Nematode-Bacteria Symbioses Research Coordination Network: Promoting Multidisciplinary Research and Expanding Educational Curricula

线虫-细菌共生研究协调网络：促进多学科研究和扩展教育课程(提案IOS-0840932)PI：S.Patricia Stock，亚利桑那大学CoPIs：大卫·伯德，北卡罗来纳州立大学Elodie Ghedin，匹兹堡医学院海蒂·古德里奇-布莱尔，威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校微生物与高等生物之间的密切联系在自然界中广泛存在，存在于每一种类型的生态位中。这些关联中的相互作用范围从高度整合的强制性共生到“松散的”组合。鉴于微生物共生对几乎所有地球生态系统的功能的重要性，并为了深入了解共生的基本过程，该项目的研究人员将专注于最常见的微生物-动物相互作用：线虫和细菌之间的相互作用。线虫和细菌之间的联系从偶然到专性，从有益到致病。线虫-细菌共生体的普遍存在和多样性使其成为理解共生中关键问题的极佳模型。然而，尽管世界各地来自医学、农业、生态学和遗传学等不同学科的科学家目前正在研究这两类生物之间的联系，但它们并不相互作用。为了解决这一跨越学科界限的迫切需要，参与该项目的四个私人投资机构将通过组织一个关于“线虫-细菌共生”的研究协调网络，促进研究细菌-线虫协会的科学家之间的知识话语。具体目标是：1)促进科学家之间的跨学科合作；2)鼓励从事基础和应用研究的科学家探索串扰和联网如何促进和推动这一领域的科学；3)为科学家和教育工作者编制和分发教育材料，促进将线虫-细菌共生作为科学和教育的示范系统的研究。在美国或其他地方，没有其他研究小组在线虫-细菌相互作用的广泛范围上与拟议的研究工作组相似。领导这一网络的调查人员将与其他社团互动，传播知识，并与既定的会议相衔接。将努力将博士后助理、研究生和本科生纳入该企业，并与国际同行一起。

Nematode-Bacteria Symbioses Research Coordination Network: Promoting Multidisciplinary Research and Expanding Educational Curricula (Proposal IOS-0840932)PI: S. Patricia Stock, University of ArizonaCoPIs: David Bird, North Carolina State University Elodie Ghedin, Pittsburgh School of Medicine Heidi Goodrich-Blair, University of Wisconsin Madison Intimate associations between microbes and 'higher' organisms are widespread in nature, occurring in every type of ecological niche. The interactions in these associations range from highly integrated obligatory symbioses to 'loose' assemblages. Given the importance of microbial symbioses to the functioning of virtually all earth ecosystems, and to gain insights into fundamental processes underlying symbiosis, researchers in this project will focus on one of the most common microbe-animal interactions: that between nematode worms and bacteria. Associations between nematodes and bacteria range from fortuitous to obligate and from beneficial to pathogenic. The ubiquity and diversity of nematode-bacterium symbioses make them an excellent model to understand the key questions in symbiosis. However, while scientists worldwide from disciplines as diverse as medicine, agriculture, ecology, and genetics are currently studying associations between these two groups of organisms, they do not interact. To address this critical need for crossing disciplinary lines, the four PIs involved in this project will promote the intellectual discourse among scientists studying bacteria-nematode associations by organizing a Research Coordination Network on 'Nematode-Bacteria Symbioses'. Specific goals are:1) Foster interdisciplinary collaborations between scientists;2) Encourage scientists engaged in basic and applied research to explore how cross-talk and networking can enhance and advance science in this field,3) Develop and distribute educational materials to scientists and educators to promote the study of nematode-bacteria symbioses as model systems in science and education. There is no other group in the United States or elsewhere that is similar to the proposed research work group in its broad scope of nematode-bacteria interactions. Investigators leading this network will interact with other societies to disseminate knowledge and dovetail with established meetings. Efforts will be made to include postdoctoral associates, graduate students, and undergraduates into this enterprise, along with international colleagues.