FSML: Acquisition of instrumentation at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography to establish a Laboratory for Imaging Microbial Ecology (LIME)

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Marine microbes are an essential component of all marine ecosystems, and play a central role in mediating how carbon and nutrients flow through the ocean. This facilities improvement project will enhance the capacity of the University of Georgia's Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO; http://www.skio.uga.edu/) to conduct innovative research in the area of marine microbial ecology and biogeochemistry by the upgrade and acquisition of instrumentation. Funds will be utilized to expand the capabilities of the current flow cytometry equipment to better enumerate small microbes, as well as to acquire new equipment that can visualize and classify microbes based on image recognition software. Additionally, an instrument that has the capacity to measure a suite of algal photosynthetic parameters will be purchased. These instruments will enhance the ability to investigate microbial interactions from the nanometer though millimeter scales (from viruses to mesozooplankton) and will anchor a new integrated analytical facility at SkIO called the Laboratory for Imaging Microbial Ecology (LIME). The creation of LIME will allow SkIO to advance fundamental research in biological oceanography, while making the Institution a regional beacon for interdisciplinary ecological and biogeochemical studies.The ability to enumerate, visualize, and assess the physiological status of microbes across a range of sizes and trophic levels is critical to furthering a mechanistic understanding of the interactions among marine microbes, and how these interactions impact biogeochemical processes. With this project, SkIO will acquire a FlowCam®, a Fluorescence Induction and Relaxation (FIRe) instrument, and Zooscan system, and will expand the capabilities of two existing flow cytometers (CytoSense and Guava EasyCyte 5HT). This equipment will help SkIO build the capacity for high-throughput cultivation experiments, enhance visualization of microbes, improve the automation of sample analysis, and advance the ability to measure important physiological parameters over a large range of particle/organism sizes. Images can capture interactions in situ, and enumeration of individuals can reveal outcomes of a particular interaction. These observations are essential for moving beyond bulk rate measurements towards the linkage of mechanisms and rates along both spatial and trophic scales. In addition, by enhancing infrastructure for scientific research, this project will enhance educational opportunities through established programs currently at SkIO including: university undergraduate courses, summer undergraduate internships, and educational outreach programs with HBCU's. Further, this new technology will help strengthen collaborations and partnerships with regional research consortiums, and be used during an annual Marine Science Day for the local community.