{"dp_type": "Project", "free_text": "Microbial Diversity"}
[{"awards": "2325922 Couradeau, Estelle", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-73.783 4.679,-73.7827 4.679,-73.7824 4.679,-73.7821 4.679,-73.7818 4.679,-73.7815 4.679,-73.7812 4.679,-73.7809 4.679,-73.7806 4.679,-73.7803 4.679,-73.78 4.679,-73.78 4.6789,-73.78 4.6788,-73.78 4.6787,-73.78 4.6786,-73.78 4.6785,-73.78 4.6784,-73.78 4.6783,-73.78 4.6782,-73.78 4.6781,-73.78 4.678,-73.7803 4.678,-73.7806 4.678,-73.7809 4.678,-73.7812 4.678,-73.7815 4.678,-73.7818 4.678,-73.7821 4.678,-73.7824 4.678,-73.7827 4.678,-73.783 4.678,-73.783 4.6781,-73.783 4.6782,-73.783 4.6783,-73.783 4.6784,-73.783 4.6785,-73.783 4.6786,-73.783 4.6787,-73.783 4.6788,-73.783 4.6789,-73.783 4.679))", "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "P\u00e1ramos are high-altitude tundra ecosystems nested at the heart of the Andes mountains. These cold and humid environments are home to a multitude of plants, animals, and insects. P\u00e1ramos are a critical water source for downstream urban centers, including Colombia\u0027s capital city, Bogota. Additionally, the P\u00e1ramos soils contain substantial organic carbon reserves due to slow rates of organic matter decomposition. Beyond being a pool of carbon sequestered away from the atmosphere, this large reservoir of organic matter controls the soils\u2019 hydraulic and fertility properties. The P\u00e1ramos\u2019 unique geographic location, at an elevation above 2,800 m above sea level, makes them highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In fact, these ecosystems\u2019 surface areas are projected to shrink by half within the next 50 years possibly causing loss of the essential services they provide. This project aims to characterize the microbial diversity in the P\u00e1ramos soils in Colombia and investigate how climate change will affect microbes\u2019 functions. The research is of high importance, considering that immediate and long-term changes in microbial metabolism could impact the ability of P\u00e1ramos soils to store organic carbon and regulate downstream water flow. To study the cascading effect of climate change on P\u00e1ramos ecosystems, this project will jumpstart collaborations among transdisciplinary experts that will integrate the research of below-ground microbial communities with above-ground vegetation functions. The project will also engage high school and undergraduate students that will work together to develop and deploy low-cost long-term soil monitoring data loggers in Chingaza National Natural Park, near the city of Bogota. This project will address the critical need to disentangle the effect of moisture and temperature on the fate of organic carbon in P\u00e1ramos soils while building a transdisciplinary team capable of expanding the scope of the research to an ecosystem level. The project includes establishing controlled soil mesocosms that will allow to independently vary moisture and temperature levels. Additionally, functions of the soil microbiome will be investigated using metagenomics and amplicon sequencing, and probes will be deployed to initiate long-term monitoring of the soil response to climate change in situ. This project will culminate in the organization of an international P\u00e1ramos symposium that will set up priorities for future systems research. The symposium will bring together scientists from diverse fields to discuss the linkages between above-ground and below-ground ecosystem functions and plan future collaborations in predicting P\u00e1ramos-wide effects of climate change. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": -73.78, "geometry": "POINT(-73.7815 4.6785)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; Chingaza Paramos Colombia; ORGANIC MATTER; SOIL MECHANICS", "locations": "Chingaza Paramos Colombia", "north": 4.679, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Couradeau, Estelle; Maximova, Siela; Machado, Jose Luis", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": 4.678, "title": "Collaborative Research: BoCP-Design: Climate change alteration of soils functional biodiversity of the P\u00e1ramos, Colombia", "uid": "p0010445", "west": -73.783}, {"awards": "2137378 Varsani, Arvind; 2137377 Bergstrom, Anna; 2137376 Porazinska, Dorota; 2137375 Schmidt, Steven", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": null, "datasets": null, "date_created": "Wed, 10 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Cryoconite holes are sediment-filled melt holes in the surface of glaciers that can be important sites of active microbial life in an otherwise mostly frozen and barren landscape. Previous studies in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica suggest that viral infections of microbes, and a general lack of fertilizers (i.e., nutrients), may be important factors shaping the development and functioning of microbial communities in cryoconite holes. The researchers propose an experimental approach to understand how nutrient limitation affects diversity (number of species) and overall abundance of microbes, and how the diversity and abundance of microbes in turn affects the diversity, abundance, and infection type of viruses that parasitize the microbes in cryoconite sediments. The researchers will use sediments previously collected from Antarctic glaciers that have varying concentrations of viruses and nutrients, to set up a nutrient-addition experiment to determine how nutrients affect microbial and viral population dynamics. The results will deepen our understanding of how microbial communities in general are shaped by nutrients and viruses and give new insights into the functioning of viruses in extremely cold environments. The researchers will publish their findings in scientific journals and will share their discoveries with K-12 students from rural schools in collaboration with the Pinhead Institute and will connect undergraduate students from under-represented minorities to polar research through participation in the university\u2019s Science, Technology, Engineering \u0026 Mathematics Routes Uplift Research Program. Outreach will be achieved through videos produced and distributed by a professional science communicator. The research advances a National Science Foundation goal of expanding fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems, biota, and processes by utilizing the unique characteristics of the Antarctic region as a science observing platform. The Principal Investigators propose an experimental approach to understand how nutrient limitation affects microbial diversity and abundances and their cascading effects on virus diversity, abundance, and mode of infection (lysis vs. lysogeny) in Antarctic cryoconite holes. Cryoconite holes are ideal natural microcosms for manipulative studies, not available in other cryospheric ecosystems. The PIs will use previously collected cryoconite from across a gradient of both viral diversity and nutrient levels to address questions about key limiting nutrients and microbial-viral community dynamics in cryoconite sediments. Nutrient manipulation experiments will be conducted in a growth chamber that closely approximates the light and temperature regime of in situ cryoconite holes to test three core hypotheses: (1) phosphorus availability limits microbial productivity and abundance in cryoconite holes; (2) relaxing nutrient limitation in cryoconite from low-diversity glaciers will increase species diversity, leading microbial communities to resemble those found on more nutrient-rich glaciers; (3) relaxing nutrient limitation will increase the diversity and abundance of viruses by increasing the availability of suitable hosts, and decrease the prevalence of lysogenic infections. By manipulating nutrient limitation within a realistic range, this project will help verify hypothesized phosphorus limitation of Antarctic cryoconite holes and will extend understanding of the connections between nutrients, diversity, and viral infection dynamics in the cryosphere more generally. A better understanding of these dynamics in cryoconite sediments improves the ability of scientists to forecast future impacts of environmental changes in the cryosphere. