EAGER: Microencapsulation-based genomics of individual RNA viruses

该项目是先前由OTIC资助的一个项目的产物，该项目旨在开发一种用于DNA颗粒的环境微室基因组学(EMCG)的方法，如果该方法成功地用于RNA，它不仅在海洋RNA病毒研究中具有潜在的重要应用，而且在公共卫生和流行病学中也具有潜在的重要应用。目前的方法不够灵敏，无法检测到小的RNA病毒，这使得量化海洋样本中的RNA病毒变得困难。需要直接量化的方法来核实海洋生物栖息地的数量。海洋中的RNA病毒和病毒样颗粒，在微生物生态和进化中发挥着重要作用。分析单个RNA病毒的能力可能会对海洋学以及公共卫生和流行病学产生变革。因此，毕格罗实验室的单细胞基因组学中心(SCGC)将向全球研究界提供这种分析服务。PI还将指导一名本科生，并提供微生物单细胞生物信息学和水流细胞计量学的高级课程。由于技术挑战，RNA病毒的作用甚至比含DNA的细胞外遗传元件的作用更少被了解。PIS以前有OTIC资金用于开发DNA颗粒的环境微室基因组学(EMCG)，该项目的早期结果表明，对EMCG方法的修改可能使DNA和RNA颗粒的基因组测序成为可能，从而解决这一紧迫需求。私人投资机构请求紧急资金，以开发一种新型的、基于微胶囊的海洋RNA病毒全基因组测序技术，并在其他环境中潜在应用。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This project is an outgrowth of a project previously funded by OTIC to develop a method for environment micro-compartment genomics (EMCG) of DNA particles and if this method is successful for RNA, it has potential important applications not only in marine RNA virus research but also in public health and epidemiology. Current methods are not sensitive enough to detect small RNA viruses making quantification of RNA viruses in marine samples difficult. Methods for direct quantification are needed to verify the numbers in marine habitats. RNA viruses and virus-like particles in the ocean, play a major role in microbial ecology and evolution. The ability to analyses of individual RNA viruses would potentially be transformative in oceanography as well as public health and epidemiology. As a result of this Bigelow Laboratory’s Single Cell Genomics Center (SCGC) would provide this analysis as a service to the global research community. The PI’s will also mentor an undergraduate student and provide advanced courses Bioinformatics of Microbial Single Cells and Aquatic Flow Cytometry.The role of RNA viruses is even less understood than those of DNA-containing extracellular genetic elements, due to technical challenges. The PIs have previous OTIC funding to develop environment micro-compartment genomics (EMCG) of DNA particles Early results of this project suggests that a modification of the EMCG methods may enable genomic sequencing of both DNA and RNA particles, thus addressing this pressing need. The PIs request EAGER funding to develop a novel, microencapsulation-based technology for whole genome sequencing of RNA viruses from the ocean, with potential applications in other environments.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.