Nematode-Bacteria Symbioses Research Coordination Network: Promoting Multidisciplinary Research and Expanding Educational Curricula

线虫-细菌共生研究协调网络：促进多学科研究和扩大教育课程（提案IOS-0840932）PI: S. Patricia Stock，亚利桑那大学opis: David Bird，北卡罗莱纳州立大学Elodie Ghedin，匹兹堡医学院Heidi Goodrich-Blair，威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校微生物和“高等”生物之间的密切联系在自然界中广泛存在，发生在每种类型的生态位中。这些关联中的相互作用范围从高度整合的强制性共生到“松散”的组合。考虑到微生物共生对几乎所有地球生态系统功能的重要性，以及为了深入了解共生的基本过程，该项目的研究人员将重点研究最常见的微生物-动物相互作用之一：线虫和细菌之间的相互作用。线虫和细菌之间的联系从偶然到必然，从有益到致病。线虫-细菌共生的普遍性和多样性使它们成为理解共生关键问题的一个很好的模型。然而，尽管世界各地来自医学、农业、生态学和遗传学等不同学科的科学家目前正在研究这两组生物之间的联系，但它们并不相互作用。为了解决这一跨越学科界限的关键需求，参与该项目的四个pi将通过组织“线虫-细菌共生”研究协调网络，促进研究细菌-线虫关系的科学家之间的知识话语。具体目标是：1)促进科学家之间的跨学科合作；2)鼓励从事基础和应用研究的科学家探索如何通过相声和网络来加强和推动这一领域的科学发展；3)为科学家和教育工作者编写和分发教材，以促进线虫-细菌共生作为科学和教育模式系统的研究。在美国或其他地方，没有其他小组在线虫-细菌相互作用的广泛范围内与提议的研究工作组相似。领导这个网络的研究人员将与其他学会互动，传播知识，并与已建立的会议配合。将努力将博士后、研究生和本科生以及国际同事纳入这项事业。

Nematode-Bacteria Symbioses Research Coordination Network: Promoting Multidisciplinary Research and Expanding Educational Curricula (Proposal IOS-0840932)PI: S. Patricia Stock, University of ArizonaCoPIs: David Bird, North Carolina State University Elodie Ghedin, Pittsburgh School of Medicine Heidi Goodrich-Blair, University of Wisconsin Madison Intimate associations between microbes and 'higher' organisms are widespread in nature, occurring in every type of ecological niche. The interactions in these associations range from highly integrated obligatory symbioses to 'loose' assemblages. Given the importance of microbial symbioses to the functioning of virtually all earth ecosystems, and to gain insights into fundamental processes underlying symbiosis, researchers in this project will focus on one of the most common microbe-animal interactions: that between nematode worms and bacteria. Associations between nematodes and bacteria range from fortuitous to obligate and from beneficial to pathogenic. The ubiquity and diversity of nematode-bacterium symbioses make them an excellent model to understand the key questions in symbiosis. However, while scientists worldwide from disciplines as diverse as medicine, agriculture, ecology, and genetics are currently studying associations between these two groups of organisms, they do not interact. To address this critical need for crossing disciplinary lines, the four PIs involved in this project will promote the intellectual discourse among scientists studying bacteria-nematode associations by organizing a Research Coordination Network on 'Nematode-Bacteria Symbioses'. Specific goals are:1) Foster interdisciplinary collaborations between scientists;2) Encourage scientists engaged in basic and applied research to explore how cross-talk and networking can enhance and advance science in this field,3) Develop and distribute educational materials to scientists and educators to promote the study of nematode-bacteria symbioses as model systems in science and education. There is no other group in the United States or elsewhere that is similar to the proposed research work group in its broad scope of nematode-bacteria interactions. Investigators leading this network will interact with other societies to disseminate knowledge and dovetail with established meetings. Efforts will be made to include postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduates into this enterprise, along with international colleagues.