Catalyst Project: Microbial trophic complexity in waterbodies: elucidating the role of algal-microbiome-nutrient interactions in harmful algal bloom formation

Catalyst项目为历史上的黑人学院和大学提供支持，以建立教师的研究能力，以加强科学、技术、工程和数学本科教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教师的研究能力，提高学院的研究和教学水平，并让本科生参与研究经验。阿拉巴马州立大学的这个项目打算与奥本大学的研究人员合作，研究微生物（细菌、原生生物、藻类）多样性和营养物质富集在有害藻华（HAB）形成中的作用。该项目将有助于建立一个积极的微生物生态学研究和培训方案，以教育和指导少数民族学生。水生微生物的生物多样性和营养复杂性代表了原核和真核微生物的多样性。水生微生物在减少营养负荷（通过营养同化或循环）和控制其他入侵或有害微生物物种（如微囊藻）方面的作用是公认的，尽管探索较少。本项目将采用多组学方法，在实验室和野外试验中测试营养投入和微生物多样性在微囊藻生存和赤潮形成中的作用。该项目的结果可能有助于更广泛地了解水体中有害藻华形成和控制的微生物因素。综上所述，本研究有助于我们在微生物组生物多样性和生态系统功能研究的背景下制定预测和控制赤潮的策略。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing the research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering, and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution, and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. This project at Alabama State University intends to investigate the role of microbial (bacteria, protists, algae) diversity and nutrient enrichment in the formation of Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB) in collaboration with researchers at Auburn University. The project will contribute to efforts aimed at establishing an active research and training program in microbial ecology for educating and mentoring minority students.Aquatic microbial biodiversity and trophic complexity represent a diverse set of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbes. The role of aquatic microbes in reducing nutrient loads (via nutrient assimilation or cycling) and controlling other invasive or harmful microbial species such as Microcystis spp., is acknowledged, though less explored. This project will mechanistically test the role of nutrient inputs and microbial biodiversity in the survival of Microcystis spp., and HAB formation in lab and field experiments using multi-omics approaches. The results from this project may contribute to a broader understanding of microbial factors underlying HAB formation and control in waterbodies. Overall, the proposed research may help us develop strategies aimed at predicting and controlling HABs in the context of microbiome biodiversity and ecosystem functioning research.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.