Dimensions: Collaborative Research: Research on Airborne Ice-Nucleating Species (RAINS)

维度：合作研究：空气冰核物种（RAINS）研究

• 批准号: 1241068
• 负责人: Boris Vinatzer
• 金额: $ 90.99万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2017-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1241068&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dimensions; Collaborative; Research; Airborne; Ice

Microorganisms are abundant in the atmosphere and play an important role in controlling cloud development, cloud chemistry and ultimately weather patterns. They do this primarily by producing enzymes that catalyze the formation (nucleation) of ice crystals at significantly warmer temperatures than would normally be required for ice formation (-2 C vs. -36 C). Despite the atmosphere?s fundamental role in their dispersal, the abundance, diversity and flux of microorganisms in the atmosphere remain largely unknown. The potential of ice-nucleating microorganisms to significantly impact meteorology and promote microbial dispersal during precipitation events motivates this research. The RAINS project will sample rain, snow and air samples at ground level, and in the lower atmosphere using remote-controlled aircraft. The project will: (1) characterize microbial taxonomic diversity, including in precipitation that occurred between 1794 AD and present, and which is preserved in glacial ice; (2) determine the genetic diversity of microbial assemblages and of individual ice nucleating bacteria and (3) examine the functional diversity with respect to the role of precipitation and biological ice nucleation on patterns of microbial distribution. The work will also determine which microbes carried to the Earth?s surface via precipitation present possible inoculum sources for diseases that impact humans, domestic animals, and plants. The RAINS project will increase understanding of biodiversity in the planetary boundary layer of the atmosphere, where important meteorological phenomena such as precipitation occur. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommended developing a better understanding of the effect of aerosols and atmospheric ice formation in order to improve climate models and forecast the impact of rising global temperature. The proposed study will increase knowledge on the nature of the most active ice nucleators in the atmosphere. Microbial ice nucleation may also allow microorganisms and certain plant pathogens to efficiently cycle between the atmosphere and surface habitats, and RAINS will contribute to ongoing efforts to assess the movement of ice nucleating microorganisms across geographical scales. Outreach efforts will take these advances into high school and college classrooms in the form of hands-on research experiences for students at both levels and will serve as the basis for high school educators to develop unique classroom activities. In addition, an international network of scientists collecting field data on the relationship between biological ice nucleator abundance, cropping patterns and precipitation in dry land regions will be established. RAINS will sponsor an international conference that brings together 10 young career scientists in the network to highlight the advances of these investigations and identify the outstanding scientific questions.

微生物在大气中含量丰富，在控制云的发展、云的化学作用和最终的天气模式方面发挥着重要作用。它们主要通过产生酶来实现这一点，所述酶在比通常冰形成所需的温度（-2 C对-36 C）高得多的温度下催化冰晶的形成（成核）。尽管气氛？由于微生物在其扩散中的基本作用，大气中微生物的丰度、多样性和通量在很大程度上仍然未知。冰成核微生物在降水事件中显著影响气象学和促进微生物扩散的潜力激发了这项研究。 RAINS项目将利用遥控飞机在地面和低层大气中采集雨、雪和空气样本。 该项目将：（1）表征微生物分类多样性，包括发生在公元1794年和现在之间的降水，并保存在冰川冰中;（2）确定微生物组合和单个冰成核细菌的遗传多样性;（3）检查降水和生物冰成核对微生物分布模式的作用的功能多样性。 这项工作还将确定哪些微生物被带到了地球上？通过降水的地表为影响人类、家畜和植物的疾病提供了可能的接种源。RAINS项目将增进对大气层行星边界层生物多样性的了解，大气层是发生降水等重要气象现象的地方。 政府间气候变化专门委员会建议更好地了解气溶胶和大气层结冰的影响，以改进气候模型和预测全球气温上升的影响。拟议的研究将增加对大气中最活跃的冰成核剂性质的了解。微生物冰成核还可以使微生物和某些植物病原体在大气和表面栖息地之间有效地循环，RAINS将有助于评估冰成核微生物在地理尺度上的运动。外联工作将把这些进展带入高中和大学课堂，为这两个级别的学生提供实践研究经验，并将作为高中教育工作者开发独特课堂活动的基础。此外，还将建立一个国际科学家网络，收集关于旱地生物冰核剂丰度、种植模式和降水量之间关系的实地数据。RAINS将主办一次国际会议，召集网络中的10名年轻职业科学家，突出这些调查的进展，并确定突出的科学问题。