SID/ISMS, An Autonomous Instrument for Combined In Situ Tracer Incubation Studies and Preservation of Microbial Samples for Genomic, Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analysis

国际海洋研究所要求提供资金，建造、测试和实施一种仪器(潜水培养装置--原位微生物采样器)，以满足目前分子微生物生态学和海洋环境中生物地球化学元素循环研究对水柱采样的要求。这一仪器将实现对关键微生物驱动的速率过程的现场自主时间序列测量，同时在同一地点对环境进行同步采样(现场样品保存)，以便将测量的活动与催化生物体的特性和功能相关联。新的发展将包括一个用于示踪率测量的2L孵化室，一个新的固定过滤器单元，可以在不需要外部机电支持的情况下对过滤后的样品进行原位化学保存以提供防腐剂，并纳入SDSL数据。广泛影响：研究生和博士后可能会有使用这项新技术的经验，它在海试期间收集的样本将有助于撰写毕业论文。这项技术很可能会恢复对科学来说是新的遗传物质，并产生可以在SID模块中进行的整个生物地球化学测量范围的修订后的速率测量。使用WHOI和CMORE推广计划来推广新的采样/收集技术，将确保接触到其他有兴趣从事科学事业的代表性不足的群体。这一新工具应该使科学家能够更深入地了解水生生态系统，而不是简单地满足于现有技术，因为现有技术限制了科学创造力。

The PI's request funding to build, test and implement an instrument (Submersible Incubation Device-In Situ Microbial Sampler (SID-ISMS) that will satisfy the current requirements for water column sampling for studies in molecular microbial ecology & biogeochemical element cycling in the marine environment. This instrumentation will make possible autonomous in situ, time series measurements of critical microbially-driven rate processes in conjunction with contemporaneous sampling (in situ sample preservation) of the environment at the same location to allow association of measured activities with the identity and function of the catalyzing organisms. New developments will include a 2L incubation chamber for tracer rate measurements, a new Fixation Filter Unit allowing in situ chemical preservation of filtered samples without need for external electromechanical support for preservative delivery & incorporation of a SDSL data.Broader Impacts: Grad-students and post-docs will likely have the experience to work with this new technology and the samples it collects during the sea trials will contribute to graduate theses. It's quite likely that this technology will recover genetic material that is new to science and produce revised rate measurements for the entire range of biogeochemical measurements that could be conducted in the SID module. The use of WHOI and CMORE outreach programs to promote the new sampling/collection technology will ensure exposure to other underrepresented groups with an interest in pursuing careers in science. This new tool should enable scientists to move to the next level of understanding aquatic ecosystems and not simply 'settle' for the available technology, which currently limits scientific creativity.