Instrumentation for the Enhancement of DRI's Microbial Ecology Education and Research (MEER) Programs

此次仪器收购的目的是提高分析能力，并有利于极端环境下微生物生态领域正在进行的和未来的研究。这些仪器提供的能力将有助于在pi大学系统内整合陆地，水文和大气研究，解决与微生物生态相关的环境问题，并为本科生和研究生的利益加强设施和研究计划。这些仪器的获得使南极浮冰微生物群的化学分类和系统发育特征的研究成为可能，古盐水栖息地的细菌、真核生物和太古生物的系统发育测定，完成了几个微生物基因组学项目，评估了冰环境、海洋、湖泊和钙华碳酸盐材料中单个细胞的系统类型和活动，淡水生态系统分类学和酶活性的时空变化评价，微生物介导的铁矿物转化特征和反映微生物活动的元素同位素特征。未来的研究将探索海冰形成的时间与磷虾、鱼类、企鹅和鲸鱼迁徙的季节性运动之间的关系，这些研究将通过获得能够量化影响这些运动变化的因素的仪器来促进，这些因素包括表征微藻中的色素，描绘细菌群落组成和确定营养状况。辅助色素的量化将有助于对早期和晚期形成冰相关的微生物冰群落进行更合理的统计比较。研究结果对预测全球气候变化对南大洋生态系统的影响具有重要意义。提案中所要求的仪器将使现场和实验室的许多合作项目受益。拟议的工具还将在几个层次上对教育和信息作出重大贡献。这些仪器将为本科生、研究生和博士后提供更多的先进设备培训机会，并为年轻学生提供教育机会。该研究的信息将通过几个渠道公开，包括由pi及其合作者创建的网站。

The objectives of the proposed instrument acquisition are to enhance the analytical capabilities and benefit ongoing and future research in the field of microbial ecology in extreme environments. The capabilities provided by these instruments will aid in the integration of terrestrial, hydrologic, and atmospheric research within the PIs' university system, address environmental problems associated with microbial ecology, and enhance facilities and research programs for the benefit of undergraduate and graduate students. Research made possible by the acquisition of these instruments includes chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characterization of Antarctic pack ice microbiota, phylogenetic determinations of Bacteria, Eukarya, and Archea from ancient brine habitats, completion of several microbial genomics projects, evaluation of individual cell phylotypes and activities in ice environments, oceans, lakes, and travertine carbonate materials, evaluation of temporal and spatial shifts in taxonomic and enzymatic activities in freshwater ecosystems, and characterization of microbially mediated iron mineral transformations and elemental isotopic signatures reflective of microbial activity. Upcoming research exploring the relationship between the timing of sea ice formation and the seasonal movements of krill, fish, penguin, and whale migration will be facilitated by the acquisition of instruments capable of quantifying factors that have implications for changes in these movements, including characterizing pigment in microalgae, profiling the bacterial community composition, and determining nutrient status. Quantification of accessory pigments will all for more statistically sound comparisons of microbial ice communities associated with early versus late forming ice. Results of this research will have important implications for prediction of the effects of global climate change on the Southern Ocean ecosystem.The instrumentation requested in the proposal will benefit numerous collaborative projects in the field and in the laboratory. The proposed instrumentation will also lead to significant educational and information contributions at several levels. The instrumentation will provide increased opportunities for training with state of the art equipment at the undergraduate, graduate and post doctoral level, and educational opportunities for younger students. Information from the research will be made publicly available through several outlets, including websites generated by the PIs and their collaborators.