NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011

2011 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金

• 批准号: 1103692
• 负责人: Silvia Newell
• 金额: $ 18.9万
• 依托单位: Bulow Silvia
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1103692&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2011, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Silvia Newell is "Activity of nitrogen fixers and denitrifiers in coastal sediments." The host institution for this fellowship is Boston University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Robinson Fulweiler.Coastal systems are acutely vulnerable to nitrogen pollution, resulting in wide-spread reduced oxygen levels (hypoxia), decreased biodiversity, and increased harmful algal blooms. Nitrogen loading from wastewater into Waquoit Bay is documented and has more than doubled since 1938. Hypoxia in eutrophic coastal ecosystems can also stimulate puzzling microbial responses, including high rates of simultaneous denitrification (nitrogen removal) and nitrogen fixation. Continuing to fix nitrogen when fixed nitrogen is available is energetically unfavorable and leads to the central questions of this research: Why do bacteria turn on nitrogen fixation under nitrogen-replete conditions? Can nitrogen fixation exacerbate eutrophication and greenhouse gas production? This research investigates the distributions and activities of denitrifying and nitrogen-fixing bacteria within the sediment to determine if the patterns are consistent with the existence of highly localized, very rapid nitrogen transformations. Training objectives include learning techniques of biogeochemistry including core incubation and isotope methods. Broader impacts include participation in the Women in Science program for 12-14 year olds at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, as well as outreach to local minority-serving high schools.

该行动资助 2011 财年 NSF 生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大参与范围。该奖学金支持研究员在主办实验室的研究和培训计划，该研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与的计划。西尔维娅·纽厄尔 (Silvia Newell) 的研究和培训计划的标题是“沿海沉积物中固氮剂和反硝化剂的活性”。该奖学金的主办机构是波士顿大学，资助科学家是 Robinson Fulweiler 博士。沿海系统极易受到氮污染的影响，导致广泛的氧气水平降低（缺氧）、生物多样性减少和有害藻华增加。 据记录，从废水流入瓦阔伊特湾的氮负荷自 1938 年以来已增加了一倍多。富营养化沿海生态系统中的缺氧也会刺激令人费解的微生物反应，包括高速率的同时反硝化（脱氮）和固氮。 当固定氮可用时继续固氮在能量上是不利的，并引出了本研究的核心问题：为什么细菌在氮充足的条件下开启固氮？固氮会加剧富营养化和温室气体产生吗？ 这项研究调查了沉积物内反硝化和固氮细菌的分布和活动，以确定这些模式是否与高度局部、非常快速的氮转化的存在相一致。培训目标包括学习生物地球化学技术，包括核心孵化和同位素方法。更广泛的影响包括参与瓦阔伊特湾国家河口研究保护区 12-14 岁女性参与科学计划，以及向当地少数民族高中进行推广。