Award Abstract #0347475
Microbial Observatory: Linking Microbial Diversity With Biogeochemical Studies Throughout the Deep Greenland Ice Sheet

NSF Org:	MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences
Initial Amendment Date:	August 4, 2004
Latest Amendment Date:	June 9, 2008
Award Number:	0347475
Award Instrument:	Continuing grant
Program Manager:	Matthew Kane MCB Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences BIO Directorate for Biological Sciences
Start Date:	September 1, 2004
Expires:	August 31, 2009 (Estimated)
Awarded Amount to Date:	$845254
Investigator(s):	Jean Brenchley jeb7@psu.edu (Principal Investigator) Todd Sowers (Co-Principal Investigator) Vanya Miteva (Co-Principal Investigator)
Sponsor:	Pennsylvania State Univ University Park 110 Technology Center Building UNIVERSITY PARK, PA 16802 814/865-1372
NSF Program(s):	BE: NON-ANNOUNCEMENT RESEARCH, MICRO OBS & MICRO INTER & PRO
Field Application(s):
Program Reference Code(s):	BIOT, 9104
Program Element Code(s):	1629, 1089

ABSTRACT

A grant has been awarded to Drs. Jean Brenchley, Vanya Miteva, and Todd Sowers of Pennsylvania State University to establish microbial observatory studies of microbial diversity in relation to geochemical analyses throughout a Greenland glacier ice core. These investigators have shown that ice from over 3,000 meters deep contained an abundant and diverse prokaryotic population that had survived subzero temperatures, high pressures, and limited liquid, oxygen, and nutrients for over 120,000 years. This new work will develop a low temperature microbial observatory to examine the prokaryotic populations in ice core samples selected to represent different depths/times/deposition temperatures and test whether microbial metabolism could be occurring within the ice core itself. Goals include examining the viability and number of prokaryotes in different ice samples to determine whether specific types correlate with deposition climates, comparing the microbial diversity using both culture dependent and culture independent methods, and monitoring trace gas composition using stable isotopes in ice to link the microbial diversity studies with biogeochemical processes.

Glacier ice is a harsh habitat and results from this microbial observatory will help understand the limits for survival on earth and serve as a model for possible extraterrestrial life. In addition to broad educational impacts, this work will provide a comprehensive view of the vertical distribution of microbial populations in the ice core and is likely to lead to the cultivation of numerous not-yet cultivated organisms representing novel taxa. Some isolates could produce biotechnologically important new antibiotics, chemicals, cold-active enzymes, etc. In addition, the interdisciplinary test of whether metabolism can be detected within ice is important because trace gases in ice cores record past atmospheres that are then compared with current compositions. If microbial metabolism could have altered this trace gas record, then previous results and climate predictions would have to be reevaluated.

PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH

(Showing: 1 - 3 of 3).

Miteva V., Lantz S., Brenchley J..  "Characterization of a cryptic plasmid from a Greenland ice core isolate and construction of a shuttle vector that replicates in psychrophilic high G+C Gram-positive recipients.,"  Extremophiles,  v.12, 3,  2008,  p. 441.

Miteva V.I., Sowers T.A., Brenchley J.E..  "Production of N2O by ammonia oxidizing bacteria at subfreezing temperatures as a model for assessing the N2O anomalies in the Vostok ice core,"  Geomicrobiology Journal,  v.24,  2007,  p. 451.

Vanya I. Miteva and Jean E. Brenchley.  "Detection and isolation of ultrasmall microorganisms from a 120,000 year old Greenland glacier ice core,"  Applied and Environmental Micorbiology,  v.71,  2005,  p. 7806.


(Showing: 1 - 3 of 3).

Please report errors in award information by writing to: awardsearch@nsf.gov.