Center for dark energy biosphere investigations stc annual Report 2016
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j. C-DEBI WorkshopsC-DEBI funded and organized two workshops in 2016 to assemble the community around pertinent topics in deep biosphere research. The first one was co-sponsored by the Deep Carbon Observatory Deep Life Community and focused on the origins and movements of subsurface microbes. It was held at USC May 9-10 and was led by Tom Kieft (New Mexico Tech) and Doug LaRowe (USC). The second workshop, held December 10-11 in proximity to the American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting and organized by Ben Tully (USC), was a second annual workshop for hands-on training in bioinformatics. ► See more at the 2016 Workshops webpage 3. Performance With Respect to the Strategic Implementation PlanOur primary research goal is to enable, produce, and communicate transformative, synergistic research through an inclusive and collaborative culture that crosses disciplinary and institutional boundaries and is embedded throughout the Center’s activities. In Phase 1, C-DEBI focused primarily on the exploration and discovery of subseafloor ecosystems, with most studies concentrated at four major sites: Juan de Fuca Ridge flank, South Pacific Gyre, North Pond, and the Dorado Outcrop. In Phase 2 (2015-2020), C-DEBI is developing an integrated understanding of microbial subseafloor life, covering and connecting the molecular, cellular, and ecosystem scales. Maintaining highly multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, C-DEBI will emphasize microbial ecology while ensuring that essential context is provided through studies and advances in geochemistry, hydrology, oceanography, and related disciplines. The three overarching research themes are (1) fluxes, connectivity, and energy; (2) activities, communities, and ecosystems; and (3) metabolism, survival, and adaptation. C-DEBI research projects target two distinct subseafloor biosphere environments—the igneous ocean crust and overlying sediments—that have historically been studied independently; field investigations of these environments are complemented by coordinated laboratory studies and modeling. C-DEBI is led by five Co-PIs and five senior scientists from eight U.S. universities and research labs, but seeks to build and leverage scientific, educational, and technological partnerships with numerous other U.S. and international institutions (educational, research, outreach, engineering, not-for-profit). In addition, C-DEBI seeks to develop a diverse community of multidisciplinary collaborators, to identify promising topics, and to develop new projects that will help to advance the Center's objectives. Target 1: Transfers of fluid, heat, solutes, carbon, and microbes are quantified within and between subseafloor biomes, and between the subseafloor and the overlying ocean; the nature of energy sources available to microbes in these ecosystems is determined; and the next generation of coupled fluid-energy-biochemical-microbial models is developed.
Target 2: The composition of subseafloor microbial communities and the functional potential of these communities are illuminated, based on the diversity of metabolic activities and interactions with the physicochemical aspects of the system.
Target 3: A ‘portfolio’ of selected model subseafloor organisms is established, and their physiological and genetic traits are characterized; in addition, these microorganisms are used to investigate energy and carbon use for growth and maintenance under kinetically limiting conditions and to determine rates of metabolism under specific conditions.
Target 4: Field investigations at the four ‘major sites’ identified in C-DEBI Phase 1 are largely completed (i.e. at Juan de Fuca, South Pacific Gyre, North Pond, and Dorado Outcrop with the latter two potentially continuing beyond C-DEBI Phase 2). Environmental data and samples from these sites are compiled and analyzed along with laboratory experiments and modeling to address questions across the three Phase 2 research themes.
Target 5: The new C-DEBI senior scientists are integrated in all aspects of the Center, and cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional research training is thriving through our grants programs, thereby expanding the community of deep biosphere researchers, technologists, and educators.
4. Plans for the Next Reporting Period The research plans for the next reporting period remain as stated in our Phase 2 proposal. As outlined in Theme 1, we will constrain the extent, variability, and controls on fluxes and connectivity within subseafloor biomes and between the subseafloor and the overlying ocean; map geochemical energy sources in subseafloor ecosystems at a range of spatial scales; and develop and test the next generation of coupled geochemical-hydrological-microbial models for subseafloor ecosystems. In Theme 2, we will determine community composition, functional potential, and patterns of natural selection in subseafloor ecosystems; determine metabolic activity of subseafloor microbial communities; and advance understanding of subseafloor microbe-virus interactions. In Theme 3, we will isolate and characterize novel bacteria and archaea from diverse subseafloor habitats; examine fundamental physiology of subseafloor microbes under conditions of low growth rates and low energy flux; and perform adaptive evolution and long-term survival experiments with subseafloor microbes to characterize molecular genetic signatures associated with particular phenotypes. Field-based research, associated sample analyses, laboratory experiments, and modeling efforts will continue to focus on several key sites. Of particular note are a few field expeditions: IODP Expedition 366 to the Mariana Convergent Margin and the South Chamorro Seamount will recover material and deploy casing within three serpentinite mud volcanoes. This expedition will provide the infrastructure for future sampling and experimental needs within a natural setting that supports an active microbial community in the presence of dissolved hydrogen, methane and sulfate and at a pH of up to ~12.5. This will be a site of ongoing research with international collaborators for years to come. In October 2017, we will also return to North Pond to recover downhole samplers, sensors, and experiments (some of which are part of the instrument strings deployed in 2011 with hundreds of mineral colonization experiments). In addition, we will be collecting large volumes of fluids from various subsurface horizons for assessing fluid microbial activity, genomic potential, and microbe-virus interactions, and we will attempt cross-hole tracer experiments to examine fluid flow pathways. This culminates a multi-year effort of sampling and discovery at North Pond. In May of 2017, the Orphan lab will partake in an Alvin cruise to the Costa Rica Margin to characterize microbial community structure and activity associated with active methane venting. Lastly, a cruise is planned with the Schmidt Ocean Institute for 2018 to a new hydrothermal vent site in the Gulf of California. Stable isotope probing and BONCAT experiments are planned to quantify microbial metabolic activity associated with solid substrates (carbonates), sediments, and fluids. Directory: wp-content -> uploads uploads -> 587 Return function, r i(X) r i(0) r i(1) r i(2) r i(3) 1 0 2 4 6 Thermal Station, I 2 0 1 5 6 3 0 3 5 6 10 uploads -> The Case Against the nypd’s Quota-Driven ‘Broken Windows’ Policing What Is It? uploads -> For want of a nail uploads -> Police Militarization uploads -> Stop Militarizing Law Enforcement Act of 2014 uploads -> 2017 afoCo Landmark Scholarship Program uploads -> Instructions for the Preparation of Camera-Ready Contributions to the Conference Proceedings uploads -> Medical Radiography Program uploads -> Ihbb asian Championships 2014 middle school bowl Round 4 First Quarter uploads -> Ihbb european Championships 2014 Bowl Round 4 First Quarter Download 0.89 Mb. Share with your friends:
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