Integrated Stable Isotope Probing for the Comprehensive Quantitative- Characterization of Biological Dynamics and Elemental Cycling
EMSL Project ID
49553
Abstract
Biological organisms dynamically function in relationship to their environment and neighboring organisms, creating a continual interplay that constitutes the ecological state. Fundamental characterization of this dynamic is dependent on understanding the molecular scale interactions and interrelationships among the different organisms and between the organisms and the environment. The central role carbon and nitrogen play in these metabolic interactions make them key analytes to track for elucidating system dynamics. Using Stable Isotope Probing (SIP) to measure key elemental fluxes can provide critical insight to a number of biological systems important to the DOE mission such as understanding nutrient flow through environmental microbiomes, elucidation of eukaryotic/microbe interactions (e.g. plant/rhizome interactions), elucidation of plant responses to changes in environmental conditions, and tracking carbon from plants into unavailable biomass in soils.In most diverse biological systems, the investigations center around three intrinsic questions: who is active (taxonomic profiling), where is the activity taking place (spatial profiling), and what functions are necessary for the overall elemental flux/transformation and flow of nutrients. We propose to establish an integrated analytical and informatics framework for the determination of nutrient (C and N) utilization maps and spatiotemporal biological dynamics under biologically relevant conditions to provide insights into the mechanisms underlying activity, organization and interspecies interactions. While SIP approaches focus on those active members, locations or functions within a system, no one analytical technique is currently capable of addressing all three research aspects1. There exists, however, a suite of SIP based technologies, each at a different stage of maturity, which can address the taxonomic, spatial and functional aspects on a temporal basis. Our ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive analytical and informatics framework that, depending on the research question, will quantitatively integrate multiple analytics to achieve a more holistic model than possible with a single measurement. To accomplish this, we will advance, integrate, and apply a multi-analytics platform leveraging existing capabilities to enable more holistic analysis of biological interactions. Starting with model microbial systems and extending to the red alder/Frankia symbiotic system, we will be able to create an integrated carbon and nutrient flow map providing a dynamic framework to initially understand the fate and transport of carbon and nitrogen, with the eventual application to broader ecological systems such as tracing the fate of atmospheric carbon through stabilization in soils or release back into the atmosphere or tracing nitrogen through from fixation to utilization.
Project Details
Start Date
2017-02-23
End Date
2018-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members