CAREER: Career Development in the Emerging Field of Geomycology: Research and Education in Metal Biomineralization by Fungi

职业：地球真菌学新兴领域的职业发展：真菌金属生物矿化的研究和教育

• 批准号: 0846715
• 负责人: Colleen Hansel
• 金额: $ 53.66万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-03-01 至 2012-10-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0846715&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Career; Development; Emerging; Field

While many metals are essential trace nutrients for life, at high concentrations these same metals can be toxic and at times fatal. Within acidic mine waters from abandoned coal mines, concentrations of the metal manganese (Mn) can be two orders of magnitude higher than levels considered a health risk for neurological disorders. We have recently found that oxidation and subsequent immobilization of Mn in acid mine drainage (AMD) environments is mediated by an abundant fungal community that completely and rapidly oxidizes Mn(II) to Mn(III/IV) oxides. Although fungal mediated processes are universally observed and their impact on geological processes indisputable, little is known about the fungal species involved in the biogeochemical cycles of metals, the mechanisms that are employed, and their impact on the mineralogical framework and reactivity of soils and sediments. This CAREER proposal presents an integrated education and research plan to explore and ultimately define the importance of fungi in the oxidation of Mn(II) within surface environments, in particular those impacted by acidic mine waters. The research will be conducted in the scope of an undergraduate project on fungal diversity and a graduate student thesis on the enzymatic, physiological, and geochemical controls on Mn(II) oxidation and biomineralization by key Mn(II)-oxidizing fungal isolates. The specific objectives are to define (1) the phylogenetic and ecological diversity of Mn(II)-oxidizing fungi in AMD systems, (2) the fungal mediated (a)biotic Mn(II) oxidative pathways, (3) the role of biological clocks on Mn(II) oxidation, and (4) the Mn(II) oxidation rates and solid-phase. This research will involve a multidisciplinary approach coupling molecular biology, enzymatic and chemical assays, microscopy and sophisticated micro-spectroscopic techniques to probe microbe-metal-mineral interactions at the molecular and bulk scale. The research outlined in this CAREER proposal will fill major gaps in our knowledge of the biological and geochemical controls of the Mn cycle ? information that is of crucial importance for improving in situ bioremediation (e.g. AMD treatment), stimulating primary productivity, and predicting the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment. Broader Impacts: In most circumstances, placing abstract chemical and biological concepts into real-life situations and applications can peak students interest and learning. The visually striking and disturbing devastation caused by AMD is an ideal environmental framework to educate students about the complexity of physical, microbiological, and chemical processes that govern the health of the natural world. The main educational outreach component of this proposal will be the creation and instruction of an annual five-day professional development workshop on AMD microbiology for informal and formal educators. The workshop, co-hosted by the Microbial Sciences Initiative at Harvard and the Jennings Environmental Education Center (JEEC), is entitled ?Living in the Acid: The Microbes that Create and Remediate Acid Mine Drainage? and will focus on the biogeochemistry and microbial ecology of AMD ecosystems, including lectures, lab and field exercises, and curriculum development forums. This workshop will be a unique experiential learning opportunity for educators seeking hands-on science instruction with microbes, environmental quality, and the cutting-edge concept of bioremediation. New findings from our proposed research will be directly integrated into the workshop and provide information, including high-resolution images, for permanent public displays for the JEEC. This workshop will serve as a conduit to educate a wide socioeconomic diversity of students spanning from rural to urban settings and to channel advances in our understanding of environmental microbiology and bioremediation to the classroom and to the general public.

虽然许多金属是生命所必需的微量营养素，但在高浓度下，这些金属可能是有毒的，有时甚至是致命的。在废弃煤矿的酸性矿井沃茨中，金属锰（Mn）的浓度可能比被认为对神经系统疾病的健康风险高两个数量级。我们最近发现，氧化和随后的固定化锰在酸性矿山排水（AMD）环境中介导的丰富的真菌群落，完全和迅速氧化锰（II）锰（III/IV）氧化物。虽然真菌介导的过程是普遍观察到的，它们对地质过程的影响是无可争议的，很少有人知道的真菌物种参与金属的地球化学循环，所采用的机制，以及它们对矿物学框架和土壤和沉积物的反应。本职业生涯建议提出了一个综合的教育和研究计划，探索并最终确定真菌在地表环境中Mn（II）氧化的重要性，特别是受酸性矿井沃茨影响的环境。这项研究将进行的范围内的真菌多样性和研究生论文的酶，生理和地球化学控制Mn（II）氧化和生物矿化的关键Mn（II）氧化真菌菌株的本科项目。具体目标是定义（1）AMD系统中Mn（II）氧化真菌的系统发育和生态多样性，（2）真菌介导的（a）生物Mn（II）氧化途径，（3）生物钟对Mn（II）氧化的作用，以及（4）Mn（II）氧化速率和固相。这项研究将涉及一个多学科的方法耦合分子生物学，酶和化学测定，显微镜和先进的显微光谱技术，以探测微生物-金属-矿物在分子和散装规模的相互作用。在这个职业生涯的建议概述的研究将填补我们的知识的锰循环的生物和地球化学控制的主要空白？这些信息对于改善原位生物修复（例如AMD处理）、刺激初级生产力以及预测环境中污染物的命运和运输至关重要。更广泛的影响：在大多数情况下，将抽象的化学和生物学概念融入现实生活和应用中可以提高学生的兴趣和学习。AMD造成的视觉冲击和令人不安的破坏是一个理想的环境框架，教育学生了解管理自然世界健康的物理，微生物和化学过程的复杂性。该提案的主要教育推广部分将是为非正式和正式教育工作者创建和指导为期五天的AMD微生物学年度专业发展研讨会。研讨会，共同主办的微生物科学倡议在哈佛和詹宁斯环境教育中心（JEEC），是题为？生活在酸中：微生物创造和修复酸性矿井排水？并将侧重于AMD生态系统的微生物化学和微生物生态学，包括讲座，实验室和现场练习，以及课程开发论坛。本次研讨会将是一个独特的体验式学习机会，为教育工作者寻求动手科学指导与微生物，环境质量和生物修复的前沿概念。我们拟议研究的新发现将直接整合到研讨会中，并提供信息，包括高分辨率图像，用于JEEC的永久公共展示。该讲习班将作为一个渠道，教育从农村到城市环境的广泛社会经济多样性的学生，并将我们对环境微生物学和生物修复的理解的进步引导到课堂和公众。