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; Taylor Valley", "locations": "Taylor Valley", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Varsani, Arvind; Porazinska, Dorota; Schmidt, Steven; Bergstrom, Anna", "platforms": null, "repositories": null, "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "Collaborative Research: Role of Nutrient Limitation and Viral Interactions on Antarctic Microbial Community Assembly: A Cryoconite Microcosm Study", "uid": "p0010418", "west": null}, {"awards": "2133684 Fierer, Noah", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60))", "dataset_titles": "Geochemical, physicochemical, and genomic data from a continental-scale survey of microbial diversity in Antarctic soils", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200478", "doi": "10.6073/pasta/b4858653c587864f0111aba4c3014d61", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EDI", "science_program": null, "title": "Geochemical, physicochemical, and genomic data from a continental-scale survey of microbial diversity in Antarctic soils", "url": "https://portal.edirepository.org/nis/mapbrowse?packageid=knb-lter-mcm.275.1"}], "date_created": "Fri, 07 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Not all of Antarctica is covered in ice. In fact, soils are common to many parts of Antarctica, and these soils are often unlike any others found on Earth. Antarctic soils harbor unique microorganisms able to cope with the extremely cold and dry conditions common to much of the continent. For decades, microbiologists have been drawn to the unique soils in Antarctica, yet critical knowledge gaps remain. Most notably, it is unclear what properties allow certain microbes to thrive in Antarctic soils. By using a range of methods, this project is developing comprehensive model that discovers the unique genomic features of soils diversity, distributions, and adaptations that allow Antarctic soil microbes to thrive in extreme environments. The proposed work will be relevant to researchers in many fields, including engineers seeking to develop new biotechnologies, ecologists studying the contributions of these microbial communities to the functioning of Antarctic ecosystems, microbiologists studying novel microbial adaptations to extreme environmental conditions, and even astrobiologists studying the potential for life on Mars. More generally, the proposed research presents an opportunity to advance our current understanding of the microbial life found in one of the more distinctive microbial habitats on Earth, a habitat that is inaccessible to many scientists and a habitat that is increasingly under threat from climate change. The research project explores the microbial diversity in Antarctic soils and links specific features to different soil types and environmental conditions. The overarching questions include: What microbial taxa are found in a variety of Antarctic environments? What are the environmental preferences of specific taxa or lineages? What are the genomic and phenotypic traits of microorganisms that allow them to persist in extreme environments and determine biogeographical differneces? This project will analyze archived soils collected from across Antarctica by a network of international collaborators, with samples selected to span broad gradients in soil and site conditions. The project uses cultivation-independent, high-throughput genomic analysis methods and cultivation-dependent approaches to analyze bacterial and fungal communities in soil samples. The results will be used to predict the distributions of specific taxa and lineages, obtain genomic information for the more ubiquitous and abundant taxa, and quantify growth responses in vitro across gradients in temperature, moisture, and salinity. This integration of ecological, environmental, genomic, and trait-based information will provide a comprehensive understanding of microbial life in Antarctic soils. This project will also help facilitate new collaborations between scientists across the globe while providing undergraduate students with \u0027hands-on\u0027 research experiences that introduce the next generation of scientists to the field of Antarctic biology. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": 180.0, "geometry": "POINT(0 -89.999)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FUNGI; BACTERIA/ARCHAEA; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; Antarctica", "locations": "Antarctica", "north": -60.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Fierer, Noah; Quandt, Alisha A; Lemonte, Joshua", "platforms": null, "repo": "EDI", "repositories": "EDI", "science_programs": null, "south": -90.0, "title": "Collaborative Research: ANT LIA Integrating Genomic and Phenotypic Analyses to understand Microbial Life in Antarctic Soils", "uid": "p0010414", "west": -180.0}, {"awards": "1846837 Bowman, Jeff", "bounds_geometry": null, "dataset_titles": "PRJNA894514; PRJNA901488", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200479", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI SRA", "science_program": null, "title": "PRJNA894514", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJNA894514"}, {"dataset_uid": "200480", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI SRA", "science_program": null, "title": "PRJNA901488", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/PRJNA901488"}], "date_created": "Fri, 25 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The coastal Antarctic is undergoing great environmental change. Physical changes in the environment, such as altered sea ice duration and extent, have a direct impact on the phytoplankton and bacteria species which form the base of the marine foodweb. Photosynthetic phytoplankton are the ocean\u0027s primary producers, transforming (fixing) CO2 into organic carbon molecules and providing a source of food for zooplankton and larger predators. When phytoplankton are consumed by zooplankton, or killed by viral attack, they release large amounts of organic carbon and nutrients into the environment. Heterotrophic bacteria must eat other things, and function as \"master recyclers\", consuming these materials and converting them to bacterial biomass which can feed larger organisms such as protists. Some protists are heterotrophs, but others are mixotrophs, able to grow by photosynthesis or heterotrophy. Previous work suggests that by killing and eating bacteria, protists and viruses may regulate bacterial populations, but how these processes are regulated in Antarctic waters is poorly understood. This project will use experiments to determine the rate at which Antarctic protists consume bacteria, and field studies to identify the major bacterial taxa involved in carbon uptake and recycling. In addition, this project will use new sequencing technology to obtain completed genomes for many Antarctic marine bacteria. To place this work in an ecosystem context this project will use microbial diversity data to inform rates associated with key microbial processes within the PALMER ecosystem model. This project addresses critical unknowns regarding the ecological role of heterotrophic marine bacteria in the coastal Antarctic and the top-down controls on bacterial populations. Previous work suggests that at certain times of the year grazing by heterotrophic and mixotrophic protists may meet or exceed bacterial production rates. Similarly, in more temperate waters bacteriophages (viruses) are thought to contribute significantly to bacterial mortality during the spring and summer. These different top-down controls have implications for carbon flow through the marine foodweb, because protists are grazed more efficiently by higher trophic levels than are bacteria. This project will use a combination of grazing experiments and field observations to assess the temporal dynamics of mortality due to temperate bacteriophage and protists. Although many heterotrophic bacterial strains observed in the coastal Antarctic are taxonomically similar to strains from other regions, recent work suggest that they are phylogenetically and genetically distinct. To better understand the ecological function and evolutionary trajectories of key Antarctic marine bacteria, their genomes will be isolated and sequenced. Then, these genomes will be used to improve the predictions of the paprica metabolic inference pipeline, and our understanding of the relationship between heterotrophic bacteria and their major predators in the Antarctic marine environment. Finally, researchers will modify the Regional Test-Bed Model model to enable microbial diversity data to be used to optimize the starting conditions of key parameters, and to constrain the model\u0027s data assimilation methods. There is an extensive education and outreach component to this project that is designed to engage students and the public in diverse activities centered on Antarctic microbiota and marine sciences. A new module on Antarctic marine science will be developed for the popular Sally Ride Science program, and two existing undergraduate courses at UC San Diego will be strengthened with laboratory modules