NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2020: Assessing Changes in Microbial Metabolisms Across Environmental Gradients in the Deep Biosphere

这项行动资助了2020财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，综合研究调查了基因组，环境和表型之间的生命相互作用的规则。该研究金支持研究员的研究和培训，以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。微生物是地球上生命的重要组成部分，在广泛的生境中负责一系列活动。微生物在推动有助于塑造自然世界的地质和环境过程中发挥着关键作用。了解微生物的功能能力可以推进关于全球碳（生命的关键组成部分）循环的知识，并可能有助于阐明跨环境梯度的生命极限。相对较少的研究已经完成，直接联系特定的微生物与活跃的化学（代谢）过程在真实的时间。这项研究将使用新技术将微生物类型与其在深海海底环境中的功能作用直接联系起来。这将有助于了解微生物如何在极端环境中生存并促进生态系统过程。该研究员将通过与当地的美洲土著部落学院制定科学交流计划，并让不同的本科生参与环境研究，来扩大对科学的参与。沉积物生物圈支撑着地球上最大的生态系统之一的地球生物量的很大一部分。微生物在深层生物圈中的环境作用在很大程度上是未知的，但在这个生态系统中的氧化还原条件的范围提供了一个独特的机会，探索微生物如何响应环境刺激的变化。这项研究旨在描述深海生物圈中活跃的微生物种群，并将这些活跃的类群与环境梯度中的代谢功能联系起来，以将驱动深海碳流的遗传学，生理学和生态学联系起来。该研究员将使用双正交非规范氨基酸标记（BONCAT），荧光激活细胞分选（FACS），单细胞基因组学，宏基因组和元转录组测序，直接活性测量和地球化学方法来识别活跃的微生物种群并破译参与其代谢的基因。表征代谢潜力和活动之间的联系将直接有助于理解生命规则的代谢功能的变化。此外，该研究员旨在通过组织和实施科学交流计划来扩大科学参与，该计划为来自不同背景的学生提供接触和参与深海研究的机会。该计划将专门设计用于将当地美洲原住民部落学院的学生与前沿研究联系起来，从而增加科学中代表性不足的人口的包容性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Microorganisms represent a significant portion of life on Earth and are responsible for an array of activities across a wide range of habitats. Microbes play a pivotal role in driving geological and environmental processes that help shape the natural world. Understanding the functional capabilities of microorganisms can advance knowledge about global carbon (a key building block of life) cycling and may help elucidate the limits of life across environmental gradients. Relatively few studies have been done that directly link specific microorganisms with active chemical (metabolic) processes in real time. This research will use new technology to directly link microbial types to their functional roles in deep subseafloor environments. This will provide insight into how microbes survive and contribute to ecosystem processes in extreme environments. The fellow will broaden participation in science by developing a science communication program with a local Native American tribal college and by engaging diverse undergraduate students in environmental research. The sediment biosphere supports a significant portion of Earth’s biomass in one of the largest ecosystems on the planet. The environmental roles of microbes in the deep biosphere are largely uncharacterized, but the range of redox conditions in this ecosystem presents a unique opportunity to explore how microbes respond to changes in environmental stimuli. This research aims to characterize the active microbial populations in the deep biosphere and link these active taxa with metabolic function across environmental gradients to correlate the genetics, physiology, and ecology that drive deep sea carbon flow. The fellow will use biorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging (BONCAT), fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), single cell genomics, metagenome and metatranscriptome sequencing, direct activity measurements, and geochemical approaches to identify active microbial populations and decipher the genes involved in their metabolisms. Characterizing linkages between metabolic potential and activity will contribute directly to the understanding of the Rules of Life governing changes in metabolic function. Additionally, the fellow aims to broaden science participation by organizing and implementing a science communication program that provides students from diverse backgrounds with opportunities to be exposed to and participate in deep sea research. This program will be designed specifically to connect students from a local Native American tribal college with cutting-edge research, thus increasing inclusion of a population underrepresented in science.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.