LinkPI: Linking Phenotype function with Identity: a novel integrated single-cell technology and metagenomics approach

在环境中发现的范围广泛和种类繁多的微生物在维持地球上的可持续性方面发挥着核心作用。然而，它们的运作能力和功能本身已经并正在被人类活动严重改变。这方面的一个关键例子是，由于废水中可以找到抗生素，野生细菌中出现了抗菌素耐药性。这对全球经济和健康的影响是一个新出现的重大威胁。越来越多的证据表明，单个细胞遗传组成的差异，以及这些变化在其物理特征上的表现方式，对这些微生物的命运起着至关重要的作用。尽管有这些知识，但目前对微生物的大多数研究都依赖于在实验室中将它们作为大群体进行培养和分析，而不是在个体层面上。更复杂的是，大多数自然产生的微生物(&gt；99%)不能在实验室条件下生长。在这个项目中，我们将建立一种新的方法来识别复杂微生物群落中感兴趣的活性微生物，将单个细胞的行为和遗传图谱联系起来。具体地说，我们将利用尖端技术进步来分析、分类和表征混合微生物中的微生物。为了实现这一目标，我们将努力开发新的现场样本采集设备和协议。然后将使用一系列基于实验室的尖端技术对这些样本进行分析。该项目的一个主要特点是与具有互补专业知识的世界领先研究小组建立新的国际合作关系。这不仅为我们提供了一系列世界级的工具，还使我们能够在当地收集和处理来自全球各地感兴趣的地点的样品。这些河流包括上海附近的中国燕子河、伦敦附近的泰晤士河和韩国首尔附近的汉江。

The wide ranging and diverse microorganisms found within the environment play a central role in maintaining sustainability on our planet. However, their ability to function and the functions themselves have been and are being seriously altered by human activities. One key example of this is the development of antimicrobial resistance in wild bacteria as a result of antibiotics that can be found in waste water. The impact of this is a significant emerging threat to the global economy and health. Increasing evidence shows that variations in the genetic makeup of individual cells, together with the way these are manifest in their physical characteristics plays a critical role in the fate of these microorganisms. Despite this knowledge, most studies of microorganisms currently rely on culturing and analysing them as large groups in laboratories, rather than on the individual level. To further complicate matters, the majority of the naturally occurring microbes (>99%) are not capable of being grown in laboratory conditions. This imposes formidable challenges to understand the activities of microbes in situ and their response to the ever-changing environments.In this project we will establish a novel approach to identify active microbes of interest within complex microbial communities, linking the behaviour and genetic profile of individual cells. Specifically, we will exploit the cutting-edge technology advances to analyse, sort and characterise microbes from a mixture of microorganisms. To achieve this, we will work to develop new devices and protocols for collecting samples on-site. These samples will then be analysed using a range of cutting-edge, lab-based techniques. One key feature of the project is the forging of new international collaborations with the world leading research groups of complementary expertise. This not only provides us with access to a range of world-class tools, but also enables the local collection and handling of samples from sites of interest around the globe. These include the Yanzi river near Shanghai in China, the River Thames near London and the Han River near Seoul in Korea.