NSF Org:	OPP Office of Polar Programs (OPP)
Recipient:	NEVADA SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Initial Amendment Date:	January 9, 2001
Latest Amendment Date:	March 14, 2002
Award Number:	0085435
Award Instrument:	Standard Grant
Program Manager:	Polly A. Penhale OPP  Office of Polar Programs (OPP) GEO  Directorate for Geosciences
Start Date:	March 1, 2001
End Date:	February 28, 2005 (Estimated)
Total Intended Award Amount:	$309,004.00
Total Awarded Amount to Date:	$315,834.00
Funds Obligated to Date:	FY 2001 = $309,004.00 FY 2002 = $6,830.00
History of Investigator:	Alison Murray (Principal Investigator) alison@dri.edu
Recipient Sponsored Research Office:	Nevada System of Higher Education, Desert Research Institute 2215 RAGGIO PKWY RENO NV  US  89512-1095 (775)673-7300
Sponsor Congressional District:	02
Primary Place of Performance:	Nevada System of Higher Education, Desert Research Institute 2215 RAGGIO PKWY RENO NV  US  89512-1095
Primary Place of Performance Congressional District:	02
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI):	MV1JFXA4S621
Parent UEI:	MV1JFXA4S621
NSF Program(s):	LIFE IN EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS, BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY, ANT Organisms & Ecosystems
Primary Program Source:	01000102DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT 0100CYXXDB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT app-02XX
Program Reference Code(s):	SMET, 9251, EGCH, OTHR, 9169, 9178
Program Element Code(s):	107500, 165000, 511100
Award Agency Code:	4900
Fund Agency Code:	4900
Assistance Listing Number(s):	47.078

ABSTRACT

One of the most challenging requirements for the study of life in extreme environments is studying the organisms inhabiting these environments in situ, and understanding the unique aspects of biological life and adaptations required for survival. The Antarctic marine psychrophiles provide an excellent model group of extreme microorganisms for this work, since very little is known about their biological and functional diversity, or specific metabolic adaptations to life at -1.8 degree C. The overall goal of this research is the development of genomic approaches for studying microorganisms sampled directly from extreme environments and thus, circumventing the requirement for cultivation. The objectives of the proposed work are (1) to sequence six large bacterial genomic DNA fragments isolated directly from Antarctic marine psychrophiles; (2) to construct two different types of DNA microarrays designed to identify genes being actively expressed in uncultivated microorganisms living in the sub-zero marine waters of the Antarctic; (3) to optimize specific aspects of microarray technology for use with environmental samples; and 4) to develop a transferable methodology that will be useful for other researchers in accessing gene expression information directly from the natural environment. The proposed study will make use of an Antarctic genomic DNA library comprised of large (40 kb) genomic fragments of planktonic archaeal and bacterial DNA created in earlier studies to develop targeted and shotgun DNA microarrays. The application of DNA microarray technology to studies of life in extreme environments offers an outstanding opportunity for identifying new genes for biotechnological use. Discovering specific adaptations to extreme environments by detecting genes that are uniquely expressed in the natural environment is an ultimate goal of the research.

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