Acquisition of Microbial Ecology Instrumentation to Improve Science Education at Marist College

将购置设备，在马里斯特学院实施微生物生态学综合本科教育/研究计划。 将购买一台Olympus BX 60 F落射荧光显微镜（带数字成像和图像分析系统）、2）一台用于微生物鉴定/群落表征的BiOstrom MicroStation、3）过滤和离心仪器、4）微生物培养仪器和5）HydroLab水质监测仪器。 该设备将允许PI将教学与Marist的环境微生物学研究相结合，并将为教师同事提供更多机会让学生参与主动学习练习。 要求的仪器将由马里斯特科学学院的教师/研究人员共享。要求的仪器将完成的工作将集中在哈德逊河流域的病毒和细菌污染物动力学，哈德逊河中微生物宿主-病毒相互作用，来自极端北极和南极栖息地（例如，麦克默多干谷LTER站点），研究极地微生物群落的特征，以及污染物对微生物群落的影响。 该设备将用于从环境样品中分离、培养、计数、鉴定和保存各种原核和真核微生物。 微生物群落的结构和功能将沿着评估，同时考虑相关的生境特征。 为PI的环境微生物学课程进行研究项目的学生，具有本科研究奖学金的学生，以及其他为学分进行研究的学生，（在PI或教职员工的指导下），提高利用现代技术解决有关科学问题的能力，扩大现有的科学研究和研究教育能力，建立更好的装备的学习环境。 提高哈德逊流域水生系统研究能力的手段将使马里斯特学院在未来参与乔治·帕塔基州长提议的亨利·哈德逊河流和河口研究与教育研究所方面处于更有利的地位。 提高Marist的能力还将促进与其他具有微生物生态学专业知识的当地机构的合作项目（例如，位于纽约州米尔布鲁克的生态系统研究所）。 由于所要求的仪器将用于共享使用，生物学，环境科学和化学系的教师将以多种方式利用这些设备来促进研究，研究培训和丰富Marist科学学生的教育经验。 这将加强一个框架，使更多的学生（包括女生和少数民族大学生）

Equipment will be acquired to implement an integrated undergraduate education/research program in microbial ecology at Marist College. An Olympus BX60F epifluorescent microscope with digital imaging and image analysis system, 2) a BiOLOG MicroStation for microbial identification/community characterization, 3) filtration and centrifugation instrumentation, 4) microbial culturing instrumentation, and 5) HydroLab water-quality monitoring instrumentation will be purchased. This equipment will allow the PI to integrate teaching with research in environmental microbiology at Marist and will provide greater opportunities for faculty colleagues to involve students in active learning exercises. Requested instrumentation will be shared by teacher/researchers within Marist's School of Science.Work to be accomplished with the requested instrumentation will focus on viral and bacterial contaminant dynamics in the Hudson River watershed, microbial host-virus interactions in the Hudson, characterization of host-virus assemblages from extreme arctic and antarctic habitats (e.g., the McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER site), work on the characterization of polar microbial communities, and pollutant impacts on microbial communities. The equipment will be used for the isolation, culture, enumeration, identification and preservation of a variety of both pro-and eukaryotic microbes from environmental samples. The structure and function of microbial communities will be assessed along with a consideration of relevant habitat characteristics. Students conducting research projects for the PI's course in Environmental Microbiology, those with undergraduate research fellowships, and others performing research for credit, (under the direction of either the PI or faculty colleagues), will have an improved capacity to utilize modern technology in addressing relevant scientific questions.Current scientific research and education-through-research capabilities will be expanded with the creation of better-equipped learning environments. Instruments improving capabilities to conduct research on aquatic systems in the Hudson drainage will place Marist College in a better position for future involvement with Governor George Pataki's proposed Henry Hudson Institute for Riverine and Estuarine Research and Education. Improving capabilities at Marist will also foster collaborative projects with those at other local institutions having expertise in microbial ecology (e.g., the Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY). As the requested instrumentation will be for shared-use, faculty in the Biology, Environmental Science and Chemistry Departments will utilize this equipment in diverse ways to promote research, research training and to enrich the educational experiences of Marist science students. This will strengthen a framework in which greater numbers of students, (including female and minority undergraduates