Descrizione del progetto
Studio del ruolo dei microrganismi nell’impatto ambientale del ciclo dell’azoto
L’azoto è un componente molto importante per tutta la vita. Comprendere il ciclo dell’azoto è fondamentale per prevenire le perdite nella produzione agricola. I microrganismi svolgono un ruolo da protagonisti in questo ciclo, convertendo l’azoto atmosferico in forme biologicamente utilizzabili, eppure sono trattati come modelli «black box» quando si studia l’impatto ecologico del ciclo dell’azoto. I microrganismi non esistono come entità isolate, ma sono mischiati tra loro, mantenendo un diverso numero di interazioni sociali create attraverso l’adattamento e l’evoluzione. Finanziato dal programma di azioni Marie Skłodowska-Curie, il progetto Microbial-light intende fornire delucidazioni sui modelli «black box» attraverso l’acquisizione di dati multiparametrici. Il progetto introdurrà perturbazioni fisico-chimiche a numerose popolazioni microbiche miste e monitorerà la crescita microbica usando la citometria a flusso.
Obiettivo
With an increasing world population growth, prediction of climate change on the sustainability and resilience of farming ecosystems is key. Since the nitrogen cycle's role within the farming ecosystem is of utmost importance, and an environmental disturbance leads to farming production loss, understanding the cycle's resilience is crucial. The main actors within this cycle are microorganisms, yet these are ignored when predicting ecological effects to climate change (black box models). Microorganisms do not exist as isolated entities, but are mixed in high numbers, maintaining a diverse number of social interactions created through adaptation and evolution. Microbial-Light will illuminate black box models via the acquisition of a multi-parametric database. Physicochemical disturbances will be applied to a large combinatorial number of mixed microbial populations of well studied nitrifiers. Microbial growth monitoring at microtiter scale will include strain tracking (FISH-flow cytometry), while function (i.e. nitrification) will be determined at a larger scale. The ample data collected will enable elucidation of functional landscapes for each synthetic community under combining environmental stresses. Additionally, the role of microbial interactions (BSocial tool) across disturbance gradients will be sought. Microbial-Light, will engage in modelling individual growth from synthetic mixed population growth, thereby validating the models with previous experimental evidence. Moreover, the optimal social nitrifying community will be coated on tomato seeds, and plant growth efficiency will be compared with uncoated seeds. Parallel to the acquisition multi-parametric database, evaluation of the nitrification potential of poor and rich soils will be tested coupled with microbial diversity (Illumina sequencing). The analysis of synthetic and natural communities, will allow for a more comprehensive ecological model on nitrification.
Campo scientifico
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Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-CAR - CAR – Career Restart panelCoordinatore
18071 Granada
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