NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: Viruses: Architects of Microbial Community Metabolism

这项行动资助了2019财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究员将探索病毒，其微生物宿主和人类驱动的海洋营养物质变化之间的界面。病毒是地球上最丰富的生物实体，但如果没有细胞宿主（包括微生物），病毒就无法繁殖。病毒通过多种机制操纵它们感染的微生物的代谢，这对全球营养循环产生了影响。病毒改变微生物活性的一种方式是通过遗传改变微生物代谢以更好地适应病毒复制，这也可以改变微生物利用关键营养素（包括氮）的方式。氮是海洋中的一种基本化学物质，也是所有生物的基本组成部分。在上个世纪，人类活动使氮在自然生态系统中的沉积增加了五倍。这种流入改变了微生物群落的组成和功能。这项研究的目的是了解病毒的遗传学如何促进微生物代谢，以更好地预测微生物群落如何对人类驱动的营养增加做出反应。该研究员还将通过与包括残疾学生在内的代表性不足的群体的学生合作，提高科学的包容性。该项目的目标是使用多维测序方法，在硝酸盐/尿素丰富的海洋生态系统中，对病毒编码的辅助代谢基因（AMG）库和宿主病毒动态进行总体描述。通过将原位实验与共存的病毒和细胞聚生体的计算机分析相结合，本研究旨在解决氮修正对（1）微生物群落周转和推定的代谢能力，（2）病毒编码的AMG的组成和分布，以及（3）参与宿主-病毒相互作用的途径的微生物转录的意义。实验设计期望区分富营养化的短期和长期影响，提供有关AMG动态和过渡条件下稳定性的基线信息。作为水生生态系统的组成部分，病毒管理微生物多样性，进化和代谢，这是必要的，以调查宿主病毒的动态和病毒介导的增殖AMG在预期的未来生物地球化学条件下。除了促进研究员的关键生物信息学和分子技能的发展，该计划将使国际合作，提高包容性和通用设计在现场的整合，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响进行评估来支持审查标准。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2019, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The Fellow will explore the interface between viruses, their microbial hosts, and human-driven changes in marine nutrients. Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on the planet yet cannot multiply without cellular hosts, including microbes. Viruses manipulate the metabolism of the microbes that they infect through numerous mechanisms, which has consequences for global nutrient cycling. One way that viruses modify microbial activities is by genetically altering microbial metabolism to better suit viral replication and this can also alter the way that microbes utilize key nutrients, including nitrogen. Nitrogen is a fundamental chemical in oceans and an essential component of all organisms. Human activities have increased the deposition of nitrogen into natural ecosystems five-fold over the last century. This influx alters the composition and function of microbial communities. The goal of this research is to understand how the genetics of viruses contributes to microbial metabolism to better predict how microbial communities respond to human-driven nutrient increases. The Fellow will also enhance inclusivity in science by working with students from underrepresented groups, including students with disabilities.This project targets an aggregate portrait of virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic gene (AMG) repertoires and host-virus dynamics in nitrate/urea-replete marine ecosystems using a multidimensional sequencing approach. By coupling in situ experimentation with in silico analysis of coexisting viral and cellular consortia, this research aims to resolve the significance of nitrogen amendment on (1) microbial community turnover and putative metabolic capacity, (2) composition and distribution of virus-encoded AMGs, and (3) microbial transcription of pathways involved in host-virus interactions. The experimental design expects to differentiate between short- and long-term impacts of eutrophication, providing both baseline information about AMG dynamics and stability under transitional conditions. As integral members of aquatic ecosystems, viruses govern microbial diversity, evolution, and metabolism; it is imperative to investigate host-virus dynamics and virus-mediated proliferation of AMGs under anticipated future biogeochemical conditions. In addition to facilitating the Fellow's development of key bioinformatic and molecular skills, this program will enable international collaboration, improve inclusivity and integration of universal design at fieldwork sites, and engage individuals of underrepresented groups through curriculum design and mentorship.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.