Description du projet
Doctorat dans le domaine de la vie microbienne des glaciers et des calottes glaciaires
Contre toute attente, les microbes prospèrent dans la glace. En fait, les glaciers et les calottes glaciaires sont tout sauf des environnements stériles. Ils s’apparentent aux forêts tropicales et à tout autre grand écosystème, et sont reconnus comme l’un des biomes de la Terre. Les algues, les champignons, les bactéries et les virus qui vivent sur et sous les glaciers sont capables de modifier les caractéristiques physiques et chimiques de la glace et de la neige, ce qui accélère la fonte de la glace et engendre des gaz à effet de serre en grande quantité. De nombreuses questions ayant trait aux processus microbiologiques restent toutefois sans réponse. Afin d’y répondre, le projet ICEBIO, relevant des Actions Marie Skłodowska-Curie, assurera la formation de la prochaine génération d’experts en microbiologie et biogéochimie des glaciers, ce qui permettra d’enrichir les connaissances dans ces domaines importants.
Objectif
Glaciers and ice sheets were long believed to be sterile environments, but just like other large ecosystems (e.g. tropical forests, tundra), they are now widely recognized as one of the Earth’s biomes, teeming with life. Active algae, fungi, bacteria and viruses dominate the glacial environment and they have the ability to change the physical and chemical characteristics of the ice and snow, with global effects. For instance, increasing ice melt rates are observed due to growth of pigmented algae on glacier surfaces and substantial amounts of methane from subglacial habitats are added to the global greenhouse gas budget. Despite their global influence, many of the microbiological processes within the cryosphere remain poorly quantified. A deeper understanding of such processes are relevant to researchers interested in the possibility of life on icy extraterrestrial bodies, the survival and proliferation of life forms on our early Earth (e.g. during the part of the Proterozoic era known as Snowball Earth), and the positive and negative feedbacks that the cryosphere may have on global warming. The microbial communities living in association with icy environments may also harbor unique metabolic pathways, providing novel opportunities in biotechnology.
ICEBIO is a Doctoral Network that will train the next generation of glacier microbiology and biogeochemistry experts. The training and research programme is made up of seven interlinked Work Packages (WP). WP1 to WP4 are research work packages at the cutting edge of glacial microbiology and biogeochemistry and these will be supported by three overarching WPs (WP5-7) associated with the management, training, and dissemination of results. ICEBIO will deliver a detailed framework and database of the functional diversity and potential of the glacier biome, not only serving to dramatically advance our understanding of a threatened biome, but also laying out potential for use in economic and environmental services.
Champ scientifique
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyphycology
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologymycology
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryaliphatic compounds
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesphysical geographyglaciology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesgeochemistrybiogeochemistry
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme
Régime de financement
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN - HORIZON TMA MSCA Doctoral NetworksCoordinateur
8000 Aarhus C
Danemark