introducing emerging technology, and with cutting-edge polar science. A PhD student and a post-doctoral researcher will be supported by this project. This award reflects NSF\u0027s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation\u0027s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "east": null, "geometry": null, "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Magmatic Volatiles; BACTERIA/ARCHAEA; VIRUSES; USA/NSF; Palmer Station; ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS; COMMUNITY DYNAMICS; LABORATORY; Amd/Us; PROTISTS; AMD; USAP-DC", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": null, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Bowman, Jeff; Connors, Elizabeth", "platforms": "OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "NCBI SRA", "repositories": "NCBI SRA", "science_programs": null, "south": null, "title": "CAREER: Understanding microbial heterotrophic processes in coastal Antarctic waters", "uid": "p0010201", "west": null}, {"awards": "1341736 Adams, Byron", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-177.4099 -84.4661,-177.08229 -84.4661,-176.75468 -84.4661,-176.42707 -84.4661,-176.09946 -84.4661,-175.77185 -84.4661,-175.44424 -84.4661,-175.11663000000001 -84.4661,-174.78902 -84.4661,-174.46141 -84.4661,-174.1338 -84.4661,-174.1338 -84.56828,-174.1338 -84.67045999999999,-174.1338 -84.77264,-174.1338 -84.87482,-174.1338 -84.977,-174.1338 -85.07918,-174.1338 -85.18136,-174.1338 -85.28354,-174.1338 -85.38571999999999,-174.1338 -85.4879,-174.46141 -85.4879,-174.78902 -85.4879,-175.11663000000001 -85.4879,-175.44424 -85.4879,-175.77185 -85.4879,-176.09946 -85.4879,-176.42707 -85.4879,-176.75468 -85.4879,-177.08229 -85.4879,-177.4099 -85.4879,-177.4099 -85.38571999999999,-177.4099 -85.28354,-177.4099 -85.18136,-177.4099 -85.07918,-177.4099 -84.977,-177.4099 -84.87482,-177.4099 -84.77264,-177.4099 -84.67045999999999,-177.4099 -84.56828,-177.4099 -84.4661))", "dataset_titles": "Dataset DS-TAMS: Genetic diversity of Collembola from the Transantarctic Mountains; GenBank accession numbers MN619477 to MN619610; Meteoric 10Be data of soils from the Shackleton Glacier region; Shackleton Glacier region soil water-soluble geochemical data; Shackleton Glacier region water-soluble salt isotopes; Soil invertebrate surveys from the Shackleton Glacier region of Antarctica during the 2017-2018 austral summer", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200258", "doi": "doi:10.6073/pasta/7959821e5f6f8d56d94bb6a26873b3ae", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "EDI", "science_program": null, "title": "Soil invertebrate surveys from the Shackleton Glacier region of Antarctica during the 2017-2018 austral summer", "url": "https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/7959821e5f6f8d56d94bb6a26873b3ae"}, {"dataset_uid": "200174", "doi": "10.5883/DS-TAMS", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Barcode of Life Datasystems (BOLD)", "science_program": null, "title": "Dataset DS-TAMS: Genetic diversity of Collembola from the Transantarctic Mountains", "url": "http://dx.doi.org/10.5883/DS-TAMS"}, {"dataset_uid": "200175", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "NCBI GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "GenBank accession numbers MN619477 to MN619610", "url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MN619477"}, {"dataset_uid": "601418", "doi": "10.15784/601418", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochemistry; Shackleton Glacier", "people": "Gardner, Christopher B.; Lyons, W. Berry; Diaz, Melisa A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Shackleton Glacier region soil water-soluble geochemical data", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601418"}, {"dataset_uid": "601419", "doi": "10.15784/601419", "keywords": "Antarctica; Geochemistry; Nitrate; Shackleton Glacier; Stable Isotopes; Sulfate; Transantarctic Mountains", "people": "Lyons, W. Berry; Gardner, Christopher B.; Diaz, Melisa A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Shackleton Glacier region water-soluble salt isotopes", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601419"}, {"dataset_uid": "601421", "doi": "10.15784/601421", "keywords": "Antarctica; Be-10; Beryllium-10; Cosmogenic Radionuclides; Geochemistry; Geomorphology; Shackleton Glacier; Surface Exposure Dates", "people": "Diaz, Melisa A.", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Meteoric 10Be data of soils from the Shackleton Glacier region", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601421"}], "date_created": "Mon, 02 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The project will characterize the functional, taxonomic, biotic and abiotic drivers of soil ecosystems in the Trans Antarctic Mountains (one of the most remote and harsh terrestrial landscapes on the planet). The work will utilize new high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing technologies to identify members of the microbial communities and determine if the microbial community structures are independent of local environmental heterogeneities. In addition the project will determine if microbial diversity and function are correlated with time since the last glacial maximum (LGM). The expected results will greatly contribute to our knowledge regarding rates of microbial succession and help define the some of the limits to life and life-maintaining processes on Earth. The project will analyze genomes and RNA derived from these genomes to describe the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning from soils above and below LGM elevations and to correlate these with the environmental drivers associated with their development during the last ~18,000 years. The team will identify the taxonomic diversity and the functional genetic composition within a broad suite of soil biota and examine their patterns of assembly and distribution within the framework of their geological legacies. The project will mentor participants from undergraduate students to postdoctoral researchers and prepare them to effectively engage in research to meet their career aspirations. The project will contribute to ongoing public education efforts through relationships with K-12 teachers and administrators- to include University-Public School partnerships. Less formal activities include public lecture series and weblogs aimed at providing information on Antarctic polar desert ecosystems to the general public. Targeted classrooms near each PI\u0027s institution will participate in online, real-time discussions about current topics in Antarctic ecosystems research.", "east": -174.1338, "geometry": "POINT(-175.77185 -84.977)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "FIELD INVESTIGATION; LABORATORY; AMD; Amd/Us; USA/NSF; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; Transantarctic Mountains; USAP-DC", "locations": "Transantarctic Mountains", "north": -84.4661, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Earth Sciences", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Adams, Byron; Fierer, Noah; Wall, Diana; Diaz, Melisa A.; Gardner, Christopher B.; Lyons, W. Berry", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "EDI", "repositories": "Barcode of Life Datasystems (BOLD); EDI; NCBI GenBank; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -85.4879, "title": "Collaborative Research: The Role of Glacial History on the Structure and Functioning of Ecological Communities in the Shackleton Glacier Region of the Transantarctic Mountains", "uid": "p0010140", "west": -177.4099}, {"awards": "1543450 Countway, Peter", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((-66 -63,-65.7 -63,-65.4 -63,-65.1 -63,-64.8 -63,-64.5 -63,-64.2 -63,-63.9 -63,-63.6 -63,-63.3 -63,-63 -63,-63 -63.3,-63 -63.6,-63 -63.9,-63 -64.2,-63 -64.5,-63 -64.8,-63 -65.1,-63 -65.4,-63 -65.7,-63 -66,-63.3 -66,-63.6 -66,-63.9 -66,-64.2 -66,-64.5 -66,-64.8 -66,-65.1 -66,-65.4 -66,-65.7 -66,-66 -66,-66 -65.7,-66 -65.4,-66 -65.1,-66 -64.8,-66 -64.5,-66 -64.2,-66 -63.9,-66 -63.6,-66 -63.3,-66 -63))", "dataset_titles": "Biogenic Sulfur Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments; Dissolved Inorganic Nutrient Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments ; Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and Total Dissolved Nitrogen (TDN) Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments; Flow Cytometry Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments; Heterotrophic Bacterial Production Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments; Western Antarctic Peninsula plankton raw sequence reads", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "200337", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "GenBank", "science_program": null, "title": "Western Antarctic Peninsula plankton raw sequence reads", "url": "https://dataview.