IntBIO: Collaborative Research: Integrating nanobiotechnologies to understand the role of nitro-oxidative stress in the coral-dinoflagellate mutualistic symbiosis dynamics

当造礁珊瑚暴露在压力条件下时，了解细胞内发生的复杂过程对于指导未来的保护工作和珊瑚礁生存的工程解决方案至关重要。该项目将重点研究珊瑚与生活在珊瑚组织中的微小藻类之间的关系，特别是在压力期间非常活跃的分子（称为自由基）的积累和交换，这些分子在高剂量下会对细胞产生破坏性影响。珊瑚和藻类的共生关系对珊瑚礁的生存至关重要。随着地球海洋环境的变化，这种共生关系变得不稳定，以至于像海洋热浪这样的极端条件会导致珊瑚组织中的藻类被排出，使珊瑚变成肉眼可见的白色，这种情况被称为“珊瑚白化”。本研究将采用多学科方法，结合海洋生物学、分子科学、生态生理学、物理学、纳米工程和3D制造，探索复杂珊瑚-藻类共生中的自由基浓度和动力学如何导致珊瑚白化。本项目涉及的科学培训和外展将努力与不同团体合作，促进综合多学科STEM方法和素养，以应对复杂的当代挑战。大规模珊瑚白化事件的频率和严重程度都有所增加。然而，导致共生破坏（生态失调）的机制仍不清楚。自由基的积累被认为是生态失调的主要驱动因素。在这个项目中，研究人员将首先研究珊瑚细胞和鞭毛藻细胞在分离和共生下的细胞反应，以创建一个3D物理生物杂交珊瑚模型。该模型将由模拟珊瑚骨架的硬基和模拟珊瑚组织的珊瑚和藻类细胞结合的生物墨水组成。该模型将使研究人员能够根据细胞类型、细胞密度和组织结构，在不同条件下，包括在与漂白相关的压力水平下，以高分辨率研究细胞内部和生物链的变化。表征工具包将包括先进的显微镜、基因表达、代谢组学、纳米探针测量、材料表征、计算建模、3D打印和3D生物打印。在预期的结果中，研究人员预计该项目将深刻地改变我们对共生生物中与珊瑚组织微环境相关的自由基动力学的理解。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。

Understanding the complex processes that occur inside cells when reef-building corals are exposed to stressful conditions is essential to guiding future conservation efforts and engineering solutions for the survival of coral reefs. This project will focus on the relationship between corals and the microscopic algae living in their tissue, especially the accumulation and exchange of very reactive molecules (known as free-radicals) during periods of stress, which can have damaging effects on cells at high doses. The symbiosis between coral and algae is crucial for coral reef survival. As conditions in Earth’s oceans change, this symbiosis becomes unstable, such that extreme conditions like marine heat waves lead to expulsion of algae from the coral tissue, turning corals white to the naked eye, a condition known as "coral bleaching." This research will use a multidisciplinary approach--combining marine biology, molecular sciences, ecophysiology, physics, nanoengineering, and 3D fabrication--to explore how free-radical concentrations and dynamics within the complex coral-algae symbiosis may contribute to coral bleaching. The scientific training and outreach involved in this project will strive to engage with various groups to promoted integrative multidisciplinary STEM methodology and literacy for tackling complex contemporary challenges.Mass coral bleaching events have increased in frequency and severity. However, the mechanism leading to the breakdown of symbiosis (dysbiosis) is still poorly characterized. The accumulation of free-radicals is understood to be a primary driver of dysbiosis. In this project, researchers will first study the cellular response in isolation and symbiosis of both the coral cells and the dinoflagellate algae cells to create a 3D physical biohybrid coral model. The model will be composed of a hard base mimicking the coral skeleton and bioink combined with coral and algae cells mimicking the coral tissue. This model will allow researchers to study the changes inside the cells and the bioink at high resolution under different conditions, including during stress levels associated with bleaching, according to cell type, cell density and tissue architecture. The characterization toolkit will consist of advanced microscopy, gene expression, metabolomics, nanoprobe measurements, material characterization, computational modeling, 3D printing and 3D bioprinting. Amongst the expected outcomes, researchers anticipate this project will profoundly transform our understanding of free-radical dynamics in symbiotic organisms in relation to the coral tissue microenvironment.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.