Collaborative Research: Biogeochemistry and Geomicrobiology of Taylor Glacier Basal Ice

合作研究：泰勒冰川基底冰的生物地球化学和地球微生物学

• 批准号: 0636828
• 负责人: Brent Christner
• 金额: $ 19.08万
• 依托单位: Louisiana State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-15 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0636828&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Biogeochemistry; Geomicrobiology; Taylor

AbstractThe proposed research will address an emerging and exciting question in cryospheric biology: are microorganisms capable of metabolism in glacier ice? The proposed study will involve a comprehensive assessment of the biogeochemistry and geomicrobiology of Taylor Glacier (McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica) basal ice via a combination of field measurements and laboratory experiments. Our holistic approach will provide data to connect nutrient availability, geochemical composition, and gas composition with microbial cell density, diversity and metabolic status in the basal ice sequence. Multi-sample analysis of the same ice facies will allow assessment of the chemical and microbial linkages in basal ice and the manner by which microbes may modify gas compositions in situ. The proposed approach will address two key questions outlined by the National Research Council's "Frontiers in Polar Biology in the Genomic Era" (2003): (i) "Can microorganisms in this (frozen) environment reproduce?" and (ii) "What are the similarities and differences among microorganisms in different subzero environments?" Confirming that microbial activity occurs in situ in glacier ice at temperatures of -17C would represent a significant advance in cryospheric biology and significantly expand the known boundaries of the biosphere. Such information is highly relevant to the ice core paleoclimatic community, as it would provide a viable explanation for inconsistencies in some ice-core gas records. The basal ice zones of polar glaciers show similarities with the layered deposits evident in images of the marginal zones of the northern ice cap on Mars. Thus, our research will also have implications relevant to discussions about microbial persistence and survival in ice on Mars. This research will support 2 new investigators, and provide training for 2 Ph.D. students and 2 undergraduate students. Students from unrepresented communities in science and engineering will be actively recruited for these positions. Web-based tools to target students interested in pursuing a career in science will be maintained and expanded upon by incorporating our results into the NSF funded (DERMEED-1) library under construction at MSU, as part of the national (SMETE) digital library.

摘要所提出的研究将解决冰冻圈生物学中一个新兴且令人兴奋的问题：微生物是否能够在冰川冰中进行新陈代谢？拟议的研究将通过现场测量和实验室实验相结合，对泰勒冰川（南极洲麦克默多干谷）基底冰的生物地球化学和地球微生物学进行全面评估。我们的整体方法将提供数据，将营养物可用性、地球化学成分和气体成分与基底冰序列中的微生物细胞密度、多样性和代谢状态联系起来。对相同冰相的多样本分析将允许评估基底冰中的化学和微生物联系以及微生物可以原位改变气体成分的方式。拟议的方法将解决国家研究委员会的“基因组时代的极地生物学前沿”（2003）中概述的两个关键问题：（i）“这种（冰冻）环境中的微生物可以繁殖吗？” (ii)“不同零度以下环境中的微生物有何异同？”确认-17℃温度下冰川冰原位发生微生物活动将代表冰冻圈生物学的重大进步，并显着扩大生物圈的已知边界。这些信息与冰芯古气候群落高度相关，因为它可以为一些冰芯气体记录的不一致提供可行的解释。极地冰川的基底冰区与火星北部冰盖边缘区图像中明显的层状沉积物相似。因此，我们的研究也将对火星冰中微生物的持久性和生存的讨论产生影响。这项研究将支持 2 名新研究人员，并为 2 名博士提供培训。学生和2名本科生。来自科学和工程领域无人代表的社区的学生将被积极招募来担任这些职位。通过将我们的成果纳入密歇根州立大学正在建设的 NSF 资助的 (DERMEED-1) 图书馆，作为国家 (SMETE) 数字图书馆的一部分，我们将维护和扩展针对有兴趣从事科学职业的学生的基于网络的工具。