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

Wiegel、Crowe和Romanek博士（格鲁吉亚大学研究基金会）、Robb（马里兰州大学生物技术研究所）和Cady（波特兰州立大学）获得了一笔赠款，以建立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。 地质情况是独特的，由于活跃的火山和地热区不寻常的集中在低海拔，功能是不同于黄石国家公园的地热功能。原始的位置允许执行不能在黄石国家公园完成的工作。 该观测站的主要目标是发现新的微生物，阐明微生物群落，并随后表征其生物学，生物化学，微生物学和生物技术特性。Uzon Caldera的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了解，以及营养物质如何沿着温度和营养梯度通过不同的微生物群落循环。微生物和地球化学研究将联合收割机结合起来，解决一些最严格的陆地条件下，新的微生物群落存在，这可能会给外星生命的见解。 除了产生学术上重要的数据，这笔赠款将大大有助于学生的跨学科培训，有助于未来的研究人员谁将解决地球化学的新领域的干部。该项目将增进来自不同文化和政治体系的人们之间的国际合作和理解，并将导致发现具有各种工业应用潜力的微生物。此外，该项目的强大外联部分将向公众宣传堪察加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.