IntBIO: Collaborative Research: Integrating nanobiotechnologies to understand the role of nitro-oxidative stress in the coral-dinoflagellate mutualistic symbiosis dynamics

IntBIO：合作研究：整合纳米生物技术来了解硝基氧化应激在珊瑚-甲藻互利共生动态中的作用

• 批准号: 2316390
• 负责人: Hollie Putnam
• 金额: $ 36.62万
• 依托单位: University of Rhode Island
• 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: 2023-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2316390&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: IntBIO; Collaborative; Research; Integrating; nanobiotechnologies

Understanding the complex processes that occur inside cells when reef-building corals are exposed to stressful conditions is essential to guiding future conservation efforts and engineering solutions for the survival of coral reefs. This project will focus on the relationship between corals and the microscopic algae living in their tissue, especially the accumulation and exchange of very reactive molecules (known as free-radicals) during periods of stress, which can have damaging effects on cells at high doses. The symbiosis between coral and algae is crucial for coral reef survival. As conditions in Earth’s oceans change, this symbiosis becomes unstable, such that extreme conditions like marine heat waves lead to expulsion of algae from the coral tissue, turning corals white to the naked eye, a condition known as "coral bleaching." This research will use a multidisciplinary approach--combining marine biology, molecular sciences, ecophysiology, physics, nanoengineering, and 3D fabrication--to explore how free-radical concentrations and dynamics within the complex coral-algae symbiosis may contribute to coral bleaching. The scientific training and outreach involved in this project will strive to engage with various groups to promoted integrative multidisciplinary STEM methodology and literacy for tackling complex contemporary challenges.Mass coral bleaching events have increased in frequency and severity. However, the mechanism leading to the breakdown of symbiosis (dysbiosis) is still poorly characterized. The accumulation of free-radicals is understood to be a primary driver of dysbiosis. In this project, researchers will first study the cellular response in isolation and symbiosis of both the coral cells and the dinoflagellate algae cells to create a 3D physical biohybrid coral model. The model will be composed of a hard base mimicking the coral skeleton and bioink combined with coral and algae cells mimicking the coral tissue. This model will allow researchers to study the changes inside the cells and the bioink at high resolution under different conditions, including during stress levels associated with bleaching, according to cell type, cell density and tissue architecture. The characterization toolkit will consist of advanced microscopy, gene expression, metabolomics, nanoprobe measurements, material characterization, computational modeling, 3D printing and 3D bioprinting. Amongst the expected outcomes, researchers anticipate this project will profoundly transform our understanding of free-radical dynamics in symbiotic organisms in relation to the coral tissue microenvironment.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.

了解造礁珊瑚暴露在压力条件下时细胞内部发生的复杂过程对于指导未来的保护工作和珊瑚礁生存的工程解决方案至关重要。该项目将重点关注珊瑚与生活在其中的微观藻类之间的关系。珊瑚和藻类之间的共生对于珊瑚礁的生存至关重要。在地球的随着海洋的变化，这种共生关系变得不稳定，海洋热浪等极端条件会导致藻类从珊瑚组织中排出，使珊瑚变成肉眼可见的白色，这种情况被称为“珊瑚白化”。 ——结合海洋生物学、分子科学、生态生理学、物理学、纳米工程和 3D 制造——探索复杂的珊瑚-藻类共生中的自由基浓度和动态如何对珊瑚产生影响该项目涉及的科学培训和外展活动将努力与各个团体合作，促进综合性的多学科 STEM 方法和素养，以应对复杂的当代挑战。大规模珊瑚白化事件的频率和严重性有所增加，但导致白化的机制仍然存在。共生崩溃（生态失调）的特征仍不清楚。自由基的积累被认为是生态失调的主要驱动因素。在该项目中，研究人员将首先研究珊瑚细胞和珊瑚细胞的孤立和共生的细胞反应。该模型将由模仿珊瑚骨骼的硬质底座和模仿珊瑚组织的珊瑚和藻类细胞组成。该模型将使研究人员能够研究细胞内部的变化。根据细胞类型、细胞密度和组织结构，在不同条件下（包括与漂白相关的应激水平）获得高分辨率的生物墨水。表征工具包将包括先进的显微镜、基因表达、在代谢组学、纳米探针测量、材料表征、计算建模、3D 打印和 3D 生物打印等预期成果中，研究人员预计该项目将深刻改变我们对与珊瑚组织微环境相关的共生生物中自由基动力学的理解。通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，NSF 的法定使命被认为值得支持。