Collaborative Research: Characterization of Microbial Transformations in Basement Fluids, from Genes to Geochemical Cycling

合作研究：从基因到地球化学循环的基底流体中微生物转化的表征

• 批准号: 1061827
• 负责人: Brian Glazer
• 金额: $ 37.89万
• 依托单位: University of Hawaii
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-06-01 至 2015-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1061827&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Characterization; Microbial; Transformations

Intellectual MeritCurrent estimates suggest that the volume of ocean crust capable of sustaining life is comparable in magnitude to that of the oceans. To date, there is little understanding of the composition or functional capacity of microbial communities in the sub-seafloor, or their influence on the chemistry of the oceans and subsequent consequences for global biogeochemical cycles. This project focuses on understanding the relationship between microbial communities and fluid chemistry in young crustal fluids that are responsible for the transport of energy, nutrients, and organisms in the crust. Specifically, the PIs will couple microbial activity measurements, including autotrophic carbon, nitrogen and sulfur metabolisms as well as mineral oxide reduction, with quantitative assessments of functional gene expression and geochemical transformations in basement fluids. Through a comprehensive suite of in situ and shipboard analyses, this research will yield cross-disciplinary advances in our understanding of the microbial ecology and geochemistry of the sub-seafloor biosphere. The focus of the effort is at North Pond, an isolated sediment pond located on ridge flank oceanic crust 7-8 million years old on the western side of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. North Pond is currently the target for drilling on IODP expedition 336, during which it will be instrumented with three sub-seafloor basement observatories. The project will leverage this opportunity for targeted and distinct sampling at North Pond on two German-US research cruises to accomplish three main objectives:1. to determine if different basement fluid horizons across North Pond host distinct microbial communities and chemical milieus and the degree to which they change over a two-year post-drilling period.2. to quantify the extent of autotrophic metabolism via microbially-mediated transformations in carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur species in basement fluids at North Pond.3. to determine the extent of suspended particulate mineral oxides in basement fluids at North Pond and to characterize their role as oxidants for fluid-hosted microbial communities.Specific outcomes include quantitative assessments of microbial activity and gene expression as well as geochemical transformations. The program builds on the integrative research goals for North Pond and will provide important data for guiding the development of that and future deep biosphere research programs. Results will increase understanding of microbial life and chemistry in young oceanic crust as well as provide new insights into controls on the distribution and activity of marine microbial communities throughout the worlds oceans.Broader ImpactsThere are no data about microbial communities in ubiquitous cold, oceanic crust, the emphasis of the proposed work. This is an interdisciplinary project at the interface of microbial ecology, chemistry, and deep-sea oceanography with direct links to international and national research and educational organizations. It leverages on a long-term collaboration between the PIs and collaborators in both the US and Germany, including the recently formed NSF Science and Technology Center entitled "Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations" (C-DEBI) and the NSF Research Coordination Network focused on the deep biosphere. This work on microbially mediated geochemical transformations in basement fluids is both attainable and timely, and methods development and results from this work will complement current and future microbial and geochemical investigations on the Juan de Fuca Ridge as part of both IODP and the OOI Regional Scale Node. The public outreach effort will utilize The Zephyr Education Foundation's unique marine science program to incorporate a short educational module focused on marine microbiology that will be tailored to the grade levels 7 through college. The module will emphasize the importance of marine microbes to environmental sustainability, human health, and the origin and evolution of life on our planet. The project also supports the research and career development of one graduate student, one undergraduate student, and two postdoctoral researchers. Students and postdocs will to engage with the larger community of researchers interested in deep biosphere microbiology and chemistry through emerging and existing NSF programs.

智力上的估计估计表明，能够维持寿命的海壳的数量与海洋的大小相当。迄今为止，对微生物群落中微生物群落的组成或功能能力几乎没有理解，或者它们对海洋化学的影响以及随后对全球生物地球化学周期的后果。该项目的重点是了解幼年地壳液中微生物群落与流体化学之间的关系，这些液体负责甲壳中能量，营养和生物的运输。具体而言，PIS将对微生物活性测量，包括自养碳，氮和硫代谢以及矿物质氧化物的还原，以及对基因表达的定量评估和地基流体中的地球化学转化。通过一套原位和船上分析的全面套件，这项研究将在我们对微生物生态学和地球化学的微生物生态学的理解时产生跨学科的进步。这项工作的重点是北池塘，北池塘是一个孤立的沉积物池塘，位于山脊侧面的海洋壳，在大西洋山脊的西侧有7至800万年的历史。北部池塘目前是IODP Expedition 336钻探的目标，在此期间将使用三个地下地下室观测站进行仪器。该项目将利用这一机会在北池塘进行两次德国 - 美国研究巡游的针对性和独特的采样，以实现三个主要目标：1。确定北部池塘的不同地下流体层是否有不同的微生物群落和化学环境，以及它们在两年后的滴定期间改变的程度。2。通过微生物介导的碳，氮和硫种类在北池塘的基底液中的微生物介导的转化来量化自养代谢的程度3。为了确定北部池塘基底流体中悬浮的颗粒矿物氧化物的程度，并表征其作为流体托管微生物群落的氧化剂的作用。特定的结果包括对微生物活性和基因表达以及地球化学转化的定量评估。该计划基于北池塘的综合研究目标，并将提供重要的数据，以指导该计划的发展和未来的深层生物圈研究计划。结果将提高对年轻海洋壳中微生物生活和化学的了解，并为对海洋微生物群落在全世界的海洋中的分布和活动提供新的见解。Broader的影响是关于无聊的寒冷，海洋壳的微生物群落的数据，这是对拟议工作的重点。这是一个与国际和国家研究和教育组织的直接联系的微生物生态，化学和深海海洋学界面的跨学科项目。它利用了美国和德国的PIS与合作者之间的长期合作，包括最近成立的NSF科学技术中心，名为“黑暗能源生物圈研究中心”（C-DEBI）和NSF研究协调网络，集中在深层生物圈上。这项关于基底流体中微生物介导的地球化学转化的工作既可以及时，又及时，这项工作的方法和方法将补充有关Juan de Fuca Ridge的当前和未来的微生物和地球化学研究，作为IODP和OOI区域规模节点的一部分。公众推广工作将利用Zephyr Education基金会的独特海洋科学计划，纳入了一个针对海洋微生物学的简短教育模块，该模块将针对大学的7年级量身定制。该模块将强调海洋微生物对环境可持续性，人类健康以及我们星球上生命的起源和进化的重要性。该项目还支持一名研究生，一名本科生和两名博士后研究人员的研究和职业发展。学生和博士后将通过新兴和现有的NSF计划与对深层生物圈微生物学和化学感兴趣的更大的研究人员互动。