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Traces of microbial life and activity in Arctic endolithic habitats

北极内石生境中微生物生命和活动的痕迹

基本信息

批准号：
2548385
负责人：
金额：
--
依托单位：
Queen Mary University of London
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Studentship
财政年份：
2021
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2021 至无数据
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2548385
关键词：
Traces microbial life activity Arctic

项目摘要

Arctic endolithic (rock-dwelling) microbial communities are a key interface between biology and geology, yet their diversity, distribution, and metabolic capabilities remains vastly unexplored. The Arctic's sensitivity to changes in climate makes it especially imperative to understand the interactions between microorganisms and environmental conditions to enable the prediction of future ecological changes. Furthermore, endolithic communities are vital for our understanding of the parameters for life in extreme environments. Despite subzero temperatures, nutrient shortage, and a lack of liquid water, these "islands of microbial life" thrive beneath the surface of translucent rocks, where they are protected from the harsh conditions of the Arctic. However, little is known about the diversity and ecology of such communities in the Arctic. The aims of this PhD project are therefore two-fold: 1) to characterise the composition and functional adaptations of microbial communities present in Arctic endolithic habitats, and 2) to utilise novel imaging and spectroscopy methods to investigate microbe-mineral interactions and biosignatures associated with these microbial communities. This project will involve collaboration within a multidisciplinary team including the Natural History Museum and the London Centre for Nanotechnology, addressing key cross-disciplinary questions about life in extremes and the strategies needed to search for past life in the geological record on Earth, and potentially elsewhere in the Solar System.

北极石器时代(岩石栖息)微生物群落是生物学和地质学之间的关键界面，但它们的多样性、分布和代谢能力仍极大地有待探索。北极对气候变化的敏感性使得了解微生物与环境条件之间的相互作用，从而能够预测未来的生态变化尤为必要。此外，石器时代的群落对于我们理解极端环境中的生命参数至关重要。尽管气温为零度以下，营养短缺，液态水缺乏，但这些“微生物生命岛”在半透明的岩石表面下茁壮成长，在那里它们受到保护，不受北极恶劣条件的影响。然而，人们对北极此类群落的多样性和生态知之甚少。因此，该博士项目的目标有两个：1)描述北极石器时代生境中微生物群落的组成和功能适应性，2)利用新颖的成像和光谱方法来研究微生物-矿物相互作用和与这些微生物群落相关的生物特征。该项目将涉及包括自然历史博物馆和伦敦纳米技术中心在内的一个多学科小组的合作，解决有关极端生命的关键跨学科问题，以及在地球地质记录中以及可能在太阳系其他地方寻找过去生命所需的战略。