Collaborative Research: MO: Forces Driving Microbial Community Diversity and Composition in Humic Lakes

合作研究：MO：驱动腐殖湖微生物群落多样性和组成的力量

• 批准号: 0702653
• 负责人: Angela Kent
• 金额: $ 68.73万
• 依托单位: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-15 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0702653&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; MO; Forces; Driving

Microbes are responsible for most of the carbon and nutrient cycling in freshwater lakes, and influence both local water quality and global carbon budgets. However, it is not currently possible to predict which types of microbes will be found in a particular lake at a particular time, or to predict how a microbial community would respond to environmental change. Microbial biologists need to learn more about how microbes in lakes assemble into communities, the role of drivers such as competition, predation, resource availability, disturbance, and natural selection in shaping these assemblages. This project addresses the following overarching question: What forces organize microbial communities in humic lakes? Microbes and their communities respond to many forces acting at different spatial and temporal scales, and the effect of these forces can be observed at the level of both communities and populations. An interdisciplinary team of microbiologists, ecologists, engineers, and limnologists will use a suite of molecular tools and genomics to investigate (1) Interactions between bacteria and phytoplankton in the surface layers of lakes; (2) Changes in microbial communities resulting from water column disturbances such as thermal stratification and seasonal mixing and (3) The role of evolutionary processes in shaping individual microbial populations within and among lakes. The results of this work will allow us to better explain and ultimately predict the composition and dynamics of microbial communities and populations in freshwater lakes. This project will not only advance our understanding of the microbial ecology of humic lakes, but of microbial ecology and biodiversity in a broader context. The research approach is structured within an ecological framework and reflect urgent questions in the field of microbial biology. To enhance the broader impacts of the work, the investigators will engage in outreach activities coordinated with the following organizations; the NTL-LTER SchoolYard Science program which promotes inquiry-based learning through workshops for high-school teachers; the Center for Biology Education which is developing a virtual professional development resource for middle and high school science and mathematics teachers; the UW-Madison PEOPLE program which organizes summer courses for underrepresented high-school students; the NSF-funded Center for the Integration of Teaching, Research, and Learning which promotes professional development of graduate students, post-docs, and faculty. The research team will continue to leverage these existing programs to show the general public how freshwater microbes are key components of lake ecosystems, impacting water quality and nutrient cycling in profound ways.

微生物负责淡水湖的大部分碳和营养循环，并影响当地水质和全球碳收支。然而，目前还不可能预测在特定时间在特定湖泊中会发现哪些类型的微生物，或者预测微生物群落将如何应对环境变化。微生物生物学家需要更多地了解湖泊中的微生物如何聚集成群落，竞争、捕食、资源可获得性、干扰和自然选择等驱动因素在形成这些聚集中的作用。该项目解决了以下首要问题：是什么力量组织了腐殖质湖泊中的微生物群落？微生物及其群落对在不同空间和时间尺度上作用的多种力量作出反应，这些力量的影响可以在社区和人口层面上观察到。一个由微生物学家、生态学家、工程师和湖泊学家组成的跨学科团队将使用一套分子工具和基因组学来研究(1)湖泊表层细菌和浮游植物之间的相互作用；(2)由于水柱扰动(如温度分层和季节性混合)导致的微生物群落的变化；(3)进化过程在塑造湖泊内部和湖泊之间单个微生物种群方面的作用。这项工作的结果将使我们能够更好地解释并最终预测淡水湖中微生物群落和种群的组成和动态。该项目不仅将促进我们对腐殖质湖泊微生物生态的了解，而且将在更广泛的背景下促进对微生物生态和生物多样性的了解。该研究方法是在生态框架内构建的，反映了微生物生物学领域的紧迫问题。为了加强这项工作的更广泛影响，调查人员将参与与以下组织协调的外联活动：NTL-LTER校园科学方案--通过高中教师讲习班促进探究性学习；生物教育中心--正在为初中和高中科学和数学教师开发虚拟专业发展资源；华盛顿大学-麦迪逊人方案--为代表性不足的高中生组织暑期课程；NSF资助的教学、研究和学习一体化中心--促进研究生、博士后和教师的专业发展。研究团队将继续利用这些现有的项目，向公众展示淡水微生物是湖泊生态系统的关键组成部分，以深刻的方式影响水质和营养循环。