CAREER:Geochemical Energy for Thermophilic Archaea and Bacteria

职业：嗜热古细菌和细菌的地球化学能源

• 批准号: 0447231
• 负责人: Jan Amend
• 金额: $ 53.9万
• 依托单位: Washington University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-06-15 至 2012-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0447231&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Geochemical; Energy; Thermophilic; Archaea

ABSTRACTEvidence is mounting that the extraordinary metabolic and phylogenetic diversity of microorganisms is the result of several billion years of co-evolution with geologic processes. Investigating the intimate couplings of geochemistry and microbiology will become an even greater focus of geologic research in the foreseeable future. Among the best and most exciting sites to investigate the bio-geo interface are shallow marine hydrothermal ecosystems; they are ubiquitous, geochemically and microbiologically highly diverse, readily accessible for even complex investigations, and understudied compared to their deep-sea and continental counterparts. My primary career interests are understanding the geochemical constraints on metabolic diversity and investigating the role that microorganisms play in controlling their chemical environment. A crucial link between these two processes ? and between microbiology and geochemistry in general? is the availability of chemical energy sources. Quantifying the geochemical energy for thermophilic archaea and bacteria is at the core of my future studies.I have developed an integrated plan for research and education activities that will build a foundation for a long-term academic career. The plan includes expanding geobiology and geochemistry at Washington University through innovative course offerings and hands-on mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students. New courses, which seek to address several identified weaknesses in the curriculum, include a field/lab class in geobiology, a writing intensive course in the natural sciences, and multidisciplinary seminars that cover topics of exceptional and timely interests. The educational component proposed here also seeks to provide several extra learning opportunities (through Science Clubs) in low-income, urban area elementary schools; the ultimate challenge is to eliminate the "achievement gap" that exists between groups of students. This activity will be coordinated with established public outreach programs, teachers and volunteers at various K-5 schools, and numerous local science and nature centers.My new research directions in microbial geochemistry include 1) designing geochemically realistic growth media to culture heretofore "unculturable" thermophiles in hydrothermal ecosystems; 2) determining in situ energy-yields for an array of redox processes in vent environments, including the oxidation and fermentation of organic compounds and the conversion of Arsenic-bearing compounds; and 3) going "inside the cell" to quantify the free energies of common and central biochemical pathways as a function of temperature and pressure, both catabolic (energy-producing) and anabolic (biosynthesis) reaction networks. The approaches combine fieldwork (in situ measurements, sampling), analytical chemistry (aqueous solutions, gases, minerals), experimental microbiology (thermophile culturing, gene surveys), and quantitative modeling (reaction energetics, estimation of thermodynamic properties). The overall objectives are to generate quantitative, predictive, and comprehensive models of the biogeo interface in hydrothermal systems and to develop the scientific tools needed to test, guide, and improve our understanding of global biogeochemical processes.

Abstract Vircentions越来越多地说，微生物的非凡代谢和系统发育多样性是与地质过程共同进化的数十亿年的结果。在可预见的将来，调查地球化学和微生物学的亲密耦合将成为地质研究的更大重点。研究生物盖子界面的最好，最令人兴奋的网站之一是浅水热液生态系统。它们无处不在，地球化学和微生物学高度多样，甚至可以进行复杂的研究，并且与深海和大陆相比进行了研究。我的主要职业兴趣是了解代谢多样性的地球化学限制，并研究微生物在控制其化学环境中所起的作用。这两个过程之间的关键联系？在微生物学和一般地球化学之间？是化学能源的可用性。量化嗜热古细菌和细菌的地球化学能量是我未来研究的核心。我制定了一项研究和教育活动的综合计划，该计划将为长期的学术生涯奠定基础。该计划包括通过创新的课程以及研究生和本科生的动手指导，扩大华盛顿大学的地球生物学和地球化学。试图解决课程中几个弱点的新课程包括地球生物学领域/实验室课程，自然科学的写作密集课程以及涵盖特殊和及时兴趣主题的多学科研讨会。这里提出的教育部分还旨在在低收入城市小学中提供几个额外的学习机会（通过科学俱乐部）；最终的挑战是消除学生群体之间存在的“成就差距”。这项活动将与既定的K-5学校的既定公共外展计划，教师和志愿者以及许多当地科学和自然中心进行协调。我的新研究指示微生物地球化学包括1）在水热生态系统中设计地球化学上现实的增长媒体以迄今为止的“源自“无法培养的”热嗜热剂； 2）确定原位能量赋予通风口环境中一系列氧化还原过程的原位能量，包括有机化合物的氧化和发酵以及含氧化合物的转化； 3）“在细胞内”进行量化常见和中央生化途径的自由能，这是温度和压力的函数，包括分解代谢（能量产生）和合成代谢（生物合成）反应网络。该方法结合了现场工作（原位测量，采样），分析化学（水溶液，气体，矿物质），实验微生物学（嗜热培养，基因调查）和定量建模（反应能量学，热力学特性的估计）。总体目标是生成水热系统中生物盖岛界面的定量，预测性和全面模型，并开发用于测试，指导和提高我们对全球生物地球化学过程的理解所需的科学工具。