EAGER: Studies of native grassland soil nematodes to develop genomic approaches to study community responses in non-model taxa

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The community of bacteria and microorganisms in the soil is fundamental to ecosystem processing such a nutrient cycling, but has been hard to study in the past because the organisms are so small. New technology in gene and genome sequencing now permits detailed analyses of the sorts of genetic changes that occur in microorganisms in response to human disturbance and climate change. This project will investigate four species of soil nematodes, tiny worms that eat bacteria, native to the Konza Prairie in Kansas. Each species of nematode will be grown on each of four native species of bacteria to determine which genes are most strongly expressed in the worms when they occur with each of the bacteria. The data can be compared to detailed experimental data already available for the well-studied model nematode worm species, Caenorhabditis elegans.By learning how particular nematodes respond to the bacteria that they contact and consume, it will be possible to develop better models of how the soil community responds to disturbance in both the short term and the long term. We are only beginning to learn which soil bacteria, nematodes, and other microorganisms are beneficial or harmful in particular situations, and what their role is in helping to stabilize plant and animal communities. This project will provide a uniquely detailed view of the interactions that occur among the tiny denizens of the soil and will enhance scientific infrastructure through provision of genetic data and analytical tools.