Collaborative Research: MUCUS: Measuring and Understanding the Cassiopea Use of Space

合作研究：MUCUS：测量和理解仙后座对空间的利用

• 批准号: 2227068
• 负责人: Laura Miller
• 金额: $ 67.81万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-01-15 至 2025-12-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2227068&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; MUCUS; Measuring; Understanding

In recent decades over 50% of living coral reefs have been lost due in large part to climate change and other anthropogenic factors. In contrast, jellyfish are overpopulating part of the oceans with an increased rate of blooms since 1950. Mucus produced by jellyfish may allow them to colonize new locations, thrive in warm environments, and provide glycoproteins for the surrounding community. Although there has been significant work exploring the role that mucus plays in vertebrate animals and how mucus affects microorganism swimming at the microscale, our understanding of the mechanical properties of jellyfish mucus, which may be up to tens of centimeters in thickness, is limited. The broad goal of this project is to determine if the success of the jellyfish Cassiopea and related species is due in part to their significant production of mucus and, associated with it, venom within stinging cells released by the jellyfish in structures called cassiosomes. This project supports interdisciplinary training for a postdoctoral fellow, two graduate students, and at least four undergraduates at the interface of biomechanics, mathematical modeling, physiology, and ecology. Training includes opportunities for students to connect with researchers at the Smithsonian Institution, the Key Largo Marine Research Laboratory, and internationally in Japan and Brazil. While scientific studies and news stories increasingly report on the reduction of distribution ranges for a number of marine species, scyphozoan jellyfish, conversely, appear to be undergoing range expansions due to increased bloom events. Temperature appears to be a major factor, enabling a longer reproduction period, as are anthropogenic factors that result in an increase in asexual reproduction. Increasing findings also suggest that jellyfish mucus may confer an advantage by playing a protective role against environmental stress and increasing temperatures while simultaneously enhancing feeding efficiency. To understand how mucus aids in the success of Cassiopea and other rhizostome jellyfish, the research team will use a highly interdisciplinary approach that combines the following tools: (1) mathematics and engineering tools to characterize the physical properties of the mucus and the motility of plankton and cassiosomes within it, (2) eDNA, traditional sampling, and the literature to benchmark how Cassiopea species distributions are changing, and (3) Nanopore eRNA sequencing to characterize the venom and other mucus proteins of interest and how expression of these proteins changes over time and with seasonal temperature fluctuations. The team will then apply these tools to (1) assess whether and how mucus reduces swimming speeds in a variety of planktonic prey while permitting or possibly enhancing active locomotion in cassiosomes, (2) determine the mechanisms by which mucus protects jellyfish from foreign objects and irritants, and (3) evaluate if and how mucus, cassiosomes, and nematocysts aid in the range expansion of Cassiopea by creating dominant mono-specific or mono-generic communities. In addition to providing interdisciplinary training opportunities for a postdoctoral fellow and graduate and undergraduate students, the award supports an annual workshop on Cassiopea biology at the Key Largo Marine Research Laboratory which will be expanded to incorporate presentations and tutorials related to this research project.This award is co-funded by the BIO-IOS-Physiological Mechanisms and Biomechanics program and the GEO-OCE-Biological Oceanography program.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.

近几十年来，超过50％的生命珊瑚礁在很大程度上归因于气候变化和其他人为因素。相比之下，水母自1950年以来的盛开速度增加了海洋的部分。水母产生的粘液可能使它们可以在温暖的环境中殖民新地点，在温暖的环境中繁衍生息，并为周围的社区提供糖蛋白。尽管已经进行了重要的工作，探讨了粘液在脊椎动物中的作用，以及粘液如何影响微观生物在显微镜下游泳，但我们对水母粘液的机械性能的理解可能是厚度达到数百厘米的厚度。该项目的广泛目标是确定水母木薯和相关物种的成功部分是由于它们的粘液的大量产生，并且与之相关的是，在水母中释放出的毒细胞中的毒液在称为碳纤维的结构中释放出来。该项目支持博士后研究员，两名研究生以及在生物力学，数学建模，生理学和生态学的界面上至少四名本科生的跨学科培训。培训包括学生与史密森尼机构，主要的Largo海洋研究实验室以及日本和巴西国际上的研究人员建立联系的机会。尽管科学研究和新闻报道越来越多地报道了许多海洋物种的分布范围的减少，但Scyphozoan水母，由于花朵事件的增加，Scyphozoan水母似乎正在进行范围扩展。温度似乎是一个主要因素，使得可以更长的繁殖期，而人为因素也导致无性繁殖增加。越来越多的发现还表明，水母粘液可以通过针对环境压力和温度提高的保护作用，同时提高进食效率来赋予优势。 To understand how mucus aids in the success of Cassiopea and other rhizostome jellyfish, the research team will use a highly interdisciplinary approach that combines the following tools: (1) mathematics and engineering tools to characterize the physical properties of the mucus and the motility of plankton and cassiosomes within it, (2) eDNA, traditional sampling, and the literature to benchmark how Cassiopea species distributions are changing, （3）纳米孔ERNA测序以表征感兴趣的毒液和其他粘液蛋白，以及这些蛋白质的表达如何随时间和季节性温度波动而变化。 The team will then apply these tools to (1) assess whether and how mucus reduces swimming speeds in a variety of planktonic prey while permitting or possibly enhancing active locomotion in cassiosomes, (2) determine the mechanisms by which mucus protects jellyfish from foreign objects and irritants, and (3) evaluate if and how mucus, cassiosomes, and nematocysts aid in the range expansion of Cassiopea通过创建主导的单一特异性或单程社区。该奖项除了为博士后同胞和研究生和本科生提供跨学科的培训机会外，还支持在关键的Largo海洋研究实验室举行的Cassiopea Biology年度研讨会，将扩大与该研究项目相关的演讲和教程，并由Bioios-ios-Physogical-Physoologicy机构合并，并将其纳入该研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来评估值得支持。