Abstract Soils are a great source ofbiodiversity on earth due to its heterogeneous chemical and physical properties. In this study, the first comprehensive examination of prokaryotes and their viruses, will be perfomed in an extreme thermal soil (temperature range 60-85C) located in Yellowstone National Park. Prokaryotes and their viruses are inextricably tied and understanding their relationships in this environment promises a new view ofthermophily and evolution. Molecular techniques will examine phylogenetic relationships of thermal soil prokaryotes and their viruses, and extreme thermophiles and viruses will be isolated using traditional culturing methods and novel methods that take advantage of the flow-through properties of a bio~lm reactor and a soil chemostat. Information derived from this study will expand our understanding of the distribution of thermophily in the microbial world and will be of fundamental importance to science. The knowledge and resources gained from this study are predicted to be of significant value to the biotechnology industry.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
9809360
Program Officer
Samuel M. Scheiner
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1998-10-01
Budget End
2002-09-30
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1998
Total Cost
$300,000
Indirect Cost
Name
Montana State University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Bozeman
State
MT
Country
United States
Zip Code
59717