This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2005. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in US science. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.
The research and training plan is entitled "Understanding how viruses affect bacteria in an extreme, hypersaline environment." Bacteria and their viruses are being isolated from salt ponds in Mexico and are being used to determine the ability of viruses to infect their bacterial hosts in various salt concentrations. Viral capsid proteins are also being characterized to understand how viruses can survive in a hypersaline environment.
The training and professional goals are to expand skill sets in microbiology, network with other scientists in the field of extremophile research, and form collaborations with microbial ecologists in Africa.
