Incorporating Genomics into the MBL Microbial Diversity Course to be held at The Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA

该奖项将促进将基因组科学纳入马萨诸塞州伍兹霍尔海洋生物实验室的微生物多样性暑期课程。托马斯·施密特（密歇根州立大学）和威廉·梅特卡夫（伊利诺伊大学）将担任这门课程的联合主任，这是一个为期6.5周的密集讲座，并以实验室为基础，专为研究生、博士后研究员和知名研究人员设计。微生物多样性课程利用了伍兹霍尔附近的多种自然环境：咸水沼泽中的微生物垫，淡水沼泽中的厌氧群落，海洋生态系统中的远洋和底栖生物群落，以及许多孕育微生物共生体的海洋动植物。强调基于文化的方法一直是这门课程的历史支柱；然而，分子方法的革命及其对已培养和尚未培养的微生物研究的影响不容忽视。基因组学方法的持续注入将为使用基于序列的方法、分子系统发育学和比较基因组学提供指导，以挖掘各种微生物的财富。这门课程的一个重要的新内容将是包含探索使用宏基因组学作为工具来检查允许微生物种群在其环境中茁壮成长的遗传特征的模块。通过整合进化和基因组科学的原理，本课程将提供一个新陈代谢多样性的视角，这是由塑造微生物及其基因组的自然选择力量所决定的。开设这样一门课程的一个更广泛的影响是，来自世界各地和科学领域代表性不足的群体的参与者将能够与他们本国机构的同事分享统一的、当代的微生物学观点。基于发现的研究将被用作教授培养和分子方法来研究微生物生物多样性的工具。重要的是，课程的很大一部分致力于深入的独立研究项目，允许每个学生根据各自的教育需求和兴趣定制他们的课程体验。还计划举办一系列关于微生物多样性、基因组学和生态学领域当前感兴趣的主题的小型专题讨论会。这些活动使学生有机会与世界知名的研究人员以及从事微生物学前沿研究的年轻研究人员见面并进行互动。

This award will facilitate the incorporation of genome-enabled science into the Microbial Diversity Summer Course at the Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods Hole, MA. Thomas Schmidt (Michigan State University) and William Metcalf (University of Illinois) will be co-directors of the course, which is an intensive 6.5-week lecture and laboratory-based experience designed for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and established investigators. The Microbial Diversity course takes advantage of the diverse natural environments found near Woods Hole: microbial mats in salt water marshes, anaerobic communities in freshwater bogs, pelagic and benthic communities in marine ecosystems, and the many marine animals and plants that harbor microbial symbionts. The emphasis on culture-based approaches has been the historical backbone of the course; however, the revolution in molecular methods and their impact on the study of both cultivated and yet-to-be cultivated microorganisms will not be ignored. The continued infusion of genomic approaches into the course will provide instruction in the use of sequence-based methodologies, molecular phylogenetics, and comparative genomics to mine the riches of diverse microbes. A significant new addition to the course will be the inclusion of modules exploring the use of metagenomics as a tool for examining the genetic traits that allow microbial populations to thrive in their environments. By integrating principles from evolutionary and genomic sciences, the course will offer a perspective of metabolic diversity that is informed by the natural selective forces that have shaped microbes and their genomes. One of the broader impacts of offering such a course is that participants form around the world and from underrepresented groups in the sciences will be in a position to share a unified, contemporary vision of microbiology with colleagues at their home institutions. Discovery based research will be used as a vehicle to teach both the cultivation and molecular approaches to study microbial biodiversity. Importantly, a significant portion of the course is devoted to in-depth independent research projects, allowing each student to tailor their course experience to their respective educational needs and interests. A series of mini-symposia on current topics of interest in the areas of microbial diversity, genomics, and ecology are also planned. These allow students the opportunity to meet and interact with world-renowned investigators, as well as young investigators conducting cutting-edge research in microbiology.