Under the OMP, molecular biological techniques were developed, adapted, and applied to determine how biological processes are regulated and controlled by genetic limitations and environmental variables. Research emphasis was placed on molecular regulation of photosynthetic carbon reduction by phytoplankton; molecular diagnostic markers of bacterial growth, production, and nutrient limitations to growth, and; molecular techniques for elucidating metabolic pathways.

Research in Temperate and High Latitude coastal areas indicates that the availability and cycling of nitrogen is likely to be the major control on primary productivity and carbon cycling in these areas. In general, coastal areas are believed to be net heterotrophic on an annual basis. This means that they receive more organic substrate than is produced within the system by photosynthesis. Bacteria metabolize a large fraction of the organic pool, both dissolved and particulate, and it appears that most of the excess organic matter in coastal areas is degraded by microbial processes.

Moreover, it appears that denitrification (the reduction of fixed nitrogen to N2) overwhelms nitrogen fixation by cyanobacteria in Northern Latitude waters and sediments. In these areas, there does not appear to be paucity of iron (Fe) to limit nitrogen fixation, but nitrogenase activity may be inhibited by the elevated concentrations of ammonia (NH3) that occur in Arctic waters following phytoplankton blooms. Since little is known about the rates of nitrogen fixation, primary productivity, and bacterial respiration in cold water areas, this notice calls for applications to help understand the molecular to global scale links and feedback mechanisms between solar irradiance, marine microbiology, coastal nitrogen and carbon cycles, primary productivity, and remotely-sensed ocean color data in the low-temperature waters off Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

Although it is anticipated that most of the research performed will be laboratory-based, if field studies are necessary, they should be conducted in the coastal waters off the North Slope of Alaska and Pacific Northwest; or, in the estuarine and shelf waters of the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico; Savannah River and South Atlantic Bight; or Chesapeake Bay and Mid-Atlantic Bight. Applications that are solely concerned with the taxonomic characterization or distributions of bacteria, or the identification of new biochemicals or enzymes from marine organisms, are excluded from consideration within this notice.

Application of Molecular Tools to Microbes Mediating Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling

This announcement encourages applications that use molecular approaches to study marine microbial processes, in particular, carbon and nitrogen cycling. Insights can be gained from application of biotechnology to carbon sequestration and storage, nitrogen fixation and denitrification. Knowledge of the genes responsible for these processes, and most importantly, the expression of these genes in marine environments is needed. The mechanisms by which environmental factors regulate gene expression in ocean margin environments will help us to understand the natural controls on these processes.

The advent of modern molecular biology has provided powerful tools for examining genes and gene expression. Molecular methods are now being applied to research problems in marine biology, including the enzymes involved in carbon fixation (e.g., ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase), nitrogen fixation (e.g., nitrogenase) and denitrification (e.g., nitrate reductase). Examples of enabling biotechnologies include in situ polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify specific catabolic genes within bacterial cells, and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to elucidate genotypes in microbial communities. A fundamental knowledge of molecular regulatory mechanisms of photosynthesis and nitrogen cycling in the oceans is needed.

Environmental factors such as nutrient availability, temperature, irradiance, and biopolymer lability affect the coupling and decoupling of primary production, bacterial respiration, POM and DOM formation, and nitrogen metabolism in coastal areas. The impact of individual environmental factors, and synergistic effects of multiple environmental factors, on these processes is poorly understood. This announcement encourages applications that address the environmental controls on carbon and nitrogen cycles, and their coupling and decoupling. An understanding of these linkages is critical to monitoring and predicting potential changes due to physical, chemical or biological factor, and may ultimately contribute to the development of algorithms for remotely sensed ocean color data.

• Clearly state the nature of the collaborative research agreement between the institutions;

• Define respective research roles and responsibilities of scientists at each institution; describe how the partnership between the institutions will be effected (e.g., team meetings, shared students, etc.), and

• Provide separate institutional budgets.

It is anticipated that up to $4 million will be available for multiple grants awarded in FY 1997 and FY 1998, contingent upon availability of appropriated funds. Applications may request project support up to three years, with out-year support contingent on availability of funds, progress of the research, and programmatic needs. Annual budgets are expected to range from approximately $50,000 to $500,000. Applications should include detailed budgets for each year of support requested. The technical portion of the application should not exceed twenty-five (25) double-spaced pages. Lengthy application appendices are not encouraged.

Applications will be subjected to formal merit review (peer review) and will be evaluated against the following evaluation criteria which are listed in descending order of importance codified at 10 CFR 605.10(d):

1. Scientific and/or Technical Merit of the Project;

2. Appropriateness of the Proposed Method or Approach;

3. Competency of Applicant's personnel and Adequacy of Proposed Resources;

4. Reasonableness and Appropriateness of the Proposed Budget.

To provide a consistent format for the submission, review and solicitation of grant applications submitted under this notice, the preparation and submission of grant applications must follow the guidelines given in the Application Guide for the Office of Energy Research Financial Assistance Program 10 CFR Part 605. Access to ER's Financial Assistance Application Guide is possible via the World Wide Web at: http://www.er.doe.gov/production/grants/grants.html.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for this program is 81.049, and the solicitation control number is ERFAP 10 CFR Part 605.

John Rodney Clark
Associate Director
for Resource Management
Office of Energy Research

Published in the Federal Register February 24, 1997, Vol. 62, No. 36, pages 8224-8226.