NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Investigating the potential role of coral-associated microbes in regulating calcifying fluid chemistry

这一行动资助了2020财年NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学领域代表性不足群体的参与。该研究金支持一项针对该研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。海洋钙化生物，如珊瑚，受到海洋酸化的威胁，海洋酸化是由二氧化碳水平增加引起的海水化学变化引起的。在这个气候变化的时代，重要的是要了解海洋生物如何应对环境变化(如气温上升)。珊瑚和其他海洋钙化生物对OA的反应的一个关键因素是它们调节钙化发生部位的化学物质的能力。共生珊瑚微生物为宿主提供多种服务。例如，一些珊瑚共生细菌可以保护珊瑚宿主免受病原体的侵袭。一些非共生微生物可以帮助碳酸钙矿物的形成。然而，共生微生物是否能起到类似的作用还不得而知。这项研究项目的目的是调查珊瑚共生微生物是否有助于这些珊瑚的钙化。在整个研究金期间，该研究员还将通过领导世界卫生组织博士后社区的读书会，努力扩大生物学中未被充分代表的群体在博士后水平上的参与。这一跨学科项目整合了碳酸盐化学和微生物元基因组分析，旨在显著有助于我们理解(1)海洋钙化生物(特别是海藻)如何调节其钙化部位的化学物质，以及(2)与宿主相关的微生物群落如何有助于宿主的健康和韧性。该项目还将为珊瑚内生共生藻类是否在钙化过程中发挥作用这一有争议的话题提供新的线索。除了致力于这个项目，这位研究员还将领导一个读书俱乐部，目的是帮助参与者了解和讨论传统上代表不足的科学家群体的经验，并评估我们作为个人可以做些什么，让代表不足的少数群体感受到融入我们的社区。读书俱乐部有潜力通过培训盟友来帮助创造一个包容性的环境，从而改善来自代表性不足群体的博士后体验，从而改善博士后水平上代表不足的群体的留住。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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, 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. Marine calcifying organisms, such as corals, are threatened by ocean acidification (OA), caused by changes in seawater chemistry that result from increasing levels of carbon dioxide. It is important to understand, in order to predict, how marine organisms respond to environmental changes (such as increasing temperatures) in this era of climate change. A critical factor in the response of corals and other marine calcifying organism to OA is their ability to regulate the chemistry at the site where calcification happens. Symbiotic coral microbes provide numerous services to their host. For example, some coral symbiotic bacteria can protect the coral host from pathogens. Some non-symbiotic microbes can help the formation of calcium carbonate minerals. However, it is unknown whether symbiotic microbes can play a similar role. The objective of this research project is to investigate whether symbiotic microbes of coral help these coral with calcification. Throughout the duration of the fellowship, the fellow will also work towards broadening participation of groups underrepresented in biology at the postdoctoral level by leading a book club for the WHOI post-doc community.This interdisciplinary project, which integrates carbonate chemistry and microbial metagenomic analysis, aims to contribute significantly to our understanding of (1) how marine calcifying organisms (specifically Astrangia poculata) regulate the chemistry at their site of calcification and (2) how host-associated microbial communities may contribute to the health and resilience of their host. This project will also (3) shed new light on the debated topic of whether or not coral endosymbiotic algae play a role in calcification. In addition to working on this project, the fellow will lead a book club with the aim of helping participants learn about and discus the experiences of traditionally underrepresented groups of scientists and assess what we can do as individuals to make underrepresented minorities feel included within our community. The book club has potential to improve retention of underrepresented groups at the post-doctoral level by training allies that will assist in creating an inclusive environment, thereby improving the experiences of post-docs from underrepresented groups.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.