MIP: Analysis of endophytic colonization by Klebsiella penumoniae 342 in wheat

植物的内部是细菌尚未开发的广阔栖息地。地球上每克生长的植物组织中可能至少有1万个细菌。这些细菌对植物生长发育的作用在很大程度上是未知的。然而，最近的证据表明，其中一种细菌可以为小麦提供固定氮，小麦是世界上最重要的作物。对小麦固氮作用的进一步了解，可能有一天会使美国的农用草如玉米、小麦、大麦、水稻等不再施用氮肥。氮肥对农民来说非常昂贵，而且会污染地下水供应。在这项工作中，将确定这种固氮细菌进入小麦植株的方式。这种细菌对小麦植株内其他细菌的影响也将被研究。此外，还将探索一些细菌比其他细菌更容易进入植物的基础。有了这些新知识，可以设计系统来提高固氮细菌向植物提供的氮量，以便这些系统有一天可以应用于农业。这项工作也有重要的教育成分。将为全国100万4H青年的目标受众编写全国微生物学课程。这项工作的目标是提供有关受环境中各种细菌影响的问题的科学信息，这些问题包括新出现的疾病、食品安全、生物恐怖主义、水质，甚至气候变化。有了这个课程，大量的美国青年将有能力在这些问题上做出明智的决定。随着时间的推移，这个课程也可能在全国的中学提供。

The interior of plants is a vast unexplored habitat for bacteria. Every gram of growing plant tissue on earth is probably home to at least 10,000 bacteria. The contribution of these bacteria to plant growth and development is largely unknown. However, recent evidence shows that one of these bacteria can provide fixed nitrogen to wheat, the most important crop in the world. Further understanding of this nitrogen fixation in wheat may one day permit the elimination of nitrogen fertilization to agronomic grasses in the United States such as corn, wheat, barley, rice, and others. Nitrogen fertilization is very expensive to farmers and pollutes ground water supplies. In this work, the means by which this nitrogen-fixing bacterium enters wheat plants will be determined. The effects of this bacterium on other bacteria present within wheat plants will also be investigated. In addition, the basis of the ability of some bacteria to enter plants better than others will be explored. With this new knowledge, systems may be designed to improve the amount of nitrogen provided by the nitrogen-fixing bacterium to plants so that these systems may one day be applied to agriculture. This work also has a significant educational component. A national curriculum in microbiology will be prepared for a target audience of 1 million 4H youth nationally. The objective of this effort is to provide science-based information on those issues that are affected by the wide array of bacteria in our environment including emerging diseases, food safety, bioterrorism, water quality, and even climate change. With this curriculum, a large number of American youth will be equipped to make informed decisions on these issues. Over time, this curriculum may also be available to middle schools nationally.