MO: The Alpine Microbial Observatory-- Changes in Microbial Diversity and Function Across Extreme Environmental Gradients

每年大约有35%的地球表面被不同时间长度的雪覆盖。人们通常认为生物活动在冬季基本停止，然而，高山微生物观测站（AMO）最近的研究表明，新的土壤微生物在雪下很活跃，它们对大气的温室气体通量有很大贡献。AMO的工作重点是鉴定以前从未培养过的微生物，并找到在实验室培养它们的方法，以便使用现代生理学和基因组学方法对它们进行研究。这些研究将帮助AMO的研究人员发现新的生命形式，并了解它们如何在极端寒冷的条件下发挥重要的生物功能（例如营养循环和气体产生）。此外，还将进一步开发一个交互式的互联网数据库，以探索高山环境中新型微生物的进化关系、分布和功能。这个项目将帮助研究人员了解地球上较冷的地区作为生物圈的一部分是如何发挥作用的，以及它们将如何应对未来的气候变化。这样的工作只能通过跨学科的研究来完成，包括具有微生物学、生物地球化学、进化生物学和生物信息学专业知识的研究人员。此外，这项研究可能会导致发现有用的产品，如抗生素和在低温下起作用的工业酶。基于网络的公众访问系统的发展扩大了这项研究的教育和外联价值，并将使科学家和公众能够使用AMO产生的知识。本研究亦将资助两名本科生、两名研究生及两名博士后。施密特PI将参加科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的暑期多文化研究培训项目，马丁PI将与博尔德学区指导项目合作，为中学生提供AMO研究项目。

About 35% of Earth's land surface is covered with snow for varying lengths of time each year. It is often assumed that biological activity mostly ceases in the winter, however recent research at the Alpine Microbial Observatory (AMO) shows that novel soil microorganisms are active under snow where they contribute significantly to greenhouse gas fluxes to the atmosphere. Work at the AMO is focused on identifying never-before cultured microbes and discovering ways to grow them in the laboratory so that they can be studied using modern physiological and genomic methods. Such studies will help the researchers at the AMO discover new forms of life and to understand how they perform important biological functions (e.g. nutrient cycling and gas production) under extremely cold conditions. In addition, an interactive, Internet database will be further developed to explore the evolutionary relationships, distribution and functioning of novel microbes in alpine environments. This project will help researchers to understand how colder regions of the earth function as part of the biosphere and how they will respond to future climate change. Such work can only be accomplished via interdisciplinary research, involving researchers with expertise in microbiology, biogeochemistry, evolutionary biology, and bioinformatics. In addition, the research could lead to the discovery of useful products such as antibiotics and industrial enzymes that function at cold temperatures. The development of a web-based public access system expands the educational and out-reach value of the research and will allow scientists and the public to use the knowledge generated at the AMO. This research also will promote training through its support of two undergraduate students, two graduate students and two post-doctoral fellows. PI Schmidt will participate in the Summer Multicultural Access to Research Training program at CU Boulder and co-PI Martin will work with the Boulder School District mentoring program to provide AMO research projects for secondary school students.