METAGENOMIC ANALYSIS OF AN AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT AT THE LOWELL/EDEN ASBESTOS MINES

这个子项目是利用资源的许多研究子项目之一。 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。对子项目的主要支持 子项目的首席调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括美国国立卫生研究院的其他来源。为子项目列出的总成本可能 表示该子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 不是由NCRR赠款提供给次级项目或次级项目工作人员的直接资金。 元基因组学和蛋白质组学的新兴领域正在显著改变我们对微生物在所有生态系统中所扮演的角色的理解，从人类生物群到富含毒素的环境。微生物学不再局限于分析一个物种的纯培养物，从自然栖息地分离出来，并与其他微生物区系相互作用。这项调查的长期目标是评估佛蒙特州拉莫伊尔县内一个复杂的、环境紧张的地点的微生物群落。位于洛厄尔和伊甸园的佛蒙特州石棉集团矿场正在影响该地区的环境和人类健康(利维，2008年；佛蒙特州卫生部，2008年)。水和河床的质量受到重金属、pH值升高和富含石棉的尾矿的污染。A级健康建议表明，与石棉相关的疾病对人类的潜在风险增加。该项目的目标是：(A)从矿场受影响的水生环境中构建社区DNA的元基因组文库；(B)创建矿场微生物表达基因的cDNA文库；以及(C)从微生物群落中分离总蛋白质，以供今后进行蛋白质组学分析。这种综合的方法将使我们能够解决微生物在复杂的、受人类影响的环境中扮演的动态角色。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. The emerging fields of metagenomics and proteomics are significantly transforming our understanding of the roles microorganisms play in all ecosystems, from the human biome to toxin laden environments. Microbiology is no longer restricted to analysis of pure cultures of one species, isolated from natural habitats and interactions with other microflora. The long range goal of this investigation is to assess the microbial community of a complex, environmentally-stressed site within Lamoille County, Vermont. The Vermont Asbestos Group Mine site, located in Lowell and Eden is impacting both the environmental and human health of the region (Levy, 2008; Vermont Dept of Health, 2008). Water and stream bed quality are contaminated with heavy metals, elevated pH levels, and asbestos-laden mine tailings. an A health advisory indicates increased potential risk to humans of asbestos-related illnesses. The objectives of the project are to (a) construct a metagenomic library of community DNA from an impacted aquatic environment at the Mine site, (b) create a cDNA library of expressed genes of the microorganisms inhabiting the site, and (c) isolate total protein from the microbial community for future proteomic analysis. This integrative approach will enable us to address the dynamic roles microorganisms play in complex, human-impacted environments.