Dimensions: Collaborative Research: Anthropogenic nutrient input drives genetic, functional and taxonomic biodiversity in hypereutrophic Lake Taihu, China

人类活动使许多河流和湖泊的氮输入量急剧增加，导致藻类大量繁殖，威胁到这些沃茨的经济和娱乐用途。太湖是中国第三大湖泊，由于过量的营养投入，导致有毒蓝藻大量繁殖。身份，氮处理能力，并在太湖微生物群落的活动将进行检查，以确定是否可以预测氮处理的身份和遗传组成的知识，这些社区。将测量氮循环的各个组成部分，并将其与代表性分子标记联系起来，再加上高通量基因测序，将提供淡水生态系统氮循环过程的基因数据库。该项目的一个目标是将微生物分类学、遗传学和功能学数据连接到一个模型中，该模型可以预测营养物质输入的减少将如何影响有毒蓝藻水华。该项目将广泛适用于受过量营养物质输入威胁的水生系统的管理，这是一个在世界范围内日益严重的问题。其他更广泛的影响将包括高中，本科和研究生的培训，国际学生交流，博士后研究人员的培训，并将科学新闻专业的学生纳入实地研究，以促进成人科学素养。

Human activities have dramatically increased nitrogen inputs into many rivers and lakes, causing algal blooms that threaten economic and recreational uses of those waters. Lake Taihu, the third largest lake in China, experiences damaging blooms of toxic cyanobacteria as a result of excessive nutrient inputs. The identities, nitrogen processing capabilities, and activities of microbial communities in Lake Taihu will be examined to determine if nitrogen processing can be predicted from knowledge of the identity and genetic makeup of those communities. Various components of the nitrogen cycle will be measured and linked to representative molecular markers which, coupled with high throughput genetic sequencing, will provide a genetic database of nitrogen-cycling processes in freshwater ecosystems. A goal of the project will be to link microbial taxonomic, genetic, and functional data in a model that can predict how reduction of nutrient inputs will affect toxic cyanobacterial blooms.This project will have broad applicability to the management of aquatic systems that are threatened by excessive nutrient inputs, a problem that is increasing worldwide. Additional broader impacts will include training of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, international student exchanges, training of a postdoctoral researcher, and incorporation of science journalism students into field studies to promote adult scientific literacy.