance to science. The knowledge and resources gained from this study are predicted to be of significant value to the biotechnology industry.