COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: MIP: The Thermo-acidophilic Cyanidiales: Genetic and Physiological Diversity in Relation to Environment and Seasonal Change in Yellowstone National Park

博士们已获得一笔赠款。Richard Castenholz（俄勒冈大学），Timothy McDermott（蒙大拿州立大学），Scott Miller和Frank Rrosenzweig（蒙大拿州立大学）研究在黄石国家公园（YNP）极端环境中茁壮成长的Cyanidiales单细胞藻类。这些藻类的数量、生物量和明亮的蓝绿色使它们成为酸性地热泉微生物群落的主要特征，在YNP尤为明显。研究这些简单的类似植物的微生物是如何忍受极端环境特征（高温、酸性、重金属）的，这些特征决定了它们的栖息地。这些藻类包含的基因几乎是所有光合真核生物中最少的，结构也相对简单。目前的努力已经导致了关于种群多样性和动态的重大发现，产生的证据强烈表明，紫外线辐射是一个关键的环境因素，控制着这些藻类在这些恶劣环境中的总体健康和活动。本研究将继续进行实验，探索这些藻类的遗传和生理机制和过程，以更好地了解这些藻类如何在极端环境中茁壮成长。将研究这些藻类在纯培养物和YNP地热泉中对紫外线照射的反应。对这些藻类的研究是黄石公园嗜热微生物研究的关键环节，并将与YNP其他科学家的工作密切配合，以最大限度地发挥研究协同作用和发现。这项工作也将导致对一般限制植物环境范围的因素的更好理解。YNP是世界遗产和联合国教科文组织生物圈保护区；然而，用于评估YNP生态健康（包括由于自然或人为活动造成的任何时间变化）的信息缺乏。这项研究为YNP管理者提供了一个重要的资源评估工具，他们几乎完全依赖学术科学家来记录公园内物种的多样性和丰富性。此外，本研究中产生的信息将用于YNP的教育和推广工作，以丰富数百万公园游客的教育，他们对YNP的地热池和温泉感到惊讶，其中一些最明显和最常见的温泉是那些广泛的蓝藻垫的家园。最后，本研究要完成的工作也与人力资源开发有关。研究生和本科生将获得重要的培训，帮助他们获得与他们早期职业目标（私营部门，研究生院，学术界）一致的职位。

A grant has been awarded to Drs. Richard Castenholz (University of Oregon), Timothy McDermott (Montana State University), and Scott Miller, and Frank Rrosenzweig (both of University of Montana) to study the unicellular algae of the order Cyanidiales that thrive in extreme environments in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). The sheer numbers, biomass, and brilliant blue-green color establish these algae as a dominant feature of the microbial communities inhabiting acidic geothermal springs and are especially conspicuous in YNP. There is considerable interest in studying how these simple plant-like microorganisms tolerate the extreme environmental features [high temperature, acidity, heavy metal(loid)s] that define their habitat. These algae contain nearly the smallest numbers of genes of all photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms and are also structurally relatively simple. Current efforts have resulted in major discoveries regarding population diversity and dynamics, generating evidence that strongly suggests that UV radiation is a keystone environmental factor that governs the general health and activity of these algae in these harsh environments. The experiments to be conducted in this study will continue to explore the genetic and physiologic mechanisms and processes of these algae with the goal being to better appreciate how these algae thrive in such extreme environments. Gene expression will be studied in response to UV irradiation in pure cultures and in YNP geothermal springs inhabited by these algae. The study of these algae occupies a key link in the study of the thermophilic microorganisms in Yellowstone, and will align closely with the work of other scientists in YNP to maximize research synergy and discovery. This work should also result in an improved understanding of factors that limit the environmental range of plants in general.YNP is a World Heritage Convention Site and an UNESCO Biosphere Preserve; however, there is a paucity of information for use in assessing the ecological health of YNP (including any temporal changes due to natural or anthropogenic activity). Work in this study represents a critical resource evaluation tool for YNP managers, who depend almost entirely on academic scientists to document the diversity and richness of species within the park. Furthermore, information generated in this study will be used in YNP's education and outreach efforts to educationally enrich the millions of park visitors who marvel at YNP's geothermal pools and springs, with some of the most obvious and frequently viewed springs being those that are home to extensive Cyanidiales mats. Finally, work to be completed in this study also bears on human resource development. Graduate and undergraduate students will obtain important training, helping them acquire positions that are consistent with their early career goals (private sector, graduate school, academia).