Award Abstract #0237576
Microbial Observatories: Collaborative Research: Microbial Diversity and Function in the Permanently Ice-Covered Lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

NSF Org:	MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
Initial Amendment Date:	June 16, 2003
Latest Amendment Date:	February 7, 2008
Award Number:	0237576
Award Instrument:	Continuing grant
Program Manager:	Matthew Kane MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date:	June 15, 2003
Expires:	May 31, 2009 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$359998
Investigator(s):	Michael Madigan madigan@micro.siu.edu (Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Research Development and Admin. Carbondale, IL 62901 618/453-4540
NSF Program(s):	ANTARCTIC ORGANISMS & ECOSYST, MICRO OBS & MICRO INTER & PRO
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	EGCH, 9169, 9104, 5111, 1089
Program Element Code(s):	5111, 1089

ABSTRACT

Grants have been awarded to Drs. J. Priscu (Montana State University), M. Madigan (Southern Illinois University), B. Lanoil (University of California - Riverside) and S.Giovannoni (Oregon State University) to study prokaryotic organisms within the permanently ice-covered lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica with the objectives of identifying and characterizing novel organisms and elucidating those aspects of their genome and metabolism that are critical to understanding their role in biogeochemical cycles. The study will use molecular tools in concert with conventional and high throughput culturing techniques to define representative prokaryotic groups responsible for the contemporary geochemical gradients that exist in these lakes. The McMurdo Dry Valleys form the driest and coldest ecosystem known on Earth and has, until relatively recently, been thought to harbor little life. A primary reason for establishing a Microbial Observatory for these lakes is to understand not just how the environment controls the diversity of organisms, but also how diversity itself controls the functioning of ecosystems. The McMurdo Dry Valley lake systems lend themselves to answering this question in a unique way. Given the isolation, the lack of higher life forms, and the evolutionary history of these lakes, they offer a unique experimental arena to search for novel microorganisms and study the interplay of microbial diversity and ecosystem function.

Results from this study will be significant to the growing bodies of literature in biodiversity, biotechnology, geobiology, polar ecology, and astrobiology. The investigators will work with existing and proposed new programs to archive the phylogenetic and physiological data collected during the study so that all interested can access it easily through the Internet. Strong linkages will be made with the highly visible education, outreach and human diversity programs supported by the NSF Office of Polar Programs and the McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research station, yielding a project that will have a broad impact on society.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

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Asao, M., D.O. Jung, L.A. Achenbach and M.T. Madigan.  "Heliorestis convoluta, sp. nov., a coiled alkaliphilic heliobacterium from the Wadi El Natroun, Egypt,"  Extremophiles,  v.10,  2006,  p. 403.

Jung, D.O., L.A. Achenbach, E.A. Karr, S. Takaichi, and M.T. Madigan.  "A gas vesiculate planktonic strain of the purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodoferax antarcticus isolated from Lake Fryxell, Dry Valleys, Antarctica,"  Archives of Microbiology,  v.182,  2004,  p. 236.

Karr, E.A., J.M. Ng, S.M. Belchik, W.M. Sattley, M.T. Madigan, and L.A. Achenbach.  "Biodiversity of methanogenic and other Archaea in the permanently frozen Lake Fryxell, Antarctica,"  Applied and Environmental Microbiology,  v.72,  2006,  p. 1663.

Karr, E.A., W.M. Sattley, M.R. Rice, D.O. Jung, M.T. Madigan, and L.A. Achenbach.  "Diversity and distribution of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the permanently frozen Lake Fryxell, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica,"  Applied and Environmental Microbiology,  v.71,  2005,  p. 6353.

Sattley WM, Madigan MT.  "Isolation, characterization and ecology of cold-active sulfur-chemolithotrophic bacteria from perennially ice-covered Lake Fryxell, Antarctica,"  Applied and Environmental Microbiology,  v.72,  2006,  p. 5562.


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