RUI:Microbial Observatories: Cabo Rojo Salterns Microbial Observatory

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This project will continue geomicrobiology studies in the Cabo Rojo Salterns Microbial Observatory in Puerto Rico. The project will provide significant research training experience for students, especially undergraduates. The multi-institutional team includes researchers in the Biology Departments at the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao and UPR-Mayaguez, and the University of Connecticut. They will undertake a multidisciplinary research effort to study the geological contributions of microorganisms in the Cabo Rojo salterns. Two different microbial mat systems in the salterns will be used to compare how microbial metabolism alters the geochemical characteristics of sediments and ultimately defines the microscale mineralogy. The production of biogenic gases by these different microbial communities will also be studied. As the salterns are characterized by extreme seasonal changes, their metabolic and community composition is continuously altered leading to differential patterns of gene and protein expression. Knowledge of the molecular aspects that control the precipitation and dissolution of key minerals such as calcium carbonate has important implications with respect to sediment formation, construction of oceanic reefs and deterioration of stone monuments. By the identification of genes and proteins crucial for the regulation of these processes, it may be possible to control and possibly even manipulate them at the molecular level. Besides the scientific contributions, the most valuable products of this project are a generation of Puerto Rican students trained with state-of-the-art techniques. Students will benefit with a series of workshops and conferences, a summer exchange program with students at the University of Connecticut, and a pioneer program providing information about the field of geomicrobiology to K-12 students. Students will also construct a weather station that will be publicly accessible to monitor the conditions atthe observatory via the internet.