NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Neutral buoyancy in deep-sea squid: mechanisms of ammonia rich, low density fluid formation and impacts of ocean acidification

这项行动资助了2021财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学领域代表性不足的群体的参与。这项研究将研究深海鱿鱼如何产生一种独特的浮力液体。深海鱿鱼在内部产生和储存一种与外部海水密度相同的流体，这是限制运动能量需求的浮力的重要策略。该研究员将研究导致深海鱿鱼专门浮力器官中这种液体形成的细胞过程。此外，人类活动排放的二氧化碳（CO2）被海洋吸收，因此，深海的pH值预计将大幅下降（即，海洋酸化）。因此，这项研究还将审查海洋酸化对深海鱿鱼浮力的影响。拟议的研究将为深海鱿鱼的浮力过程提供一个新的框架，鱿鱼作为捕食者和猎物在海洋生态系统的食物网中发挥着关键作用。该研究员是非洲裔美国人，他将通过涉及拟议研究活动的有意义的指导，促进更多地包容迈阿密大学代表性不足的本科生。该研究员还将协调一项年度世界海洋日方案，让迈阿密戴德小学的儿童参与海洋科学，许多种类的深海鱿鱼利用某种形式的铵（NH 4+）保持来实现中性浮力，这是一种人们知之甚少的生理适应，可以实现低能量的生活方式。这项研究将研究深海鱿鱼中富含NH 4+的液体形成的生理机制，并确定海洋酸化对浮力的影响，因为NH 4+的调节通常与动物的酸碱平衡有关。现场收集的活标本结合强大的分子方法，包括下一代测序，将用于（1）表征离子运输机制，允许NH 4+保留在鱿鱼的浮力器官和（2）检查改变NH 4+保留机制，以应对酸化的海水。主要研究结果将描述氨鱿鱼的第一个离子运输模型，并确定生理终点的变化（即，海洋酸化背景下的浮力。该研究员将接受生物信息学和细胞培养系统领域的培训，并实施一年一度的世界海洋日活动，旨在通过迈阿密-戴德地区小学生的参与扩大参与。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The research will examine how deep-sea squid produce a unique fluid for buoyancy. Deep-sea squid produce and store a fluid internally that is the same density as the external seawater, an important strategy for buoyancy that limits the energetic demands of locomotion. The Fellow will examine the cellular processes that lead to this fluid formation in specialized buoyancy organs of deep-sea squid. Furthermore, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities are absorbed by oceans and consequently, the deep-sea is projected to experience the most significant decreases in pH (i.e., ocean acidification) within the next century. Therefore, this research will also examine the impacts of ocean acidification on deep-sea squid buoyancy. The proposed research will provide a novel framework of buoyancy processes in deep-sea squid, which play critical roles in the food web of marine ecosystems both as predator and prey. The Fellow, who is African American, will promote greater inclusion of underrepresented undergraduate students at the University of Miami through meaningful mentorship involving the proposed research activities. The Fellow will also coordinate an annual World Ocean’s Day program to engage Miami-Dade elementary school children in ocean sciences.Many species of deep-sea squid use some form of ammonium (NH4+) retention to achieve neutral buoyancy, a very poorly understood physiological adaptation allowing for a low-energy lifestyle. This research will examine physiological mechanisms underlying NH4+-rich fluid formation in deep-sea squid and determine the effect of ocean acidification on buoyancy, as NH4+ regulation is generally linked with acid-base homeostasis in animals. Field collections of live specimens combined with powerful molecular approaches, including next-generation sequencing, will be used to (1) characterize the ion-transport mechanisms allowing for NH4+ retention in the buoyancy organs of squid and (2) examine alterations in the NH4+ retention mechanisms in response to acidified seawater. Main findings will describe the first ion transport model in ammoniacal squid and identify changes in physiological endpoints (i.e., buoyancy) in the context of ocean acidification. The Fellow will receive training in the fields of bioinformatics and cell culturing systems as well as implementing an annual World Ocean’s Day event aimed at broadening participation through the involvement of elementary school students from the Miami-Dade area.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.