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/object/PRJNA870587?reviewer=bmud2tbbrqbus79i2n2hb83uio"}, {"dataset_uid": "601645", "doi": "10.15784/601645", "keywords": "Antarctica; Nitrate; Nitrite; Palmer Station; Phosphate", "people": "Countway, Peter; Matrai, Patricia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Dissolved Inorganic Nutrient Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments ", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601645"}, {"dataset_uid": "601647", "doi": "10.15784/601647", "keywords": "Antarctica; Palmer Station; Phytoplankton", "people": "Countway, Peter; Matrai, Patricia", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Flow Cytometry Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601647"}, {"dataset_uid": "601646", "doi": "10.15784/601646", "keywords": "Antarctica; Carbon; Dissolved Organic Carbon; Nitrogen; Palmer Station; TDN; Total Dissolved Nitrogen", "people": "Matrai, Patricia; Countway, Peter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) and Total Dissolved Nitrogen (TDN) Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601646"}, {"dataset_uid": "601648", "doi": "10.15784/601648", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Dimethyl Sulfide; Dimethylsulfoniopropionate; Dimethylsulfoxide; DMSP; DMSP Lyase; Palmer Station", "people": "Matrai, Patricia; Countway, Peter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Biogenic Sulfur Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601648"}, {"dataset_uid": "601644", "doi": "10.15784/601644", "keywords": "3H-Leu; Antarctica; Bacteria; Biota; DMSP; Heterotrophic Bacterial Production; Palmer Station", "people": "Matrai, Patricia; Countway, Peter", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Heterotrophic Bacterial Production Samples from Station E (Palmer Station, Antarctica) and Associated Incubation Experiments", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/601644"}], "date_created": "Sat, 01 Aug 2020 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "The Southern Ocean in the vicinity of Antarctica is a region characterized by seasonally-driven marine phytoplankton blooms that are often dominated by microalgal species which produce large amounts of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). DMSP can be converted to the compound dimethylsulfide (DMS) which is a molecule that can escape into the atmosphere where it is known to have strong condensation properties that are involved in regional cloud formation. Production of DMSP can influence the diversity and composition of microbial assemblages in seawater and the types and activities of microbes in the seawater will likely affect the magnitude of DMSP\\DMS production. The proposal aims to examine the role of DMSP in structuring the microbial communities in Antarctic waters and how this structuring may influence DMSP cycling. The project will leverage the Antarctic research to introduce concepts and data linking microbial diversity and biogeochemistry to a range of audiences (including high school and undergraduate students in Maine). The project will also engage teacher and students in rural K-8 schools and will allow a collaboration with a science writer and illustrator who will join the team in the field. The writer will use the southern ocean experience as the setting for a poster and a book about the proposed research and the scientists studying extreme environments. The project will examine (1) the extent to which the cycling of DMSP in southern ocean waters influences the composition and diversity of bacterial and protistan assemblages; (2) conversely, whether the composition and diversity of southern ocean protistan and bacterial assemblages influence the magnitude and rates of DMSP cycling; (3) the expression of DMSP degradation genes by marine bacteria seasonally and in response to additions of DMSP; and, to synthesize these results by quantifying (4) the microbial networks resulting from the presence of DMSP-producers and DMSP-consumers along with their predators, all involved in the cycling of DMSP in southern ocean waters. The work will be accomplished by conducting continuous growth experiments with DMSP-amended natural samples during field sampling of different microbial communities present in summer and fall. Data from the molecular (such as 16S/ 18S tag sequences, DMSP-cycle gene transcripts) and biogeochemical (such as biogenic sulfur cycling, bacterial production, microbial biomass) investigations will be integrated via network analysis.", "east": -63.0, "geometry": "POINT(-64.5 -64.5)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "USAP-DC; COMMUNITY DYNAMICS; FIELD INVESTIGATION; AMD; PLANKTON; Amd/Us; BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES; Palmer Station; USA/NSF", "locations": "Palmer Station", "north": -63.0, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Countway, Peter", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION", "repo": "GenBank", "repositories": "GenBank; USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -66.0, "title": "Microbial Community Structure and Expression of Functional Genes Involved in the Seasonal Cycling of DMSP in the Southern Ocean", "uid": "p0010120", "west": -66.0}, {"awards": "1141936 Foreman, Christine", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(112.085 -79.467)", "dataset_titles": "Molecular Level Characterization of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Diversity in the WAIS Divide Replicate Core", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600133", "doi": "10.15784/600133", "keywords": "Antarctica; Biota; Genetic Sequences; Glaciers/ice Sheet; Glaciers/Ice Sheet; Glaciology; Ice Core Records; Paleoclimate; WAIS Divide; WAIS Divide Ice Core", "people": "Foreman, Christine", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "title": "Molecular Level Characterization of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Diversity in the WAIS Divide Replicate Core", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600133"}], "date_created": "Thu, 05 Nov 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "This award supports a detailed, molecular level characterization of dissolved organic carbon and microbes in Antarctic ice cores. Using the most modern biological (genomic), geochemical techniques, and advanced chemical instrumentation researchers will 1) optimize protocols for collecting, extracting and amplifying DNA from deep ice cores suitable for use in next generation pyrosequencing; 2) determine the microbial diversity within the ice core; and 3) obtain and analyze detailed molecular characterizations of the carbon in the ice by ultrahigh resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). With this pilot study investigators will be able to quantify the amount of material (microbial biomass and carbon) required to perform these characterizations, which is needed to inform future ice coring projects. The ultimate goal will be to develop protocols that maximize the yield, while minimizing the amount of ice required. The broader impacts include education and outreach at both the local and national levels. As a faculty mentor with the American Indian Research Opportunities and BRIDGES programs at Montana State University, Foreman will serve as a mentor to a Native American student in the lab during the summer months. Susan Kelly is an Education and Outreach Coordinator with a MS degree in Geology and over 10 years of experience in science outreach. She will coordinate efforts for comprehensive educational collaboration with the Hardin School District on the Crow Indian Reservation in South-central Montana.", "east": 112.085, "geometry": "POINT(112.085 -79.467)", "instruments": "IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CHEMICAL METERS/ANALYZERS \u003e ADS; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e CORERS \u003e CORING DEVICES; IN SITU/LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS \u003e SPECTROMETERS/RADIOMETERS \u003e MASS SPECTROMETERS", "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Dissolved Organic Carbon; Microbes; Ice Core; Not provided; Pyrosequencing; Microbial Diversity; Molecular; WAIS Divide; LABORATORY; FIELD SURVEYS; Antarctic; FIELD INVESTIGATION; DNA", "locations": "Antarctic; WAIS Divide", "north": -79.467, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Glaciology", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Foreman, Christine", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD