EAGER-NEON: Exploring Ecosystem Contributions of Microbial Diversity to the Vertical Atmosphere

空气微生物群落（AMC），其中包括细菌和真菌知之甚少。 该项目将在北美以氖核心地点为特征的四种自然生态系统类型以上的五个海拔高度对AMC的组成进行采样。 将使用系留和发射的球载采样器的一种新组合，在大气层中收集最高达25公里的样本。 在生态系统内，将收集城市和非城市地区的样本。 这个鲜为人知的生命带的特征将有助于我们对周围生命的基本了解，并有助于更好地了解生物圈的功能和人类对它的影响。这项探索性的研究将对大气中的细菌，古生菌和真菌进行采样。 将采用经验证的采用气球技术的空气微生物采样器。 大气测量结果将与地面样本进行比较。 丰度将通过基因测序进行定量。 氖数据将用于确定土壤微生物和主要植被，并将其作为AMC的预测因子进行评估。 将使用植被群落研究中常见的统计方法，对生态系统、海拔、季节和城市化样本的相似性进行数据描述和假设检验。 更广泛的影响，除了增加基本知识，将包括本科荣誉学生的培训机会，配对生物和工程专业，并针对代表性不足的群体。

Little is known about airborne microbial communities (AMCs), which include bacteria and fungi. The project will sample the composition of AMCs at five altitudes above four natural ecosystem types in North America that are characterized by NEON core sites. A novel combination of tethered and launched balloon-borne samplers will be used to collect samples up to 25 km in the atmosphere. Within the ecosystems, samples over urban and non-urban areas will be collected. The characterization of this little know life zone will contribute to a basic knowledge of the life around us and help to better understand biosphere function and human impacts on it.This exploratory research will sample bacteria, archaea, and fungi in the atmosphere. Validated aerial microbial samplers using balloon technology will be employed. Atmospheric measures will be compared with surface samples. Abundances will be quantified by genetic sequencing. NEON data will be used to determine soil microbes and dominant vegetation, which will be evaluated as predictors of AMCs. Descriptions of the data and hypothesis tests on the similarity of samples by ecosystem, altitude, season, and urbanization will be carried out using statistical methods common in vegetation community studies. Broader impacts, in addition to increasing basic knowledge, will include training opportunities for undergraduate honors students, pairing biology and engineering majors and targeted at under-represented groups.