LTREB Renewal: Collaborative research: What controls long-term changes in freshwater microbial community composition?

DNA测序的进展使细菌等微生物的研究发生了革命性的变化，揭示了它们的遗传特性和生态潜力。微生物群落进行关键过程，调节重要营养物质和碳的数量和形式，这对地球上所有的生态系统服务都是必不可少的。这个研究计划的头五年的结果表明，这些社区的生物多样性和活动在不同环境和时间上有很大的差异。微生物生物多样性和生态系统功能受(1)影响生长的当地环境条件和(2)通过风和水传播的控制。然而，这些因素的相对重要性仍不得而知。这项研究项目将描述北极湖泊、溪流和土壤中微生物分布和活动的这两个基本控制因素，并揭示气候变化如何影响微生物物种的季节性、年度和长期变化。这项研究将使用北极长期生态研究计划(LTER)产生的环境测量数据档案，并将使用新一代DNA测序技术来评估微生物群落的组成和功能。该研究项目的目标是测量与当前北极环境剧烈变化相关的微生物生物多样性、细菌呼吸和生态系统功能的变化。细菌和其他微生物最终控制着吸热气体二氧化碳和甲烷的生产和消费。在北极，变暖的温度正在融化永久冻土，并暴露出土壤中之前冻结的大量有机碳。如果这些碳以吸热气体的形式释放到大气中，气候变暖的速度将会加快，使土壤进一步融化，并使更多的碳暴露在微生物的攻击之下。这个正反馈回路的强度由细菌控制，因为它们的呼吸作用将土壤中的碳转化为二氧化碳和甲烷，然后释放到大气中。此外，该项目将通过国家科学基金会本科生研究经验和教师研究经验方案、研究生和博士后科学家培训以及与地球微生物组项目(http://www.earthmicrobiome.org).)的合作，促进教学和推广

Advances in DNA sequencing have revolutionized the study of microorganisms such as bacteria, revealing their genetic identity and ecological potential. Microbial communities carry out critical processes that regulate the amounts and forms of important nutrients and carbon, which are essential for all ecosystem services on Earth. Results from the first five years of this research program demonstrated that the biodiversity and activity of these communities varies tremendously among environments and over time. Microbial biodiversity and ecosystem functions are controlled (1) by local environmental conditions that affect growth, and (2) by dispersal via wind and water. However, the relative importance of these factors is still unknown. This research project will characterize these two fundamental controls on the distribution and activity of microbes in Arctic lakes, streams, and soils, and will reveal how seasonal, annual, and long-term shifts in microbial species are affected by climate change. This research will use the data archive of environmental measurements produced by the Arctic Long Term Ecological Research program (LTER), and will use next-generation DNA sequencing technology to assess microbial community composition and function.The goal of this research project is to measure shifts in microbial biodiversity, bacterial respiration, and ecosystem function associated with the current and dramatic environmental changes in the Arctic. Bacteria and other microbes ultimately control the production and consumption of the heat-trapping gases carbon dioxide and methane. In the Arctic, warming temperatures are thawing permafrost and exposing a vast store of previously-frozen organic carbon in soils. If this carbon is released to the atmosphere as heat-trapping gases the rate of climate warming will increase, further thawing the soils and exposing more carbon to microbial attack. The strength of this positive feedback loop is controlled by bacteria, because their respiration converts the soil carbon to carbon dioxide and methane which is then released to the atmosphere. In addition, this project will contribute to teaching and outreach through the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates and Research Experience for Teachers programs, graduate student and postdoctoral scientist training, and collaboration with the Earth Microbiome Project (http://www.earthmicrobiome.org).