INVESTIGATION; LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided; OTHER \u003e PHYSICAL MODELS \u003e LABORATORY", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": "WAIS Divide Ice Core", "south": -79.467, "title": "Molecular Level Characterization of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Diversity in the WAIS Divide Replicate Core", "uid": "p0000342", "west": 112.085}, {"awards": "0944556 Barrett, John", "bounds_geometry": "POLYGON((160.6015 -76.9089,161.7382 -76.9089,162.8749 -76.9089,164.0116 -76.9089,165.1483 -76.9089,166.285 -76.9089,167.4217 -76.9089,168.5584 -76.9089,169.6951 -76.9089,170.8318 -76.9089,171.9685 -76.9089,171.9685 -77.73527,171.9685 -78.56164,171.9685 -79.38801,171.9685 -80.21438,171.9685 -81.04075,171.9685 -81.86712,171.9685 -82.69349,171.9685 -83.51986,171.9685 -84.34623,171.9685 -85.1726,170.8318 -85.1726,169.6951 -85.1726,168.5584 -85.1726,167.4217 -85.1726,166.285 -85.1726,165.1483 -85.1726,164.0116 -85.1726,162.8749 -85.1726,161.7382 -85.1726,160.6015 -85.1726,160.6015 -84.34623,160.6015 -83.51986,160.6015 -82.69349,160.6015 -81.86712,160.6015 -81.04075,160.6015 -80.21438,160.6015 -79.38801,160.6015 -78.56164,160.6015 -77.73527,160.6015 -76.9089))", "dataset_titles": "Ecosphere (Supplement), Ecological Society of America.", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "002538", "doi": "", "keywords": null, "people": null, "repository": "Publication", "science_program": null, "title": "Ecosphere (Supplement), Ecological Society of America.", "url": "http://www.esapubs.org/archive/ecos/C004/014/suppl-1.php"}], "date_created": "Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Advances in molecular techniques have expanded our understanding of soil microbial communities, and raised important questions about regional and global patterns in microbial diversity. The proposed research will investigate the composition and activity of microbial communities across a range of geochemical and hydrologic soil conditions, and over local to regional scales in the Transantarctic Mountains, in order to assess controls over microbial biogeography. The research targets two areas in the Transantarctic mountains, the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and the Beardmore Glacier region further south, the latter representing an underexplored and inarguably more extreme soil environment. The research project will adopt an integrated approach, using molecular techniques and in situ assessment of biological activity in a quantitative biogeographical framework, with the goal of distinguishing fine versus broad scale controls over microbial community structure. The research is essential to determining the basic trophic status of extreme microbial food webs, and their sensitivity to climate change. The investigators will engage secondary and post-secondary educators through first person outreach as well as web-based communications and exercises. Two postdoctoral scientists will be trained in an interdisciplinary and international setting.", "east": 171.9685, "geometry": "POINT(166.285 -81.04075)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided", "locations": null, "north": -76.9089, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Barrett, John", "platforms": "Not provided", "repo": "Publication", "repositories": "Publication", "science_programs": null, "south": -85.1726, "title": "Collaborative Research: Controls over the Spatial Distribution and Activity of Microbial Communities in Antarctic Soils", "uid": "p0000350", "west": 160.6015}, {"awards": "0338260 Chin, Yu-Ping; 0338342 Foreman, Christine", "bounds_geometry": "POINT(166.167 -77.55)", "dataset_titles": "Biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in Pony Lake, Ross Island", "datasets": [{"dataset_uid": "600168", "doi": "10.15784/600168", "keywords": "Antarctica; Chemistry:fluid; Chemistry:Fluid; Critical Zone; Ross Island; Sample/collection Description; Sample/Collection Description; Water Samples", "people": "Foreman, Christine; Chin, Yu-Ping", "repository": "USAP-DC", "science_program": null, "title": "Biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in Pony Lake, Ross Island", "url": "https://www.usap-dc.org/view/dataset/600168"}], "date_created": "Mon, 16 Mar 2009 00:00:00 GMT", "description": "Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a significant chemical component in aquatic systems because it acts as an important carbon source for microorganisms, absorbs harmful radiation in sunlight, is able to complex metals, and can participate in important biogeochemical reactions. This study will investigate the biogeochemical cycling of DOM in a small coastal Antarctic pond, Pony Lake, located on Cape Royds, Ross Island. Because there are no higher plants present at this site all of the DOM in this lake is derived from microorganisms. Thus, Pony Lake is an ideal site to study the effect of physical, chemical, and microbial processes on the composition and character of the DOM pool. Finally, Pony Lake is also an ideal site to collect an International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) fulvic acid standard. Unlike other IHSS standards, this standard will not contain DOM components derived from higher land plants. To better understand the role of physical influences, the project will study the changes in the DOM pool as the lake evolves from ice-covered to ice-free conditions during the summer, as well as the relationship of DOM to the observed turnover of dominant microbial communities in the lake. Scientists will also monitor changes in microbial abundance, diversity, and productivity that may occur during the ice to open-water transition period. This research will provide much needed information regarding the relationship between microbial diversity and DOM biogeochemistry. Middle school science students will be active participants in this project through the Internet, while scientists are in the field, and in the lab.", "east": 166.167, "geometry": "POINT(166.167 -77.55)", "instruments": null, "is_usap_dc": true, "keywords": "Not provided; FIELD SURVEYS", "locations": null, "north": -77.55, "nsf_funding_programs": "Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems; Antarctic Organisms and Ecosystems", "paleo_time": null, "persons": "Foreman, Christine; Chin, Yu-Ping", "platforms": "LAND-BASED PLATFORMS \u003e FIELD SITES \u003e FIELD SURVEYS; Not provided", "repo": "USAP-DC", "repositories": "USAP-DC", "science_programs": null, "south": -77.55, "title": "Collaborative Research: Biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in Pony Lake, Ross Island", "uid": "p0000548", "west": 166.167}]
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Project Title/Abstract/Map | NSF Award(s) | Date Created | PIs / Scientists | Dataset Links and Repositories | Abstract | Bounds Geometry | Geometry | Selected | Visible | |||||
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Collaborative Research: BoCP-Design: Climate change alteration of soils functional biodiversity of the Páramos, Colombia
|
2325922 |
2024-02-06 | Couradeau, Estelle; Maximova, Siela; Machado, Jose Luis | No dataset link provided | Páramos are high-altitude tundra ecosystems nested at the heart of the Andes mountains. These cold and humid environments are home to a multitude of plants, animals, and insects. Páramos are a critical water source for downstream urban centers, including Colombia's capital city, Bogota. Additionally, the Páramos soils contain substantial organic carbon reserves due to slow rates of organic matter decomposition. Beyond being a pool of carbon sequestered away from the atmosphere, this large reservoir of organic matter controls the soils’ hydraulic and fertility properties. The Páramos’ unique geographic location, at an elevation above 2,800 m above sea level, makes them highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. In fact, these ecosystems’ surface areas are projected to shrink by half within the next 50 years possibly causing loss of the essential services they provide. This project aims to characterize the microbial diversity in the Páramos soils in Colombia and investigate how climate change will affect microbes’ functions. The research is of high importance, considering that immediate and long-term changes in microbial metabolism could impact the ability of Páramos soils to store organic carbon and regulate downstream water flow. To study the cascading effect of climate change on Páramos ecosystems, this project will jumpstart collaborations among transdisciplinary experts that will integrate the research of below-ground microbial communities with above-ground vegetation functions. The project will also engage high school and undergraduate students that will work together to develop and deploy low-cost long-term soil monitoring data loggers in Chingaza National Natural Park, near the city of Bogota. This project will address the critical need to disentangle the effect of moisture and temperature on the fate of organic carbon in Páramos soils while building a transdisciplinary team capable of expanding the scope of the research to an ecosystem level. The project includes establishing controlled soil mesocosms that will allow to independently vary moisture and temperature levels. Additionally, functions of the soil microbiome will be investigated using metagenomics and amplicon sequencing, and probes will be deployed to initiate long-term monitoring of the soil response to climate change in situ. This project will culminate in the organization of an international Páramos symposium that will set up priorities for future systems research. The symposium will bring together scientists from diverse fields to discuss the linkages between above-ground and below-ground ecosystem functions and plan future collaborations in predicting Páramos-wide effects of climate change. 