Stream Ecosystem "Harshness" and Microbial Endemism in the McMurdo Dry Valleys

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The research project will examine the relationship between physical drivers, biogeochemical processes, and microbial community composition in streams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The investigators will use molecular phylogenetic techniques, genomic network modeling, and culture-based approaches, and will further develop the Antarctic Freshwater Diatoms database. The central research questions are (1) How do the diatom communities found in microbial mats experiencing harsher flow conditions differ phylogenetically from those found in less harsh streams? (2) How does the structure and genomic potential of the overall microbial community vary among mat communities? (3) Are endemic diatom species more tolerant of conditions occurring during low moisture availability than 'cosmopolitan' (geographically widespread) diatoms? The development of new techniques to explore the relationships between microbial community structure and function will be broadly applicable to diverse environments. The award will promote the career of a junior scientist, fund two graduate students and further develop well-established outreach activities targeted to the general public and at-risk high school students.