CAREER: Mlcrobial Lipidomics in Changing Oceans (MILCO)

职业：不断变化的海洋中的微生物脂质组学 (MILCO)

• 批准号: 2047057
• 负责人: Julio Sepulveda
• 金额: $ 79.75万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2047057&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Mlcrobial; Lipidomics; Changing; Oceans

The response of ocean ecosystems to global environmental change is an important concern for ocean scientists and the public. The proposed research focuses on developing chemical tools to investigate how marine microbes respond and adapt to changes in their surrounding environment, such as increasing temperature, ocean acidification, oxygen loss, and availability of nutrients. Modifications in the lipids (a.k.a. biomarkers, or fats) present in the cell membranes of all known forms of life allow organisms to cope with environmental stress. The team will use “lipidomics,” an emerging field that involves studying the complete set of lipids produced by a given organism or an entire ecosystem, to understand how microbes can adapt to the global-scale changes in the environment impacting the ocean. They will do this using mesocosm and microcosm experiments. Mesocosms are large-scale outdoor experimental systems that examine the natural environment under semi-controlled conditions. Microcosms are small-scale indoor experimental systems that allow controlled experimentation of individual organisms or simplified ecosystems with one or more parameters. These systems offer unparalleled teaching opportunities about the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and their interaction with the physical and chemical environment. In parallel with the research efforts, the CU Boulder team will lead an effort to enhance bilingual (English/Spanish) ocean educational curriculum and activities for school children and teachers, particularly from underprivileged backgrounds, as well as the general public in the landlocked state of Colorado. Recent advances in lipidomics now allow the use of lipids as indicators of microbial adaptation to environmental change. This CAREER project uses an integrated experimental and educational approach to examine: (a) lipid remodeling in natural microbial communities exposed to multiple environmental stressors tied to varying upwelling intensity, explored through large scale mesocosm experiments; b) lipid remodeling in key phytoplankton groups isolated from upwelling ecosystems, subjected to selected environmental stressors in microcosm and culture experiments; and (c) new bilingual (English/Spanish) educational modules and outreach opportunities that will enhance ocean literacy with the aim of inspiring and empowering citizens to promote the health of our oceans. The work will test the overarching hypotheses that experimental studies allow the distinction between changes in lipidome caused by varying biological sources (phylogeny) and physiological adaptation (lipid remodeling) of source organisms exposed to changing physical-chemical conditions. Results will illuminate the application of intact polar lipids (IPLs) in observational oceanography for the study of microbial adaptation to future scenarios of global change—something that to date has not been rigorously tested. In addition, this study will further inform the interpretation of biomarkers preserved in marine sediments as tracers of past microbial and biogeochemical processes. The educational focus will be implemented through the School at Sea that includes: (a) development of educational modules (Microcosm-in-a-Mason-jar and Mesocosm-in-my-backyard experiments) for students in grades 5-8 that will be tested in local schools and then disseminated in stablished education and outreach programs at CU Boulder; (b) promotion of ocean literacy among high school students as well as minority and community college undergraduate students; (c) training of the next generation of science educators and volunteers (Sea Rangers) in activities that will promote ocean literacy. Furthermore, results from this study will serve as the basis for curriculum development for undergraduate courses in global change and organic geochemistry. Key partnerships with CU’s Museum of Natural History through the Girls At the Museum Exploring Science (GAMES) program, Science Discovery Program, and CIRES’s Education and Outreach Office, as well as the Inland Ocean Coalition will provide platforms for the dissemination of School at Sea to a broader audience of students and the general public.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.

海洋生态系统对全球环境变化的响应是海洋科学家和公众关注的重要问题。拟议的研究重点是开发化学工具，以调查海洋微生物如何应对和适应周围环境的变化，如温度升高，海洋酸化，氧气损失和营养物质的可用性。脂质中的修饰（a.k.a.生物标志物或脂肪）存在于所有已知生命形式的细胞膜中，使生物体能够科普环境压力。该团队将使用“脂质组学”，这是一个新兴领域，涉及研究由给定生物体或整个生态系统产生的整套脂质，以了解微生物如何适应影响海洋的全球环境变化。他们将使用中尺度和微观实验来做到这一点。中生态系统是在半受控条件下研究自然环境的大型户外实验系统。微宇宙是一种小规模的室内实验系统，允许对单个生物或简化的生态系统进行一个或多个参数的受控实验。这些系统提供了关于水生生态系统的功能及其与物理和化学环境的相互作用的无与伦比的教学机会。在研究工作的同时，CU博尔德团队将领导一项努力，以加强双语（英语/西班牙语）海洋教育课程和活动的学童和教师，特别是来自贫困背景，以及一般公众在内陆国家的科罗拉多。脂质组学的最新进展现在允许使用脂质作为微生物适应环境变化的指标。该CAREER项目采用综合实验和教育方法来研究：（a）暴露于与不同上升流强度相关的多种环境压力源的天然微生物群落中的脂质重塑，通过大规模围隔实验进行探索; B）从上升流生态系统中分离的关键浮游植物群体中的脂质重塑，在微观和培养实验中受到选定的环境压力源;以及（c）新的双语（英语/西班牙语）教育单元和外联机会，以加强海洋知识，目的是激励和增强公民促进海洋健康的能力。这项工作将测试总体假设，即实验研究可以区分不同生物来源（系统发育）引起的脂质组变化和暴露于不断变化的物理化学条件的源生物的生理适应（脂质重塑）。结果将阐明完整的极性脂质（IPL）在观测海洋学中的应用，用于研究微生物对未来全球变化情景的适应性-迄今为止尚未经过严格测试。此外，这项研究将进一步为解释海洋沉积物中保存的生物标志物作为过去微生物和生物地球化学过程的示踪剂提供信息。教育重点将通过海上学校实施，包括：（Microcosm-in-a-Mason-jar和Mesocosm-in-my-backyard实验），供5-8年级的学生使用，这些学生将在当地学校进行测试，然后在CU Boulder的既定教育和推广计划中传播;（B）在高中生以及少数民族和社区大学本科生中促进海洋知识;（c）培训下一代科学教育工作者和志愿者（海洋游骑兵）开展促进海洋知识的活动。此外，本研究结果将作为全球变化和有机地球化学本科课程开发的基础。通过在博物馆探索科学（游戏）计划，科学发现计划和CIRES的教育和外联办公室的女孩与CU的自然历史博物馆的关键伙伴关系，以及内陆海洋联盟将为向更广泛的学生和公众传播海上学校提供平台。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过评估被认为值得支持使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准。

项目成果

Bacterial and eukaryotic intact polar lipids point to in situ production as a key source of labile organic matter in hadal surface sediment of the Atacama Trench

• DOI: 10.5194/bg-19-1395-2022
• 发表时间: 2022-03
• 期刊: Biogeosciences
• 影响因子: 4.9
• 作者: E. Flores;Sebastian I. Cantarero;P. Ruiz-Fernández;N. Dildar;M. Zabel;O. Ulloa;J. Sepúlveda

Phytoplankton response to a warming ocean

浮游植物对海洋变暖的反应

• DOI: 10.1126/science.abo5235
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Science
• 影响因子: 56.9
• 作者: Sepúlveda, Julio;Cantarero, Sebastian I.
• 通讯作者: Cantarero, Sebastian I.