RUI: MO: Collaborative Research: An Integrated Study of Eukaryotic, Prokaryotic, and Viral Diversity and Dynamics in an Acidic Hot Lake.

该项目结合了三个机构在原核生物、病毒和真核生物微生物学方面的专业知识，在加利福尼亚州拉森火山国家公园的沸泉湖(BSL)建立了一个微生物观测站。沸泉湖是一个酸性(pH 2.2)、热液(52摄氏度)的湖泊。BSL温泉是北美最大的温泉，在地球化学方面与黄石国家公园和其他地方的温泉截然不同。BSL是拉森公园的一个稳定的热特征，但在时间和空间上都有很大的变化，因此提供了一个独特的机会来研究控制自然生境中微生物的丰度、多样性和活动的因素，以及它们随时间的稳定性。由工科本科生设计和制造的遥控飞行器将用于绘制湖泊的物理结构图，科学家将对BSL的两个不同温度区域进行采样，以评估不同时间和空间尺度上的生物和化学变化。原核生物、真核生物和病毒的遗传和分类多样性、它们的生产力以及化学合成和光合作用对初级生产的相对贡献将通过依赖于培养和独立的两种方法来探索。像BSL这样的极端环境是研究微生物生物学基本问题的理想环境，因为它们代表了低多样性群落，也是其他星球上生命的模型。这项提议的一个主要目标是向来自三个机构的本科生介绍微生物生物学和科学研究。在这一资助期间，这项工作将被整合到5个班级，影响到至少700名本科生，另外约100名本科生将直接参与到与BSL相关的研究项目中。该项目还将有助于研究生培训，以及对高中生的推广。该项目将每年举办拉森火山国家公园(LNVP)研讨会，让调查人员、他们的学生、公园工作人员和社区成员参加，并为科学界和公众制作一个基于网络的成果数据库。此外，学生还将参与为LVNP参观者制作彩色小册子，突出这个独特湖泊的结构、化学和生物，并让公众更深入地了解微生物世界。

This project combines expertise in prokaryotic, viral, and eukaryotic microbiology from three institutions to establish a microbial observatory at Boiling Springs Lake (BSL), an acidic (pH 2.2), hydrothermal (52 degrees centigrade) lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA. BSL is the largest hot spring in North America, and it is geochemically distinct from springs in Yellowstone National Park and elsewhere. BSL is a stable thermal feature of Lassen Park, yet varies significantly over both time and space, thus offering a unique opportunity to investigate factors that control the abundance, diversity, and activities of microorganisms in natural habitats, and their stability over time. A remotely operated vehicle designed and built by undergraduate engineering students will be used to map the lake's physical structure, and scientists will sample two thermally distinct regions of BSL to assess biological and chemical variation at various temporal and spatial scales. Genetic and taxonomic diversity of prokaryotes, eukaryotes and viruses, their productivity, and the relative contributions of chemosynthesis and photosynthesis to primary production will be explored by both culture-dependent and -independent approaches.Extreme environments such as BSL are ideal for the study of fundamental questions in microbial biology since they represent low diversity communities, and also are models for life on other planets. A major goal of this proposal is to introduce undergraduates from three institutions to microbial biology, and to scientific research. During this funding period, this work will be integrated into 5 classes impacting at least 700 undergraduate students, and an additional ~100 undergraduates will be directly involved in BSL-related research projects. This project will also contribute to graduate student training, as well as outreach to high school students. The project will conduct yearly Lassen Volcanic National Park (LNVP) symposia involving the investigators, their students, park personnel, and community members, and produce a web-based database of results for the science community and the public. In addition, students will be involved in producing a color brochure for LVNP visitors, highlighting the structure, chemistry, and biology of this unique lake, and giving the public a deeper appreciation of the microbial world.