Research Initiation Award: Characteristics of the Annual Airborne Pollen Spectrum in Northeast Florida

催化剂项目为历史上的黑人学院和大学提供支持，努力建立教师的研究能力，以加强科学，技术，工程和数学本科教育和研究。预计该奖项将进一步提高教师的研究能力，改善该机构的研究和教学。并让本科生参与研究体验。爱德华沃茨学院的这个项目打算描述佛罗里达东北部城市空气传播花粉的模式。拟议的工作将导致建设的空中花粉日历，为本科生提供动手研究活动，并提高爱德华沃茨学院的研究能力。这项工作将使本科生接触法医生态学和植物学。拟议的项目将是一项为期2年的研究，以检查东北部佛罗里达风媒（风授粉）花粉粒的形态结构。在坦帕湾地区和佛罗里达南部发表了许多孢粉学研究。然而，没有关于该州东北地区的出版物。 将使用Burkard体积采样器捕获空气中的花粉粒。采样器将在爱德华沃茨学院的屋顶上。该地区位于最贫穷、城市化程度最高、以非洲裔美国人为主的杰克逊维尔地区，被公共卫生官员称为卫生1区。另一个采样器将放置在最富裕的卫生区（卫生区6）的建筑物屋顶上，以比较花粉粒浓度。将样品转移到显微镜载玻片上，用Caberla溶液染色，然后使用单纵向横穿法进行鉴定和定量，然后测定花粉浓度。 这项开创性的航空孢粉学研究将使当地植被在东北佛罗里达的特点。本科生将获得法医孢粉学的欣赏，他们可以使用这种理想的生物标志物将人和物体与特定的地方联系起来。本科生将体验气象条件如何影响花粉季节。全球变暖和气候变化将影响花粉模式，并将影响最脆弱的人群，如健康区1的居民。通过这种体积法进行长期花粉监测，将产生数据，以建立东北佛罗里达的物候花粉日历。空气中花粉含量的测定和数据分析将使花粉类型的特征化，以期将结果与卫生部的花粉过敏数据相关联。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估来支持。

Catalyst Projects provide support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities to work towards establishing research capacity of faculty to strengthen science, technology, engineering and mathematics undergraduate education and research. It is expected that the award will further the faculty member's research capability, improve research and teaching at the institution. and involve undergraduate students in research experiences. This project at Edward Waters College intends to characterize the pattern of urban airborne pollen in northeast Florida. The proposed work will result in the construction of a calendar of airborne pollen, provide hands-on research activity for undergraduate students and increase the research capacity of Edward Waters college. The proposed work will expose undergraduate students to forensic ecology and botany.The proposed project will be a 2-year study to examine the morphological structure of the anemophilous (wind pollinated) pollen grains in Northeast Florida. Many published palynological studies done in the Tampa Bay area and the southern parts of Florida. However, there are no published materials on the Northeast area of the state. A Burkard volumetric sampler will be used to trap airborne pollen grains. The sampler will be on the roof of Edward Waters College. This area is in the poorest, most urban, and predominantly African American area of Jacksonville and is known as Health Zone 1 by public health officials. Another sampler will be place on the roof of a building in the wealthiest Health Zones (Health Zone 6) to compare pollen grain concentrations. Pollen concentration will be determined after transferring samples onto microscope slides for staining with Caberla’s solution and then identification and quantification using the single longitudinal traverse method. This seminal aeropalynological study will allow characterization of the local vegetation in Northeast Florida. Undergraduates will gain an appreciation of Forensic palynology in which they can use this ideal biomarker for associating people and objects to specific places. Undergraduate students will experience how meteorological conditions can influence the pollen season. Global warming and climate change will affect the pollen patterns and will affect the most vulnerable population such as residents of Health Zone 1. Long-term pollen monitoring through this volumetric method would generate data to establish a phenological pollen calendar for Northeast Florida. The determination of the pollen content in the air and the data analysis will enable the characterization of pollen types with a view to correlating the results with pollen allergy data from the Department of Health.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.