MIP: Analysis of endophytic colonization by Klebsiella penumoniae 342 in wheat

植物内部是细菌尚未开发的巨大栖息地。地球上每一克正在生长的植物组织可能都是至少1万个细菌的家园。这些细菌对植物生长和发育的贡献在很大程度上是未知的。然而，最近的证据表明，这些细菌中的一种可以为世界上最重要的作物小麦提供固定的氮。进一步了解小麦的这一固氮作用，有朝一日可能会使美国的玉米、小麦、大麦、水稻等农艺作物消除氮肥。氮肥对农民来说非常昂贵，而且会污染地下水供应。在这项工作中，将确定这种固氮菌进入小麦植株的方式。这种细菌对小麦植株中其他细菌的影响也将被研究。此外，还将探索一些细菌比其他细菌更好地进入植物的能力的基础。有了这一新知识，系统可能会被设计成提高固氮菌向植物提供的氮量，以便有一天这些系统可能会应用于农业。这部作品也有很大的教育意义。将为全国100万4H青年的目标受众编制微生物学的国家课程。这一努力的目标是提供关于受环境中广泛的细菌影响的那些问题的科学信息，包括新出现的疾病、食品安全、生物恐怖主义、水质，甚至气候变化。有了这个课程，大量的美国年轻人将有能力在这些问题上做出明智的决定。随着时间的推移，这门课程可能也会在全国范围内的中学中使用。

The interior of plants is a vast unexplored habitat for bacteria. Every gram of growing plant tissue on earth is probably home to at least 10,000 bacteria. The contribution of these bacteria to plant growth and development is largely unknown. However, recent evidence shows that one of these bacteria can provide fixed nitrogen to wheat, the most important crop in the world. Further understanding of this nitrogen fixation in wheat may one day permit the elimination of nitrogen fertilization to agronomic grasses in the United States such as corn, wheat, barley, rice, and others. Nitrogen fertilization is very expensive to farmers and pollutes ground water supplies. In this work, the means by which this nitrogen-fixing bacterium enters wheat plants will be determined. The effects of this bacterium on other bacteria present within wheat plants will also be investigated. In addition, the basis of the ability of some bacteria to enter plants better than others will be explored. With this new knowledge, systems may be designed to improve the amount of nitrogen provided by the nitrogen-fixing bacterium to plants so that these systems may one day be applied to agriculture. This work also has a significant educational component. A national curriculum in microbiology will be prepared for a target audience of 1 million 4H youth nationally. The objective of this effort is to provide science-based information on those issues that are affected by the wide array of bacteria in our environment including emerging diseases, food safety, bioterrorism, water quality, and even climate change. With this curriculum, a large number of American youth will be equipped to make informed decisions on these issues. Over time, this curriculum may also be available to middle schools nationally.