NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Japan

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This action funds Christien Philip Laber of Rutgers University to conduct a research project in Biology during the summer of 2013 at the University of Tsukuba in Tsukuba, Japan. The project title is "Coccolithovirus Presence and Active Infection of the Phytoplankton Emiliania Huxleyi in the Northwest Pacific Ocean." The host scientist is Yoshihiro Shiraiwa.The phytoplankton Emiliania huxleyi is a coccolithophore found in most regions of the ocean and is known for producing large summer bloom populations in the North Atlantic frequently terminated by a double stranded DNA virus called coccolithovirus (EhV), "short circuiting" carbon transport to higher food web levels and influencing the biogeochemical cycling of carbon. This host-virus interaction has not yet been documented in the Pacific Ocean. This project uses a set of nucleic acid and lipid based molecular tools to probe Pacific waters for the presence, diversity, and activity of coccolithovirus off the west coast of Japan. This includes the detection of evolutionarily similar sphingolipid biosynthesis genes in E. huxleyi and EhV as well as viral glycosphingolipids (vGSLs), which are reliable lipid based markers for EhV presence and activity in natural assemblage. Nucleic acid tools are used to investigate the historical presence and preservation of EhV in the sediment record as well. Laboratory experiments are also being conducted to observe the interaction of cultured E. huxleyi and EhV with viral concentrates and coccolithophores of natural assemblage. This approach addresses whether EhVs are prominent in the western Pacific, if the vGSL biosynthetic pathways triggered during viral infection are similar to those used by North Atlantic EhV, if natural conditions are sufficient for infection to progress, and the historical preservation of EhV infection in regional sediment. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, the results will increase our understanding of EhV distribution, which will provide a platform for diversity, ecological, and biogeochemical studies. Laber will also work with COSEE NOW at the Institute of Marine and Coastal Science at Rutgers to translate and broadcast the study and experience to the public.