MRI: The Molecular Physiology of Stress in the Bioindicator Species Daphnia magna: Acquisition of Instrumentation for Research and Education

MRI：生物指示剂物种大型水蚤的分子生理学：购买用于研究和教育的仪器

• 批准号: 0116466
• 负责人: Susan Whittemore
• 金额: $ 14.85万
• 依托单位: Keene State College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-09-01 至 2004-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0116466&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: MRI; Molecular; Physiology; Stress; Bioindicator

Abstract: A grant has been awarded to Dr. Whittemore at Keene State College to improve the ability to detect the presence, as well as to predict the effects, of pollutants on aquatic environments for the effective management of our valuable water resources. Daphnia magna, a freshwater crustacean species, has long been used an indicator of freshwater quality. It has been well-demonstrated that these invertebrates are highly sensitive to a wide variety of aquatic contaminants. The bulk of the toxicological studies using bioassays based on Daphnia rely on measurements of the effects of contaminant exposure on survival, growth, and reproduction. The results of such studies are often difficult to detect and quantify and are not reliably reproduceable. There is a need for bioindicators of water quality that can be easily and rapidly measured and that demonstrate sensitivity to sublethal toxicant exposures. The long-term objective of our research is to further the effectiveness of this valuable bioindicator species through the identification and quantification of genes that are expressed upon exposure to specific contaminants. The grant will be used to acquire a real-time PCR system and a differential display system to further our investigations concerning the molecular physiology of stress in Daphnia magna. The differential display system will greatly enhance the efficiency with which we are able to identify genes that are expressed in Daphnia following sublethal exposure to specific aquatic contaminants. The expression of these genes will then be quantified using real-time PCR methodology with the objective of developing these genes as sensitive molecular markers of contaminant exposure. The PI, Susan Whittemore, a physiologist, and the co-PI, Scott Strong, a molecular biologist, are faculty members at a small public liberal arts college, Keene State College. The requested equipment will greatly enhance the collaborative integrated research/education efforts of these two faculty members. The project provides KSC undergraduates state-of-the-art training opportunities in the field of molecular biology. Engaging in faculty-mentored research enhances the desire and ability of our undergraduates, many of whom are from underprivileged backgrounds and/or are women, to pursue post-graduate training in biology.

摘要：基恩州立大学的惠特莫尔博士获得了一笔赠款，用于提高检测污染物对水环境的存在以及预测其影响的能力，以便有效管理我们宝贵的水资源。大型水蚤(Daphnia Magna)是一种淡水甲壳动物，长期以来一直被用作淡水质量的指标。已经很好地证明了这些无脊椎动物对各种水生污染物高度敏感。使用以水蚤为基础的生物测试的大部分毒理学研究依赖于对污染物暴露对生存、生长和繁殖的影响的测量。这类研究的结果往往很难检测和量化，而且不能可靠地重现。需要能够容易和快速地测量并显示对亚致死毒物暴露的敏感性的水质生物指标。我们研究的长期目标是通过识别和量化在暴露于特定污染物时表达的基因来进一步提高这一宝贵的生物指标物种的有效性。这笔赠款将用于获得实时聚合酶链式反应系统和差异显示系统，以进一步研究大型水蚤应激的分子生理学。差异显示系统将极大地提高我们能够识别在亚致死性暴露于特定水生污染物后在水蚤中表达的基因的效率。然后，这些基因的表达将使用实时聚合酶链式反应方法进行量化，目的是开发这些基因作为污染物暴露的敏感分子标记。第一位是生理学家苏珊·惠特莫尔，另一位是分子生物学家斯科特·斯特朗，他们是一所小型公立文理学院基恩州立学院的教员。所要求的设备将极大地加强这两名教员的协作综合研究/教育努力。该项目为KSC本科生提供了分子生物学领域最先进的培训机会。从事由教师指导的研究提高了我们的本科生的愿望和能力，他们中的许多人来自贫困背景和/或是女性，他们继续进行生物学研究生培训。