Conference: Workshop: Microbial Diversity Molecules to Modeling Across Biological Scales; Summer in WoodsHole

微生物世界对地球的影响从未如此清晰。由Sars-CoV-2病毒引起的COVID-19大流行，以及微生物对生态系统干扰的反应，都是微生物多样性对科学和社会产生重大影响的例子。考虑到这一点，50年前成立的海洋生物实验室（MBL）的微生物多样性（MD）课程从未像现在这样具有相关性和更大的价值。该课程为20名学生提供了独特的沉浸式体验，其中包括高级研究生，博士后研究员和初级教师。最初是为了通过培养来探索微生物世界，随着这个领域的扩展，这些技术也被纳入了课程。今天，跨学科培训机会的结合是微生物学研究事业成功的关键，因此，实验的重点不仅仅是在实验室中培养细胞，还包括尖端显微镜、基因组学、群体遗传学和生物化学。这笔拨款将支持该课程的新重点，即作为微生物生态和进化驱动因素的多样性的遗传和细胞机制。智力目标将是通过在单细胞，种群或生态系统的规模上测试引人注目的研究问题，这些问题将解决全球挑战。这门课程在扩大参与方面有着良好的记录，它坚定地致力于为科学领域中代表性不足的群体扩大机会，并吸引了一个多元化和包容性的教师和学生社区。海洋生物实验室（MBL）的微生物多样性（MD）研究培训项目为早期职业研究人员（ecr）提供了为期6周的高级培训，该项目在50多年来培训环境微生物学领域的不同科学家方面发挥了独特的作用。总体目标是在医学博士的现代实验方法中培训ecr，使他们能够在单个微生物细胞，种群或生态系统的规模上提出和测试令人信服的微生物研究问题。近年来，非培养（如宏基因组学）研究的进步开创了数据驱动研究的新时代，为医学博士培训带来了独特的新挑战。该课程整合了微生物尺度上的生理学、分子细胞生物学和进化生态学，以了解和预测微生物群落在生态系统功能中的作用。在未来三年的资助期内，利用先前课程收集的丰富的宏基因组数据，研究范围将扩大到强调在不同生物尺度上创造和维持微生物多样性的进化和生态过程。重点培训包括：(i)基因组实验室培养和纯培养分离，强调未充分研究的细菌、古细菌、微生物真核生物和病毒的功能分析（ii）；就地生理和成像方法量化当地栖息地的时空微生物动态；（iii）以单细胞和种群为基础的方法来量化遗传和表型异质性以及创造和维持微生物种群多样性的进化机制。新更新的课程包括微生物学、细胞生物学和微生物生态学的理论和实践培训，以及产生微生物多样性的遗传和环境机制的研究。为了扩大医学博士课程的合作和研究培训经验，学员参加：i) STEM区域外展和交流计划，旨在支持学生校友在其所在机构的团队，以提高科学素养和与当地社区的联系；ii)医学博士大使小组，为课程招收不同类型的学生；（三）举办艺术科学展览，向本地艺术家和公众介绍微生物世界的视觉美学。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。

The impact of the microbial world on the planet has never been clearer. The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the Sars-CoV-2 virus, and microbial responses to ecosystem disturbance are examples of the significant impact that microbial diversity is having on science and society. With this in mind, never has the Microbial Diversity (MD) course at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), established fifty years ago, been more relevant and of greater value. The course provides a unique, immersive experience for twenty students, including advanced graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty. Initially established to explore the microbial world through cultivation, as the field has expanded, so have the techniques incorporated into the curriculum. Today, a combination of training opportunities across disciplines is key to a successful research career in microbiology, thus, the experimental focus goes beyond just growing cells in the lab to include cutting-edge microscopy, genomics, population genetics, and biochemistry. This grant will support the course's new focus on genetic and cellular mechanisms of diversity as drivers of microbial ecology and evolution. The intellecual goal will be through testing compelling research questions at the scale of single cells, populations, or ecosystems that will address global challenges. The course has a track record in broadening partipation, is strongly committed to expanding opportunities for groups under-represented in the sciences, and engages a diverse and inclusive community of faculty and students. The Microbial Diversity (MD) research-training program at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) offers Early Career Researchers (ECRs) advanced training through an intensive 6-week, experience that has served a unique role in training diverse scientists in environmental microbiology for over 50 years. The overall objective is to train ECRs in modern experimental approaches in MD, to empower them to ask and test compelling microbiological research questions at the scale of single microbial cells, populations, or ecosystems. In recent years, the advancement of culture-independent (e.g., metagenomics) studies has ushered in a new era of data-driven research, highlighting unique new challenges for training in MD. The course integrates physiology, molecular cell biology, and evolutionary ecology at the microbial scale to understand and predict the role of microbial communities in ecosystem function. In the next three year funding period, using the wealth of prior course-collected metagenomic data, the scope of research will be expanded to highlight evolutionary and ecological processes that create and maintain microbial diversity at various biological scales. Focused training includes: (i) genome-enabled laboratory cultivation and pure culture isolation, emphasizing the functional analyses of understudied bacteria, archaea, microbial eukaryotes, and viruses (ii); in situ physiological and imaging approaches to quantify spatial and temporal microbial dynamics in local habitats; and (iii) single-cell and population-based approaches to quantify genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity and evolutionary mechanisms creating and maintaining diversity in microbial populations. The newly updated curriculum includes theoretical and practical training in microbiology, cell biology, and microbial ecology and research in genetic and environmental mechanisms that generate microbial diversity. To extend the experience of collaboration and research training of the MD course, trainees participate in: i) a Regional Outreach and Communication in STEM program, designed to support teams of student alumni at their home institutions, to increase science literacy and connections to the local community; ii) the MD Ambassadors group, recruiting a diversity of students for the course; and iii) hosting an Art-Science Exhibition, to inform and inspire local artists and public in the visual aesthetics of the microbial world.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.