Collaborative Research: IODP Expedition 336 Objective Research: The deep biosphere of young and oxic oceanic crust

该提案解决了海洋钻探计划的一个基本目标，即帮助描述地球上最大但研究最少的生态系统之一，即埋在海底下的火成岩地壳的深层生物圈。IODP第336次考察队的主要科学目标是调查大西洋中脊附近北塘地区玄武岩地壳中的微生物种群。研究样品取自北塘地区约100米沉积物下的风化多孔玄武岩。该研究建议确定微生物种群的多样性（使用DNA）和其代谢活性（使用RNA）。π吗?S将研究地下室微生物与水柱微生物之间的关系，并确定深层地下室微生物使用哪些代谢途径。该研究还将为第336次探险期间安装在海底地下室的长期生物观测站提供基线数据。了解深层生物圈生命是新的IODP科学计划的主要推动力，并对了解生命的极限具有重要意义。美国国家科学基金会资助的C-DEBI（暗能量生物圈研究中心）项目和深地球学院促进了K-12教育，并将深生物圈研究的结果传达给广泛的技术和大众受众。一名本科生将参与这项研究。

The proposal addresses a fundamental aim of the ocean drilling program, namely to help characterize one of the largest and least studied ecosystems on Earth, the deep biosphere of the igneous crust buried below the ocean floor. The principal scientific objective of IODP expedition 336 is, in particular, to investigate the microbial population in basaltic crust from the North Pond area near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The study samples are weathered and porous basalts taken from beneath ~100 m of sediment in the North Pond area. The study proposes to determine both the diversity of the microbe population (using DNA) and its metabolic activity (using RNA). The PI?s will investigate the relationship between microbes in the basement and those in the water column and determine which metabolic pathways are used by the deep basement microbes. The study will also provide baseline data for the long-term biological observatories installed in the sub-seafloor basement during expedition 336. Understanding deep biosphere life is a major thrust of the new IODP science plan and has implications for understanding the limits of life. The NSF-funded C-DEBI (Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations) program and Deep Earth Academy promote K-12 education and communicate the results of deep biosphere studies to broad technical and popular audience. An undergraduate student will be involved in the research.