EAGER: Studies of native grassland soil nematodes to develop genomic approaches to study community responses in non-model taxa

土壤中的细菌和微生物群落是生态系统处理（如养分循环）的基础，但由于生物太小，过去很难研究。基因和基因组测序的新技术现在允许对微生物因人类干扰和气候变化而发生的各种遗传变化进行详细分析。这个项目将调查四种土壤线虫，一种以细菌为食的微小蠕虫，原产于堪萨斯州的康扎草原。每一种线虫都将在四种本地细菌中生长，以确定当它们与每种细菌一起出现时，哪些基因在线虫中表达得最强烈。这些数据可以与已经得到充分研究的模型线虫秀丽隐杆线虫的详细实验数据进行比较。通过了解特定的线虫如何对它们接触和消耗的细菌作出反应，将有可能开发出更好的模型，说明土壤群落如何在短期和长期内对干扰作出反应。我们才刚刚开始了解哪些土壤细菌、线虫和其他微生物在特定情况下是有益的或有害的，以及它们在帮助稳定植物和动物群落方面的作用。该项目将为土壤中微小生物之间发生的相互作用提供独特的详细视图，并将通过提供遗传数据和分析工具加强科学基础设施。

The community of bacteria and microorganisms in the soil is fundamental to ecosystem processing such a nutrient cycling, but has been hard to study in the past because the organisms are so small. New technology in gene and genome sequencing now permits detailed analyses of the sorts of genetic changes that occur in microorganisms in response to human disturbance and climate change. This project will investigate four species of soil nematodes, tiny worms that eat bacteria, native to the Konza Prairie in Kansas. Each species of nematode will be grown on each of four native species of bacteria to determine which genes are most strongly expressed in the worms when they occur with each of the bacteria. The data can be compared to detailed experimental data already available for the well-studied model nematode worm species, Caenorhabditis elegans.By learning how particular nematodes respond to the bacteria that they contact and consume, it will be possible to develop better models of how the soil community responds to disturbance in both the short term and the long term. We are only beginning to learn which soil bacteria, nematodes, and other microorganisms are beneficial or harmful in particular situations, and what their role is in helping to stabilize plant and animal communities. This project will provide a uniquely detailed view of the interactions that occur among the tiny denizens of the soil and will enhance scientific infrastructure through provision of genetic data and analytical tools.