NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009

这项行动为2009财年的NSF少数民族博士后研究奖学金提供资金，并根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）提供资金。该研究金支持研究员在东道实验室的研究和培训计划，研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与的计划。Angelia Seyfferth的研究和培训计划的题目是“田间水稻砷吸收和转化的生理机制”。“这项奖学金所支持的研究和培训正在斯坦福大学进行，由Scott Fendorf、Devaki Bhaya和Peter Vitousek博士主持。人们担心，南亚和东南亚地下水的砷污染正在造成人类历史上最大的暴露，超过1. 4亿人饮用砷含量达到危险水平的水。 通过食用这种受污染的地下水灌溉的大米而接触砷，可能与通过饮用水接触砷具有同等或更大的重要性，特别是对于依赖大米维持生计的人口。 植物处理砷的各种化学形式的方式不同。 因此，重要的是要了解不同的机制，进入水稻根和随后的转运向食用谷物。 目前还没有解决哪种化学形式在田间生长的水稻根际和不同植物组分中占主导地位。 本研究项目的总体目标是阐明砷的吸收，积累，并在田间种植的水稻转化利用X射线吸收光谱和质量平衡与放射性标记砷的主要机制。 具体的培训目标是在生物学，化学，地质学和环境科学的界面获得实地经验，并学习新的分析工具和技术，以实现既定的科学目标。 更广泛的影响包括与柬埔寨当地稻农的联系，以及指导研究生和本科生。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009 and is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Angelia Seyfferth is "Physiological Mechanisms Underlying Arsenic Uptake and Transformation in Field-Grown Rice (Oryza sativa L.)." The research and training supported by this fellowship is being conducted at Stanford University under the sponsorships of Drs. Scott Fendorf, Devaki Bhaya, and Peter Vitousek.It is feared that arsenic (As) contamination of groundwaters in southern and southeastern Asia is causing the largest exposure in human history where more than 140 million people are drinking water with hazardous levels of arsenic. Exposure to arsenic through consumption of rice irrigated with this contaminated groundwater may be of equal or greater importance than exposure through drinking water, particularly for populations that rely on rice for sustenance. Plants do not deal with the various chemical forms of arsenic in the same way. Therefore, it is important to understand the different mechanisms of entry into rice roots and subsequent translocation toward the edible grain. Which chemical form is predominant in the rhizosphere of field-grown rice and within different plant fractions is presently unresolved. The overall goal of this research project is to elucidate the predominant mechanism of arsenic uptake, accumulation, and in planta transformation within field-grown rice utilizing both X-ray absorption spectroscopy and mass-balance with radiolableled arsenic. The specific training objectives are to gain field experience at the interface of biology, chemistry, geology, and environmental science and to learn new analytical tools and techniques to achieve the stated scientific goals. The broader impacts include outreach to local Cambodian rice farmers and mentoring graduate and undergraduate students.