Identification of Ice Nucleation Sources from Marine Phytoplankton

本研究的重点是海洋浮游植物在大气气溶胶中形成冰核颗粒中的作用，并寻求建立浮游植物快速生长速率与颗粒活性增加之间的联系。冰核粒子（INP）在云中冰晶的形成中起着关键作用，并能影响云的寿命、光学性质和降水的形成。它们还可以在全球辐射收支中发挥重要作用，从而影响气候。本研究的目的是：(1)确定浮游植物产生INP的来源，并表征其冰核特性；(2)确定浮游植物生理（特别是生长速率）如何影响INP的产生。这些目标正在通过一系列实验室实验来实现，这些实验使用在高度控制的条件下生长的具有代表性的全球重要浮游植物，主要是使用连续培养。这些实验将用于发展对影响浮游植物产生INP的因素的机制理解。假设是核酸和蛋白质有助于催化冰成核。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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 research focuses on the role of marine phytoplankton in the generation of ice-nucleating particles in atmospheric aerosols and seeks to establish a link between fast phytoplankton growth rates and increased particle activity. Ice nucleating particles (INP) play a key role in forming ice crystals in clouds and can affect cloud lifetimes and optical properties and the formation of precipitation. They can also play an important role in the global radiative budget and therefore affect climate. The objectives of this research are to: (1) Identify sources of INP produced by phytoplankton and characterize their ice nucleation properties; and (2) Identify how phytoplankton physiology (particularly growth rate) affects the production of INP. These objectives are being achieved through a series of laboratory experiments using representative globally important phytoplankton grown under highly controlled conditions, primarily using continuous cultures. These experiments will be used to develop a mechanistic understanding of the factors that affect INP production by phytoplankton. The hypothesis is that nucleic acids and proteins help to catalyze ice nucleation.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.