SGER: Are wastewater treatment plants islands?

[06:300 . 92]本研究的目的是组织和测试一个中试规模的网络，以研究污水处理厂生物反应器中的微生物岛生物地理和多样性。最初，拟议的网络将包括来自英国、中国、韩国和斯坦福大学的研究小组，他们将重点研究废水处理过程中的重要微生物类别：氨氧化剂。该研究的具体科学目标将是确定硝化生物反应器中氨氧化群落的生物地理和时间变化，并将这些变化与操作和地理因素联系起来。本研究将开发的标准化方法和质量控制程序将适用于为不同功能设计的一系列生物反应器。该项目的长期目标是开发技术程序，将试点规模的网络扩展为通过网络基础设施连接的全球研究人员网络，以分析废水处理系统中的微生物群落。这些网络的结果应该对更广泛的处理过程科学家和工程师在改进生物反应器的设计和操作方面有用。除了在研究中使用尖端的分子工具外，在开发协作网络时，该项目将解决信息技术和网络基础设施前沿的几个挑战。其他国家合作者的参与将促进国际科学合作，项目中建立的数据库将有助于制定关于生物反应器群落生态学的假设。这个建议符合SGER的标准，因为它是一个创新的想法，满足高风险-高回报的标准。PI完全有资格进行拟议的研究，并已进行了初步工作，包括召集了一批令人印象深刻的合作者。

0630092CriddleThe objective of the proposed research is to organize and test a pilot-scale network for the study of the microbial island biogeography and diversity in wastewater treatment plant bioreactors. Initially, the proposed network will include research groups from universities in the United Kingdom, China, South Korea, and Stanford University, who will focus on an important category of microorganisms in wastewater treatment processes: ammonia oxidizers. The specific scientific goal of the study will be to determine the biogeographical and temporal variations in ammonia-oxidizing communities in nitrifying bioreactors and correlate these variations to operational and geographical factors. The standardized methods and quality-control procedures that the study will develop will be applicable to a range of bioreactors designed for different functions. The long-term goal of the project is to develop technical procedures that will allow expansion of the pilot-scale network into a global network of investigators linked by cyberinfrastructure to analyze microbial communities in wastewater treatment systems. Results from such networks should be useful to the broader community of treatment process scientists and engineers in improving bioreactor design and operation. Aside from using cutting-edge molecular tools in the research, in developing the collaborative network, the project will address several challenges at the forefront of information technology and cyberinfrastructure. The involvement by collaborators from other countries will promote international scientific collaboration, and the database developed in the project will be useful in formulating hypotheses about bioreactor community ecology. This proposal fits the criteria for an SGER in that it is an innovative idea and satisfies the high risk-high reward criterion. The PI is well qualified to conduct the proposed study and has conducted preliminary work, including the assembly of an impressive group of collaborators.