NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Neutral buoyancy in deep-sea squid: mechanisms of ammonia rich, low density fluid formation and impacts of ocean acidification

2021 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：深海鱿鱼的中性浮力：富含氨、低密度流体形成的机制以及海洋酸化的影响

• 批准号: 2109742
• 负责人: Andrea Durant
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Durant, Andrea
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-03-01 至 2024-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2109742&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The research will examine how deep-sea squid produce a unique fluid for buoyancy. Deep-sea squid produce and store a fluid internally that is the same density as the external seawater, an important strategy for buoyancy that limits the energetic demands of locomotion. The Fellow will examine the cellular processes that lead to this fluid formation in specialized buoyancy organs of deep-sea squid. Furthermore, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities are absorbed by oceans and consequently, the deep-sea is projected to experience the most significant decreases in pH (i.e., ocean acidification) within the next century. Therefore, this research will also examine the impacts of ocean acidification on deep-sea squid buoyancy. The proposed research will provide a novel framework of buoyancy processes in deep-sea squid, which play critical roles in the food web of marine ecosystems both as predator and prey. The Fellow, who is African American, will promote greater inclusion of underrepresented undergraduate students at the University of Miami through meaningful mentorship involving the proposed research activities. The Fellow will also coordinate an annual World Ocean’s Day program to engage Miami-Dade elementary school children in ocean sciences.Many species of deep-sea squid use some form of ammonium (NH4+) retention to achieve neutral buoyancy, a very poorly understood physiological adaptation allowing for a low-energy lifestyle. This research will examine physiological mechanisms underlying NH4+-rich fluid formation in deep-sea squid and determine the effect of ocean acidification on buoyancy, as NH4+ regulation is generally linked with acid-base homeostasis in animals. Field collections of live specimens combined with powerful molecular approaches, including next-generation sequencing, will be used to (1) characterize the ion-transport mechanisms allowing for NH4+ retention in the buoyancy organs of squid and (2) examine alterations in the NH4+ retention mechanisms in response to acidified seawater. Main findings will describe the first ion transport model in ammoniacal squid and identify changes in physiological endpoints (i.e., buoyancy) in the context of ocean acidification. The Fellow will receive training in the fields of bioinformatics and cell culturing systems as well as implementing an annual World Ocean’s Day event aimed at broadening participation through the involvement of elementary school students from the Miami-Dade area.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.

这一行动资助了NSF 2021财年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。这项研究将研究深海鱿鱼如何产生一种独特的浮力流体。深海鱿鱼在体内产生和储存一种与外部海水密度相同的液体，这是一种重要的浮力策略，限制了运动的能量需求。这位研究员将研究深海鱿鱼特殊浮力器官中导致这种液体形成的细胞过程。此外，人类活动产生的二氧化碳(CO2)被海洋吸收，因此，深海预计将在下个世纪经历最显著的pH值下降(即海洋酸化)。因此，这项研究还将考察海洋酸化对深海鱿鱼浮力的影响。这项拟议的研究将为深海鱿鱼的浮力过程提供一个新的框架，深海鱿鱼作为捕食者和猎物在海洋生态系统的食物网中发挥着关键作用。这位非裔美国人将通过参与拟议的研究活动的有意义的指导，促进迈阿密大学未被充分代表的本科生更多地被纳入其中。这位研究员还将协调一年一度的世界海洋日计划，让迈阿密-戴德的小学生参与海洋科学。许多深海鱿鱼物种利用某种形式的铵(NH4+)保持来实现中性浮力，这是一种非常鲜为人知的生理适应，允许低能量的生活方式。这项研究将研究深海鱿鱼富含NH4+液体形成的生理机制，并确定海洋酸化对浮力的影响，因为NH4+调节通常与动物的酸碱平衡有关。现场收集的活体标本将与包括下一代测序在内的强大分子方法相结合，用于(1)表征允许NH4+在鱿鱼浮力器官中保留的离子传输机制，以及(2)研究NH4+保留机制对酸化海水的响应变化。主要发现将描述氨性鱿鱼的第一个离子传输模型，并确定在海洋酸化背景下生理终点(即浮力)的变化。该研究员将接受生物信息学和细胞培养系统领域的培训，并实施一年一度的世界海洋日活动，旨在通过迈阿密-戴德地区的小学生参与扩大参与。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。