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是地球元素循环、土壤肥力和健康、环境可持续性的核心，并储存了全球三分之二的陆地碳。在我们不断变化的世界中，SOM的命运有几个不确定因素。例如，SOM既是大气CO2（和其他温室气体）的汇源，也是源源，但科学家们预计，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，SOM一直被锁定在永久冻土中，越来越多地用于生物地球化学循环。尽管存在所有这些问题，并且SOM在人类已知的每一个陆地过程中都发挥着重要作用，但SOM在分子水平上的特征却很大程度上是未知的。SOM的化学非均质性给SOM的测量、定量和结构解析带来了困难。这是因为SOM是植物和微生物在不同阶段分解和转化的产物的集合。此外，需要使用先进的分析方法来提高对环境中SOM过程的基本理解。建议的研究将通过时间和空间直接检验保存的SOM的性质和年龄；并提供了一个前所未有的洞察SOM保存过程和生物地球化学循环在不断变化的世界。这项研究代表了一个独特的机会，将科学中最先进的分子方法结合在一起，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，并将支持广泛的现场收集和全球独特样本的实验室分析，并提供对世界上最被低估的自然资源的基本了解。这项研究将明确地提供有关SOM在环境中保存的详细信息，并在分子水平上提供对SOM动力学的独特见解。

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.