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. | POLYGON((-73.783 4.679,-73.7827 4.679,-73.7824 4.679,-73.7821 4.679,-73.7818 4.679,-73.7815 4.679,-73.7812 4.679,-73.7809 4.679,-73.7806 4.679,-73.7803 4.679,-73.78 4.679,-73.78 4.6789,-73.78 4.6788,-73.78 4.6787,-73.78 4.6786,-73.78 4.6785,-73.78 4.6784,-73.78 4.6783,-73.78 4.6782,-73.78 4.6781,-73.78 4.678,-73.7803 4.678,-73.7806 4.678,-73.7809 4.678,-73.7812 4.678,-73.7815 4.678,-73.7818 4.678,-73.7821 4.678,-73.7824 4.678,-73.7827 4.678,-73.783 4.678,-73.783 4.6781,-73.783 4.6782,-73.783 4.6783,-73.783 4.6784,-73.783 4.6785,-73.783 4.6786,-73.783 4.6787,-73.783 4.6788,-73.783 4.6789,-73.783 4.679)) | POINT(-73.7815 4.6785) | false | false | |||||
Collaborative Research: Role of Nutrient Limitation and Viral Interactions on Antarctic Microbial Community Assembly: A Cryoconite Microcosm Study
|
2137378 2137377 2137376 2137375 |
2023-05-10 | Varsani, Arvind; Porazinska, Dorota; Schmidt, Steven; Bergstrom, Anna | No dataset link provided | Cryoconite holes are sediment-filled melt holes in the surface of glaciers that can be important sites of active microbial life in an otherwise mostly frozen and barren landscape. Previous studies in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica suggest that viral infections of microbes, and a general lack of fertilizers (i.e., nutrients), may be important factors shaping the development and functioning of microbial communities in cryoconite holes. The researchers propose an experimental approach to understand how nutrient limitation affects diversity (number of species) and overall abundance of microbes, and how the diversity and abundance of microbes in turn affects the diversity, abundance, and infection type of viruses that parasitize the microbes in cryoconite sediments. The researchers will use sediments previously collected from Antarctic glaciers that have varying concentrations of viruses and nutrients, to set up a nutrient-addition experiment to determine how nutrients affect microbial and viral population dynamics. The results will deepen our understanding of how microbial communities in general are shaped by nutrients and viruses and give new insights into the functioning of viruses in extremely cold environments. The researchers will publish their findings in scientific journals and will share their discoveries with K-12 students from rural schools in collaboration with the Pinhead Institute and will connect undergraduate students from under-represented minorities to polar research through participation in the university’s Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Routes Uplift Research Program. Outreach will be achieved through videos produced and distributed by a professional science communicator. The research advances a National Science Foundation goal of expanding fundamental knowledge of Antarctic systems, biota, and processes by utilizing the unique characteristics of the Antarctic region as a science observing platform. The Principal Investigators propose an experimental approach to understand how nutrient limitation affects microbial diversity and abundances and their cascading effects on virus diversity, abundance, and mode of infection (lysis vs. lysogeny) in Antarctic cryoconite holes. Cryoconite holes are ideal natural microcosms for manipulative studies, not available in other cryospheric ecosystems. The PIs will use previously collected cryoconite from across a gradient of both viral diversity and nutrient levels to address questions about key limiting nutrients and microbial-viral community dynamics in cryoconite sediments. Nutrient manipulation experiments will be conducted in a growth chamber that closely approximates the light and temperature regime of in situ cryoconite holes to test three core hypotheses: (1) phosphorus availability limits microbial productivity and abundance in cryoconite holes; (2) relaxing nutrient limitation in cryoconite from low-diversity glaciers will increase species diversity, leading microbial communities to resemble those found on more nutrient-rich glaciers; (3) relaxing nutrient limitation will increase the diversity and abundance of viruses by increasing the availability of suitable hosts, and decrease the prevalence of lysogenic infections. By manipulating nutrient limitation within a realistic range, this project will help verify hypothesized phosphorus limitation of Antarctic cryoconite holes and will extend understanding of the connections between nutrients, diversity, and viral infection dynamics in the cryosphere more generally. A better understanding of these dynamics in cryoconite sediments improves the ability of scientists to forecast future impacts of environmental changes in the cryosphere. 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. | None | None | false | false | |||||
Collaborative Research: ANT LIA Integrating Genomic and Phenotypic Analyses to understand Microbial Life in Antarctic Soils
|
2133684 |
2023-04-07 | Fierer, Noah; Quandt, Alisha A; Lemonte, Joshua |
|
Not all of Antarctica is covered in ice. In fact, soils are common to many parts of Antarctica, and these soils are often unlike any others found on Earth. Antarctic soils harbor unique microorganisms able to cope with the extremely cold and dry conditions common to much of the continent. For decades, microbiologists have been drawn to the unique soils in Antarctica, yet critical knowledge gaps remain. Most notably, it is unclear what properties allow certain microbes to thrive in Antarctic soils. By using a range of methods, this project is developing comprehensive model that discovers the unique genomic features of soils diversity, distributions, and adaptations that allow Antarctic soil microbes to thrive in extreme environments. The proposed work will be relevant to researchers in many fields, including engineers seeking to develop new biotechnologies, ecologists studying the contributions of these microbial communities to the functioning of Antarctic ecosystems, microbiologists studying novel microbial adaptations to extreme environmental conditions, and even astrobiologists studying the potential for life on Mars. More generally, the proposed research presents an opportunity to advance our current understanding of the microbial life found in one of the more distinctive microbial habitats on Earth, a habitat that is inaccessible to many scientists and a habitat that is increasingly under threat from climate change. The research project explores the microbial diversity in Antarctic soils and links specific features to different soil types and environmental conditions. The overarching questions include: What microbial taxa are found in a variety of Antarctic environments? What are the environmental preferences of specific taxa or lineages? What are the genomic and phenotypic traits of microorganisms that allow them to persist in extreme environments and determine biogeographical differneces? This project will analyze archived soils collected from across Antarctica by a network of international collaborators, with samples selected to span broad gradients in soil and site conditions. The project uses cultivation-independent, high-throughput genomic analysis methods and cultivation-dependent approaches to analyze bacterial and fungal communities in soil samples. The results will be used to predict the distributions of specific taxa and lineages, obtain genomic information for the more ubiquitous and abundant taxa, and quantify growth responses in vitro across gradients in temperature, moisture, and salinity. This integration of ecological, environmental, genomic, and trait-based information will provide a comprehensive understanding of microbial life in Antarctic soils. This project will also help facilitate new collaborations between scientists across the globe while providing undergraduate students with 'hands-on' research experiences that introduce the next generation of scientists to the field of Antarctic biology. 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. | POLYGON((-180 -60,-144 -60,-108 -60,-72 -60,-36 -60,0 -60,36 -60,72 -60,108 -60,144 -60,180 -60,180 -63,180 -66,180 -69,180 -72,180 -75,180 -78,180 -81,180 -84,180 -87,180 -90,144 -90,108 -90,72 -90,36 -90,0 -90,-36 -90,-72 -90,-108 -90,-144 -90,-180 -90,-180 -87,-180 -84,-180 -81,-180 -78,-180 -75,-180 -72,-180 -69,-180 -66,-180 -63,-180 -60)) | POINT(0 -89.999) | false | false | |||||
