Micronutrient-based interactions in marine microbial communities

海洋微生物发挥着维持地球生命所必需的一系列功能，包括产生大气中一半的氧气和合成支持渔业资源的有机碳。这项研究计划的目标是开发和实施新的工具，使用显微镜技术和通过质谱测量蛋白质，以提高我们对控制这些重要海洋微生物过程的理解。海洋微生物就像人类一样，需要铁、锌和维生素等微量营养素来维持生存。在海洋中，这些微量营养素基本上是稀缺的，它们的浓度在短时间和空间尺度上以数量级变化。对这些有限的资源存在竞争，但微生物也有合作的方式来有效地分享、生产和消耗微量营养素。该研究项目将专注于开发新的工具，以了解(1)海洋中何时何地这些微量营养素的可用性决定了海洋生态系统中产生了多少氧和碳；(2)生物如何合作或竞争以充分利用这些稀缺资源；(3)重要海洋微生物群体之间的关系如何受到对这些微量营养素的需求的驱动。这项工作需要在规定的条件下对包括浮游植物和细菌在内的海洋微生物进行广泛的实验室培养和检查。实验室研究的结果将用于设计和实施反映海洋自然群落微量营养素需求和供应的测量，研究地点包括南极南大洋和苏格兰大陆架。通过这些研究获得的信息将有助于对海洋生产力的潜在变化以及这种变化如何影响渔业和其他沿海资源（包括有害藻华的可能性）提供新的见解。该实验室将培养能够开发和应用创新的蛋白质诊断和微生物培养方法的高素质人员，用于环境监测、生物技术和健康科学。

Oceanic microbes conduct a range of functions that are essential for the maintenance of life on earth, including the production of half of the oxygen in our atmosphere and the synthesis of organic carbon that supports fishery resources. The goals of this research program are to develop and implement novel tools, using microscopy techniques and measurement of proteins via mass spectrometry, to advance our understanding of what controls these important marine microbial processes. Marine microbes, just like humans, require micronutrients such as iron, zinc and vitamins for survival. In the oceans, these micronutrients are largely scarce and their concentrations vary by orders of magnitude over short time and spatial scales. There is competition for these limited resources, but there are also ways in which microbes cooperate to share, produce and consume micronutrients efficiently. This research program will focus on developing new tools to understand (1) when and where in the ocean the availability of these micronutrients shapes how much oxygen and carbon are produced in marine ecosystems, (2) how organisms cooperate or compete to make the most of these scarce resources and (3) how relationships between important groups of marine microbes are driven by demand for these micronutrients. This work requires extensive laboratory culturing and examination of marine microbes, including phytoplankton and bacteria, under defined conditions. Results from laboratory studies will be used to design and implement measurements reflecting micronutrient demand and supply in natural communities in the ocean, with study sites including the Antarctic Southern Ocean and the Scotian Shelf. The information gained through these studies will contribute novel insights into potential changes in marine productivity and how this may impact fisheries and other coastal resources, including the potential for harmful algal blooms. This laboratory will generate highly qualified personnel capable of developing and applying innovative protein diagnostics and microbial culturing approaches of use in environmental monitoring, biotechnology, and the health sciences.