Molecular-level studies of soil organic matter structure and interactions with clay mineral surfaces

土壤有机质（SOM）被认为是世界上最被低估的资源。SOM的核心是：地球上的元素循环，土壤肥力和健康，环境可持续性，并储存了全球陆地碳的三分之二。在我们不断变化的世界中，有几个不确定性有关的SOM的命运。例如，SOM既是大气CO2（和其他温室气体）的汇，也是大气CO2的源，但科学家预计，随着温度的升高，SOM将转变为大气CO2的主要来源，特别是在极地地区，被锁定在永久冻土中的SOM变得更容易进行地球化学循环。尽管所有这些问题和SOM在人类已知的每一个陆地过程中的重要作用，SOM在分子水平上是非常不确定的。有机质的化学异质性给有机质的测定、定量和结构解析带来了困难。这是因为SOM是处于分解和转化的各个阶段的植物和微生物产物的集合。此外，需要使用先进的分析方法，以提高对环境中SOM过程的基本理解。拟议的研究将直接检查保存SOM的性质和年龄通过时间和空间;并提供了一个前所未有的洞察SOM保存和生物地球化学循环在不断变化的世界的过程。这项研究代表了一个独特的机会，联合收割机结合科学中最先进的分子方法，直接解决世界上最被低估的问题之一。这项研究将支持SOM的详细和新颖的研究，并将支持广泛的实地收集和实验室分析的全球独特的收集样本，并提供了世界上最被低估的自然资源的基本了解。这项研究将明确提供有关SOM保存在环境中的详细信息，并提供了一个独特的见解SOM动态在分子水平上。

Soil organic matter (SOM) is considered to be the world's most underrated resource. SOM is central to: element cycling on the planet, soil fertility and health, environmental sustainability, and stores two thirds of the terrestrial global carbon. In our changing world, there are several uncertainties pertaining to the fate of SOM. For example, SOM is both a sink and a source of atmospheric CO2 (and other greenhouse gases) but scientists anticipate that as temperatures increase, SOM will transition into a major source of atmospheric CO2, especially in polar regions where SOM, which has been locked in permafrost is becoming more available for biogeochemical cycling. Despite all of these concerns and the significant role of SOM in every terrestrial process known to mankind, SOM is vastly uncharacterized at the molecular-level. The chemical heterogeneity of SOM confounds the measurement, quantification and structural elucidation of SOM. This is because SOM is a collection of plant and microbial products at various stages of decomposition and transformation. Moreover, the use of advanced analytical methods are required to improve the fundamental understanding of SOM processes in the environment. The proposed research will directly examine the nature and age of preserved SOM through time and space; and provide an unprecedented insight into the processes of SOM preservation and biogeochemical cycling in a changing world. This research represents a unique opportunity to combine the most advanced molecular approaches in science together to directly address one of the world's most understated problems. This research will support the detailed and novel study of SOM and will support extensive field collection and laboratory analysis of a globally unique collection of samples and provide a fundamental understanding of the world's most underrated natural resources. This research will unequivocally provide detailed information about SOM preservation in the environment and provide a unique insight into SOM dynamics at the molecular-level.