CAREER: Understanding microbial heterotrophic processes in coastal Antarctic waters
|
1846837 |
2021-06-25 | Bowman, Jeff; Connors, Elizabeth |
|
The coastal Antarctic is undergoing great environmental change. Physical changes in the environment, such as altered sea ice duration and extent, have a direct impact on the phytoplankton and bacteria species which form the base of the marine foodweb. Photosynthetic phytoplankton are the ocean's primary producers, transforming (fixing) CO2 into organic carbon molecules and providing a source of food for zooplankton and larger predators. When phytoplankton are consumed by zooplankton, or killed by viral attack, they release large amounts of organic carbon and nutrients into the environment. Heterotrophic bacteria must eat other things, and function as "master recyclers", consuming these materials and converting them to bacterial biomass which can feed larger organisms such as protists. Some protists are heterotrophs, but others are mixotrophs, able to grow by photosynthesis or heterotrophy. Previous work suggests that by killing and eating bacteria, protists and viruses may regulate bacterial populations, but how these processes are regulated in Antarctic waters is poorly understood. This project will use experiments to determine the rate at which Antarctic protists consume bacteria, and field studies to identify the major bacterial taxa involved in carbon uptake and recycling. In addition, this project will use new sequencing technology to obtain completed genomes for many Antarctic marine bacteria. To place this work in an ecosystem context this project will use microbial diversity data to inform rates associated with key microbial processes within the PALMER ecosystem model. This project addresses critical unknowns regarding the ecological role of heterotrophic marine bacteria in the coastal Antarctic and the top-down controls on bacterial populations. Previous work suggests that at certain times of the year grazing by heterotrophic and mixotrophic protists may meet or exceed bacterial production rates. Similarly, in more temperate waters bacteriophages (viruses) are thought to contribute significantly to bacterial mortality during the spring and summer. These different top-down controls have implications for carbon flow through the marine foodweb, because protists are grazed more efficiently by higher trophic levels than are bacteria. This project will use a combination of grazing experiments and field observations to assess the temporal dynamics of mortality due to temperate bacteriophage and protists. Although many heterotrophic bacterial strains observed in the coastal Antarctic are taxonomically similar to strains from other regions, recent work suggest that they are phylogenetically and genetically distinct. To better understand the ecological function and evolutionary trajectories of key Antarctic marine bacteria, their genomes will be isolated and sequenced. Then, these genomes will be used to improve the predictions of the paprica metabolic inference pipeline, and our understanding of the relationship between heterotrophic bacteria and their major predators in the Antarctic marine environment. Finally, researchers will modify the Regional Test-Bed Model model to enable microbial diversity data to be used to optimize the starting conditions of key parameters, and to constrain the model's data assimilation methods. There is an extensive education and outreach component to this project that is designed to engage students and the public in diverse activities centered on Antarctic microbiota and marine sciences. A new module on Antarctic marine science will be developed for the popular Sally Ride Science program, and two existing undergraduate courses at UC San Diego will be strengthened with laboratory modules introducing emerging technology, and with cutting-edge polar science. A PhD student and a post-doctoral researcher will be supported by this project. 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. | None | None | false | false | |||||
Collaborative Research: The Role of Glacial History on the Structure and Functioning of Ecological Communities in the Shackleton Glacier Region of the Transantarctic Mountains
|
1341736 |
2020-11-02 | Adams, Byron; Fierer, Noah; Wall, Diana; Diaz, Melisa A.; Gardner, Christopher B.; Lyons, W. Berry | The project will characterize the functional, taxonomic, biotic and abiotic drivers of soil ecosystems in the Trans Antarctic Mountains (one of the most remote and harsh terrestrial landscapes on the planet). The work will utilize new high-throughput DNA and RNA sequencing technologies to identify members of the microbial communities and determine if the microbial community structures are independent of local environmental heterogeneities. In addition the project will determine if microbial diversity and function are correlated with time since the last glacial maximum (LGM). The expected results will greatly contribute to our knowledge regarding rates of microbial succession and help define the some of the limits to life and life-maintaining processes on Earth. The project will analyze genomes and RNA derived from these genomes to describe the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning from soils above and below LGM elevations and to correlate these with the environmental drivers associated with their development during the last ~18,000 years. The team will identify the taxonomic diversity and the functional genetic composition within a broad suite of soil biota and examine their patterns of assembly and distribution within the framework of their geological legacies. The project will mentor participants from undergraduate students to postdoctoral researchers and prepare them to effectively engage in research to meet their career aspirations. The project will contribute to ongoing public education efforts through relationships with K-12 teachers and administrators- to include University-Public School partnerships. Less formal activities include public lecture series and weblogs aimed at providing information on Antarctic polar desert ecosystems to the general public. Targeted classrooms near each PI's institution will participate in online, real-time discussions about current topics in Antarctic ecosystems research. | POLYGON((-177.4099 -84.4661,-177.08229 -84.4661,-176.75468 -84.4661,-176.42707 -84.4661,-176.09946 -84.4661,-175.77185 -84.4661,-175.44424 -84.4661,-175.11663000000001 -84.4661,-174.78902 -84.4661,-174.46141 -84.4661,-174.1338 -84.4661,-174.1338 -84.56828,-174.1338 -84.67045999999999,-174.1338 -84.77264,-174.1338 -84.87482,-174.1338 -84.977,-174.1338 -85.07918,-174.1338 -85.18136,-174.1338 -85.28354,-174.1338 -85.38571999999999,-174.1338 -85.4879,-174.46141 -85.4879,-174.78902 -85.4879,-175.11663000000001 -85.4879,-175.44424 -85.4879,-175.77185 -85.4879,-176.09946 -85.4879,-176.42707 -85.4879,-176.75468 -85.4879,-177.08229 -85.4879,-177.4099 -85.4879,-177.4099 -85.38571999999999,-177.4099 -85.28354,-177.4099 -85.18136,-177.4099 -85.07918,-177.4099 -84.977,-177.4099 -84.87482,-177.4099 -84.77264,-177.4099 -84.67045999999999,-177.4099 -84.56828,-177.4099 -84.4661)) | POINT(-175.77185 -84.977) | false | false | ||||||
Microbial Community Structure and Expression of Functional Genes Involved in the Seasonal Cycling of DMSP in the Southern Ocean
|
1543450 |
