LinkPI: Linking Phenotype function with Identity: a novel integrated single-cell technology and metagenomics approach

在环境中发现的广泛多样的微生物在维持我们星球的可持续性方面发挥着核心作用。然而，人类活动已经并正在严重改变它们的运作能力和功能本身。这方面的一个关键例子是，由于废水中存在抗生素，野生细菌中的抗菌素耐药性的发展。其影响是对全球经济和健康的一个新的重大威胁。越来越多的证据表明，单个细胞的遗传组成的变化，以及这些变化在其物理特征中的表现方式，在这些微生物的命运中起着关键作用。尽管有这些知识，但目前大多数微生物的研究都依赖于在实验室中培养和分析它们作为大群体，而不是在个体水平上。更复杂的是，大多数天然存在的微生物（>99%）不能在实验室条件下生长。这给了解微生物的原位活动及其对不断变化的环境的反应带来了巨大的挑战。在本项目中，我们将建立一种新的方法来识别复杂微生物群落中的活性微生物，将单个细胞的行为和遗传特征联系起来。具体而言，我们将利用尖端技术进步来分析，分类和从微生物混合物中分离微生物。为实现这一目标，我们将努力开发新的现场采样设备和方案。然后将使用一系列尖端的实验室技术分析这些样本。该项目的一个主要特点是与世界领先的互补专业知识研究小组建立新的国际合作。这不仅为我们提供了一系列世界级的工具，而且还使我们能够在当地收集和处理来自地球仪的样品。这些河流包括中国上海附近的燕子河、伦敦附近的泰晤士河和韩国首尔附近的汉江。

The wide ranging and diverse microorganisms found within the environment play a central role in maintaining sustainability on our planet. However, their ability to function and the functions themselves have been and are being seriously altered by human activities. One key example of this is the development of antimicrobial resistance in wild bacteria as a result of antibiotics that can be found in waste water. The impact of this is a significant emerging threat to the global economy and health. Increasing evidence shows that variations in the genetic makeup of individual cells, together with the way these are manifest in their physical characteristics plays a critical role in the fate of these microorganisms. Despite this knowledge, most studies of microorganisms currently rely on culturing and analysing them as large groups in laboratories, rather than on the individual level. To further complicate matters, the majority of the naturally occurring microbes (>99%) are not capable of being grown in laboratory conditions. This imposes formidable challenges to understand the activities of microbes in situ and their response to the ever-changing environments.In this project we will establish a novel approach to identify active microbes of interest within complex microbial communities, linking the behaviour and genetic profile of individual cells. Specifically, we will exploit the cutting-edge technology advances to analyse, sort and characterise microbes from a mixture of microorganisms. To achieve this, we will work to develop new devices and protocols for collecting samples on-site. These samples will then be analysed using a range of cutting-edge, lab-based techniques. One key feature of the project is the forging of new international collaborations with the world leading research groups of complementary expertise. This not only provides us with access to a range of world-class tools, but also enables the local collection and handling of samples from sites of interest around the globe. These include the Yanzi river near Shanghai in China, the River Thames near London and the Han River near Seoul in Korea.