Microbial Observatories: Collaborative Research: Kamchatka, a Geothermal Microbial Observatory

博士们已获得一笔赠款。Wiegel， Crowe和Romanek（佐治亚大学研究基金会），Robb（马里兰大学生物技术研究所）和Cady（波特兰州立大学）建立了一个独特的跨学科国际微生物观测站，探索西伯利亚堪察加半岛偏远火山和地热地区令人兴奋的微生物世界（俄罗斯）。由于活火山和低海拔地热区的异常集中，地质情况是独特的，与黄石国家公园的地热特征不同。原始的地理位置允许进行在黄石国家公园无法完成的工作。这个观察站的主要目标是发现新的微生物，阐明微生物群落，并随后表征它们的系统发育、生化、微生物学和生物技术特性。乌松火山口有不同寻常的生物地球化学过程，微生物群落可能与其他地热区不同。初步结果表明存在许多新的微生物。这将扩展我们对极端条件下微生物多样性的认识，以及营养物质如何沿着温度和营养梯度在不同的微生物群落中循环。微生物学和地球化学研究将结合起来，解决一些最严格的陆地条件，在这些条件下存在着新的微生物群落，这可能会对地外生命有深入的了解。除了产生重要的学术数据外，这项资助还将为学生的跨学科培训做出重大贡献，为未来研究人员的骨干队伍做出贡献，这些研究人员将致力于生物地球化学的新领域。该项目将增加来自不同文化和政治制度的人们之间的国际合作和了解，并将导致发现具有各种工业应用潜力的微生物。此外，该项目强有力的外联部分将使公众了解堪察加半岛等独特地区的存在和重要性。

A grant has been awarded to Drs. Wiegel, Crowe, and Romanek (University of Georgia Research Foundation), Robb (University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute) and Cady (Portland State University) to establish a unique interdisciplinary, international microbial observatory to explore the exciting microbial world in remote volcanic and geothermal areas of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Siberia (Russia). The geological situation is unique, due to the unusual concentration of active volcanoes and geothermal areas at a low altitude, features that are different from the geothermal features at Yellowstone National Park. The pristine location allows performing work that cannot be done in the Yellowstone National Park. The primary goal of this observatory is to find novel microorganisms, to elucidate the microbial communities and subsequently characterize their phylogeny, biochemical, microbiological, and biotechnological properties. Unusual biogeochemical processes have been described in the Uzon Caldera, and the microbial communities may be different from other geothermal areas. The presence of many novel microorganisms is indicated by preliminary results. This will extend our knowledge about the diversity of microorganisms in extreme conditions, and how nutrients are cycled through the different microbial communities along temperature and nutrient gradients. Microbiological and geochemical research will combine in addressing some of the most rigorous terrestrial conditions under which novel microbial communities exist, which may give insights into extraterrestrial life. In addition to producing academically important data, this grant will contribute significantly to the interdisciplinary training of students contributing to the cadre of future researchers who will address the new field of biogeochemistry. The project will increase international cooperation and understanding between people from different cultural and political systems, and will lead to the discovery of microorganisms with high potential for various industrial applications. Furthermore the strong outreach component of this project will inform the general public about the existence and importance of unique regions such as Kamchatka.