Research Starter Grant

蒙大拿大学的斯科特·R·米勒博士获得了一项研究启动拨款，以帮助该研究所在微生物生态和进化方面建立一个独立的研究计划。这项合同将使PI能够采购所需的材料和用品，以便在以前得到支持的调查的基础上，解决与自然界中微生物多样性的来源和分布有关的关键问题。将结合种群遗传、生理和田间生态方法，利用世界各地不同地理位置的温泉“岛屿”生境中发现的蓝藻Mastigocladus作为自然实验系统，测试关于遗传和生理变异如何在孤立的微生物种群内和之间分布的想法。将完成三个具体项目：(1)从世界各地收集的Mastigocladus实验室分离株的几个代谢基因的DNA序列数据将通过最近发展的系谱方法进行分析，以评估特定代谢途径上的局部自然选择、迁徙的地理障碍和遗传重组在形成Mastigocladus多样性方面的各自作用；(2)将利用生理实验来确定区分先前研究中确定的Mastigocladus六个主要进化“部落”的生态差异；(3)通过分析从不同温度下生长的细胞收集的DNA序列数据模式，将沿着研究充分的温泉温度梯度测试环境温度与种群内Mastigocladus遗传变异之间的假设关联。了解影响地球上微生物多样性分布的进化、人口和地理因素是微生物生态学的关键目标。通过采取多种方法相结合的方法，明确阐述自然选择、机会和地理对Mastigocladus遗传和生态多样性全球格局的贡献，这项研究将为微生物多样性的起源以及这种多样性如何从一个地方转移到另一个地方提供新的见解。

A research starter grant has been awarded to Dr. Scott R. Miller of The University of Montana to assist the PI's establishment of an independent research program in microbial ecology and evolution. This award will enable the PI to procure materials and supplies required to build upon previously supported investigations that address key issues regarding the origins and distribution of microbial diversity in nature. Population genetic, physiological and field ecological approaches will be integrated in order to test ideas about how genetic and physiological variation is distributed within and among isolated microbial populations, using the cyanobacterium Mastigocladus, found worldwide in geographically disparate hot spring "island" habitats, as a natural experimental system. Three specific projects will be completed: (1) DNA sequence data collected for several metabolic genes from Mastigocladus laboratory isolates collected from around the world will be analyzed by recently developed genealogical methods in order to evaluate the respective roles of localized natural selection on specific metabolic pathways, geographic barriers to migration, and genetic recombination in shaping Mastigocladus diversity; (2) physiological experiments will be used to determine the ecological differences that distinguish the six major evolutionary "tribes" of Mastigocladus identified in previous studies; (3) the hypothesized association between environmental temperature and genetic variation of Mastigocladus within a population will be tested along a well-studied hot spring thermal gradient by analyzing patterns of DNA sequence data collected from cells growing at different temperatures.Understanding the evolutionary, demographic and geographical factors that shape the distribution of microbial diversity on the planet is a key goal of microbial ecology. By taking a combination of approaches to explicitly address the contributions of natural selection, chance and geography to the global patterns of genetic and ecological diversity in Mastigocladus, this study will provide new insights into the origins of the diversity of microorganisms and how that diversity moves from one place to another.