Micro to Macro - Molecular and Spatial Controls on Microbial Function
EMSL Project ID
51919
Abstract
Establishing a clear and predictable link between the structure and function of soil microbial communities and ecosystem processes remains one of the greatest challenges in soil ecology. Soil microorganisms are the engines that drive global biogeochemical cycles, impacting the flow of nutrients to all life on Earth and many ecosystem services we depend on, such as crop production and carbon sequestration. Yet, while ecosystem function occurs at macroscales, these microbial functions occur at micro-scales over a million times smaller than that of their impact. Linking soil microbial communities and ecosystem function requires comprehensive characterization of microbial community structure (DNA), function and function-associated molecules (proteins, metabolites), and the soil environment in which these microorganisms exist. It is also vital that this characterization be carried out across scales from micro to macro. This will necessitate a hierarchical approach which systematically characterizes microbial function from microbially-derived molecules (DNA, proteins, metabolites) to ecosystem function. To address this knowledge gap, we propose to use biological nitrogen fixation as a model process. We will address two major questions aimed at characterizing microbial scale processes: (1) What is the effective size of the microbial habitat? (2) What data, and at what sampling-scale, are needed to accurately link microbial communities to ecosystem processes? Addressing these questions requires multi-modal integration of advanced and interdisciplinary techniques, including stable isotope probing, advanced imaging techniques such as MALDI mass spec and NanoSIMS, and multi-omics approaches. Many of these techniques can only be carried out at EMSL where collaboration with experts on some of the most state-of-the-art instrumentation is possible. Ultimately, this work will fundamentally transform our understanding of the link between soil microorganisms and ecosystems and provide a foundation for improving our capacity to predict ecosystem function.
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2021-10-01
End Date
2023-10-01
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)