PBI: Global Biodiversity of Eumycetozoans

摘要DEB-0316284，“PBI：Eumycetozoans的全球生物多样性“一笔赠款已授予阿肯色州大学的Frederick Spiegel博士，用于研究一组被称为Eumycetozoa的微生物的全球分布。 此外，被称为黏菌的真菌体都有一个类似阿米巴的阶段，以细菌和真菌为食，这些细菌和真菌分解环境中积累的死亡植物物质。 当变形虫阶段完成进食后，它会发育成一个孢子散布的子实体，看起来像真菌。正是通过这些子实体的存在，才能识别和计数真菌体。 变形虫生物体对于释放锁定在细菌和真菌中的营养物质并使其为植物所用非常重要。 因此，了解具有代表性的变形虫生物在世界各地的分布情况，可能会对这些生物如何在环境中移动和定居有所了解。 真菌动物是很好的代表变形虫，因为它们的子实体很容易收集和识别。 此外，几种真菌体是生物学中重要的模式系统。 这笔赠款将资助一个关于真菌动物的国际专家小组，他们将：1）在世界上收集不足的地区进行真菌体实地调查，2）编制一个主要的标本数据库，包括现有的收集和实地调查的数据，3）利用这些数据编制所有物种的世界分布图，4）开发一个关于真菌体的网站，其中将纳入这些数据库，分布图，并对世界范围清单中预计的1，200 - 1，300个物种进行全面描述，以及5）编写关于真菌动物的教育材料，供感兴趣的外行、学生和副分类学家使用。 这是首次尝试对真菌原虫（或任何一组变形虫）进行全球生物编目，并将首次全面汇编这一重要微生物组的全球标本库。 该项目由NSF国际科学与工程办公室共同资助。

Abstract for DEB-0316284, "PBI: Global Biodiversity of Eumycetozoans"A grant has been awarded to Dr. Frederick Spiegel at the University of Arkansas to study the worldwide distribution of a group of microscopic organisms known as the Eumycetozoa. Also, known as slime molds, the eumycetozoans all have an amoeba-like stage that feeds on the bacteria and fungi that break down the dead plant matter that builds up in the environment. When the amoebal stage is done feeding, it develops into a spore-dispersing fruiting body that looks like a fungus.It is by the presence of these fruiting bodies that eumycetozoans can be identified and enumerated. Amoeboid organisms are important for releasing the nutrients locked up in the bacteria and fungi and making them available to plants. Therefore, knowing how representative amoeboid organisms are distributed around the world may give some idea of how such organisms move around and become established in an environment. Eumycetozoans are good representative amoebae because their fruiting bodies can be easily collected and identified. In addition, several eumycetozoans are important model systems in biology. This grant will fund an international team of experts on the eumycetozoans who will: 1) conduct field surveys for eumycetozoans in areas of the world that are undercollected, 2) compile a major specimen database including existing collections and the data from field surveys, 3) use this data to compile world distribution maps of all species, 4) develop a web site on eumycetozoans that will incorporate the databases, distribution maps, and comprehensive descriptions of the anticipated 1,200 - 1,300 species expected in the world wide inventory, and 5) prepare educational materials on eumycetozoans for use by interested laypersons, students, and parataxonomists. This is the first attempt at a global bioinventory of eumycetozoans (or any group of amoebae) and will produce the first comprehensive compilation of the world wide specimen base of this important group of microorganisms. The project is co-funded by NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering.