Molecular fossils, environmental genomics and the natural history of an Australian salt lake

湖泊含盐量的增加是澳大利亚可持续供水的关键问题。为了理解人类导致的盐碱化的后果，在最基本的层面上了解盐湖是至关重要的。该项目开发了开创性的技术，以前所未有的详细程度阐明盐湖的微生物生态和地球化学。这将为揭示微生物生态系统如何适应日益严重的盐碱化，以及它们如何对过去的气候波动做出反应开辟了新的途径。学生将获得环境基因组学、蛋白质组学和地球化学方面的多学科技能，这一独特的组合将对理解和保护我们大陆的生态系统起决定性作用。

Increasing salinity of lakes is a critical problem for sustainable water supply in Australia. To comprehend the consequences of human-induced salinization, it is crucial to understand salt lakes at their most fundamental level. This project develops pioneering technologies to elucidate the microbial ecology and geochemistry of salt lakes in unprecedented detail. It will open new pathways to unravel how microbial ecosystems adapt to increasing salinization, and how they reacted to climate fluctuations in the past. Students will gain multidisciplinary skills in environmental genomics, proteomics and geochemistry, a unique combination that will become decisive for understanding and preserving ecosystems on our continent.