EAGER-NEON: Exploring Ecosystem Contributions of Microbial Diversity to the Vertical Atmosphere

人们对空气中的微生物群落（AMCs）知之甚少，其中包括细菌和真菌。该项目将在北美以NEON核心站点为特征的四种自然生态系统类型的五个海拔高度取样amc的组成。一种新型的系绳式和发射式气球携带的采样器组合将用于收集高达25公里的大气样本。在生态系统内，将收集城市和非城市地区的样本。这个鲜为人知的生活区的特征将有助于我们对周围生命的基本认识，并有助于更好地了解生物圈的功能和人类对它的影响。这项探索性研究将对大气中的细菌、古生菌和真菌进行取样。将采用气球技术进行有效的航空微生物采样。大气测量将与地面样品进行比较。丰度将通过基因测序来量化。NEON数据将用于确定土壤微生物和优势植被，它们将被评估为amc的预测因子。采用植被群落研究中常用的统计方法对数据进行描述，并对生态系统、海拔、季节和城市化等因素对样本相似性进行假设检验。更广泛的影响，除了增加基础知识外，还将包括为本科荣誉学生提供培训机会，将生物学和工程学专业的学生配对，并针对代表性不足的群体。

Little is known about airborne microbial communities (AMCs), which include bacteria and fungi. The project will sample the composition of AMCs at five altitudes above four natural ecosystem types in North America that are characterized by NEON core sites. A novel combination of tethered and launched balloon-borne samplers will be used to collect samples up to 25 km in the atmosphere. Within the ecosystems, samples over urban and non-urban areas will be collected. The characterization of this little know life zone will contribute to a basic knowledge of the life around us and help to better understand biosphere function and human impacts on it.This exploratory research will sample bacteria, archaea, and fungi in the atmosphere. Validated aerial microbial samplers using balloon technology will be employed. Atmospheric measures will be compared with surface samples. Abundances will be quantified by genetic sequencing. NEON data will be used to determine soil microbes and dominant vegetation, which will be evaluated as predictors of AMCs. Descriptions of the data and hypothesis tests on the similarity of samples by ecosystem, altitude, season, and urbanization will be carried out using statistical methods common in vegetation community studies. Broader impacts, in addition to increasing basic knowledge, will include training opportunities for undergraduate honors students, pairing biology and engineering majors and targeted at under-represented groups.