Deciphering subsurface microbial activity on the Iberian Margin

本提案旨在描述在IODP 339阶段从海底沉积物中提取的微生物的特征，并将它们与在秘鲁边缘类似沉积物中发现的特征良好的微生物组进行比较。亚转录组学分析可以通过靶向整个样本信使RNA并将RNA与已知基因功能联系起来，从而识别活性生物群系。因此，可以评估整个微生物群落的代谢行为和分类，并确定活跃与不活跃生物群（古生物群与生物群系）的相对比例。用于转转录组学分析的样品选自1)地下浅层富硫酸盐区域的部分岩心；2)深层地下富含甲烷的样品，3)硫酸盐-甲烷转变附近的样品。要验证的假设是，这些化学变化与样本生物学直接相关。为了充分实现第339次远征的目标，这项工作是必要的。更广泛的影响包括研究生和早期职业研究者参与，社区外展和IODP讲师。科学影响包括世界部分地区的特征？世界上最大的和最不了解的生态系统，海底深层生物圈。发现新物种和代谢途径的潜力是巨大的。

This proposal seeks to characterize the microbes recovered from sub ocean floor sediments cored during IODP leg 339 and compare them to the well-characterized microbial suite found in similar sediments off the Peru margin. Metatranscriptomic analysis enables the recognition of the active biome by targeting the whole sample messenger RNA and relating the RNA to known gene function. Thus the metabolic behavior and taxonomy of the entire microbial community can be assessed and the relative proportion of active vs. inactive biota (paleome vs. biome) determined. The samples for metatranscriptomic analysis are selected from portions of the core taken from 1.) sulfate-rich areas in the shallow subsurface; 2.) methane-rich samples from the deeper subsurface, and 3.) samples taken from near the sulfate-methane transition. The hypothesis to be tested is that these chemical variations are directly related to sample biology. This work is needed in order for the objectives of expedition 339 to be fully met. Broader impacts include graduate and early career investigator involvement, community outreach, and an IODP lectureship. Scientific impacts include characterization of part of the world?s largest and most poorly understood ecosystem, the sub-seafloor deep biosphere. The potential for discovering new species and metabolic pathways is significant.