Dissertation Research: Diversity, Distribution, and Cultivation of Novel Soil Bacteria from Snowmelt-Saturated Alpine Tundra

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The activity of microorganisms is the fundamental driver of global nutrient cycling. Yet, the vast majority of these microbes are uncultivated, and thus completely unknown. It is critical to investigate the biology of novel microbes to understand their function, response, and feedback on a rapidly changing biosphere. Soil is a particularly complex habitat for microbes. It harbors high microbial diversity and biomass, and is a frontier for research as studies of specific novel microbes within their natural soil environment are completely absent. The goal of the proposed work is to determine the roles of newly discovered bacteria from snowmelt-flooded alpine tundra soil. Preliminary results suggest that these bacteria are geographically ubiquitous, are located beneath the soil surface where oxygen is depleted, but are also prevalent at the soil surface under winter snowpack. DNA sequence-based approaches will be used to correlate the presence of these novel bacteria with various environmental characteristics. The novel bacteria are predicted to thrive in cold, oxygen-free habitats, and will be targeted for cultivation by mimicking these conditions. Indeed, a major goal of this work is to isolate the novel bacteria in the laboratory. This study will yield the first insights into the ecology of specific uncultivated, novel soil bacteria, and reveal the extent and structure of oxygen-free soil zones, an overlooked factor in nutrient cycling.