2020-08-01 | Countway, Peter | The Southern Ocean in the vicinity of Antarctica is a region characterized by seasonally-driven marine phytoplankton blooms that are often dominated by microalgal species which produce large amounts of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). DMSP can be converted to the compound dimethylsulfide (DMS) which is a molecule that can escape into the atmosphere where it is known to have strong condensation properties that are involved in regional cloud formation. Production of DMSP can influence the diversity and composition of microbial assemblages in seawater and the types and activities of microbes in the seawater will likely affect the magnitude of DMSP\DMS production. The proposal aims to examine the role of DMSP in structuring the microbial communities in Antarctic waters and how this structuring may influence DMSP cycling. The project will leverage the Antarctic research to introduce concepts and data linking microbial diversity and biogeochemistry to a range of audiences (including high school and undergraduate students in Maine). The project will also engage teacher and students in rural K-8 schools and will allow a collaboration with a science writer and illustrator who will join the team in the field. The writer will use the southern ocean experience as the setting for a poster and a book about the proposed research and the scientists studying extreme environments. The project will examine (1) the extent to which the cycling of DMSP in southern ocean waters influences the composition and diversity of bacterial and protistan assemblages; (2) conversely, whether the composition and diversity of southern ocean protistan and bacterial assemblages influence the magnitude and rates of DMSP cycling; (3) the expression of DMSP degradation genes by marine bacteria seasonally and in response to additions of DMSP; and, to synthesize these results by quantifying (4) the microbial networks resulting from the presence of DMSP-producers and DMSP-consumers along with their predators, all involved in the cycling of DMSP in southern ocean waters. The work will be accomplished by conducting continuous growth experiments with DMSP-amended natural samples during field sampling of different microbial communities present in summer and fall. Data from the molecular (such as 16S/ 18S tag sequences, DMSP-cycle gene transcripts) and biogeochemical (such as biogenic sulfur cycling, bacterial production, microbial biomass) investigations will be integrated via network analysis. | POLYGON((-66 -63,-65.7 -63,-65.4 -63,-65.1 -63,-64.8 -63,-64.5 -63,-64.2 -63,-63.9 -63,-63.6 -63,-63.3 -63,-63 -63,-63 -63.3,-63 -63.6,-63 -63.9,-63 -64.2,-63 -64.5,-63 -64.8,-63 -65.1,-63 -65.4,-63 -65.7,-63 -66,-63.3 -66,-63.6 -66,-63.9 -66,-64.2 -66,-64.5 -66,-64.8 -66,-65.1 -66,-65.4 -66,-65.7 -66,-66 -66,-66 -65.7,-66 -65.4,-66 -65.1,-66 -64.8,-66 -64.5,-66 -64.2,-66 -63.9,-66 -63.6,-66 -63.3,-66 -63)) | POINT(-64.5 -64.5) | false | false | ||||||
Molecular Level Characterization of Dissolved Organic Carbon and Microbial Diversity in the WAIS Divide Replicate Core
|
1141936 |
2015-11-05 | Foreman, Christine |
|
This award supports a detailed, molecular level characterization of dissolved organic carbon and microbes in Antarctic ice cores. Using the most modern biological (genomic), geochemical techniques, and advanced chemical instrumentation researchers will 1) optimize protocols for collecting, extracting and amplifying DNA from deep ice cores suitable for use in next generation pyrosequencing; 2) determine the microbial diversity within the ice core; and 3) obtain and analyze detailed molecular characterizations of the carbon in the ice by ultrahigh resolution Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). With this pilot study investigators will be able to quantify the amount of material (microbial biomass and carbon) required to perform these characterizations, which is needed to inform future ice coring projects. The ultimate goal will be to develop protocols that maximize the yield, while minimizing the amount of ice required. The broader impacts include education and outreach at both the local and national levels. As a faculty mentor with the American Indian Research Opportunities and BRIDGES programs at Montana State University, Foreman will serve as a mentor to a Native American student in the lab during the summer months. Susan Kelly is an Education and Outreach Coordinator with a MS degree in Geology and over 10 years of experience in science outreach. She will coordinate efforts for comprehensive educational collaboration with the Hardin School District on the Crow Indian Reservation in South-central Montana. | POINT(112.085 -79.467) | POINT(112.085 -79.467) | false | false | |||||
Collaborative Research: Controls over the Spatial Distribution and Activity of Microbial Communities in Antarctic Soils
|
0944556 |
2015-02-13 | Barrett, John |
|
Advances in molecular techniques have expanded our understanding of soil microbial communities, and raised important questions about regional and global patterns in microbial diversity. The proposed research will investigate the composition and activity of microbial communities across a range of geochemical and hydrologic soil conditions, and over local to regional scales in the Transantarctic Mountains, in order to assess controls over microbial biogeography. The research targets two areas in the Transantarctic mountains, the McMurdo Dry Valleys, and the Beardmore Glacier region further south, the latter representing an underexplored and inarguably more extreme soil environment. The research project will adopt an integrated approach, using molecular techniques and in situ assessment of biological activity in a quantitative biogeographical framework, with the goal of distinguishing fine versus broad scale controls over microbial community structure. The research is essential to determining the basic trophic status of extreme microbial food webs, and their sensitivity to climate change. The investigators will engage secondary and post-secondary educators through first person outreach as well as web-based communications and exercises. Two postdoctoral scientists will be trained in an interdisciplinary and international setting. | POLYGON((160.6015 -76.9089,161.7382 -76.9089,162.8749 -76.9089,164.0116 -76.9089,165.1483 -76.9089,166.285 -76.9089,167.4217 -76.9089,168.5584 -76.9089,169.6951 -76.9089,170.8318 -76.9089,171.9685 -76.9089,171.9685 -77.73527,171.9685 -78.56164,171.9685 -79.38801,171.9685 -80.21438,171.9685 -81.04075,171.9685 -81.86712,171.9685 -82.69349,171.9685 -83.51986,171.9685 -84.34623,171.9685 -85.1726,170.8318 -85.1726,169.6951 -85.1726,168.5584 -85.1726,167.4217 -85.1726,166.285 -85.1726,165.1483 -85.1726,164.0116 -85.1726,162.8749 -85.1726,161.7382 -85.1726,160.6015 -85.1726,160.6015 -84.34623,160.6015 -83.51986,160.6015 -82.69349,160.6015 -81.86712,160.6015 -81.04075,160.6015 -80.21438,160.6015 -79.38801,160.6015 -78.56164,160.6015 -77.73527,160.6015 -76.9089)) | POINT(166.285 -81.04075) | false | false | |||||
Collaborative Research: Biogeochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in Pony Lake, Ross Island
|
0338260 0338342 |
2009-03-16 | Foreman, Christine; Chin, Yu-Ping |
|
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is a significant chemical component in aquatic systems because it acts as an important carbon source for microorganisms, absorbs harmful radiation in sunlight, is able to complex metals, and can participate in important biogeochemical reactions. This study will investigate the biogeochemical cycling of DOM in a small coastal Antarctic pond, Pony Lake, located on Cape Royds, Ross Island. Because there are no higher plants present at this site all of the DOM in this lake is derived from microorganisms. Thus, Pony Lake is an ideal site to study the effect of physical, chemical, and microbial processes on the composition and character of the DOM pool. Finally, Pony Lake is also an ideal site to collect an International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) fulvic acid standard. Unlike other IHSS standards, this standard will not contain DOM components derived from higher land plants. To better understand the role of physical influences, the project will study the changes in the DOM pool as the lake evolves from ice-covered to ice-free conditions during the summer, as well as the relationship of DOM to the observed turnover of dominant microbial communities in the lake. Scientists will also monitor changes in microbial abundance, diversity, and productivity that may occur during the ice to open-water transition period. This research will provide much needed information regarding the relationship between microbial diversity and DOM biogeochemistry. Middle school science students will be active participants in this project through the Internet, while scientists are in the field, and in the lab. | POINT(166.167 -77.55) | POINT(166.167 -77.55) | false | false |