This project will continue geomicrobiology studies in the Cabo Rojo Salterns Microbial Observatory in Puerto Rico. The project will provide significant research training experience for students, especially undergraduates. The multi-institutional team includes researchers in the Biology Departments at the University of Puerto Rico-Humacao and UPR-Mayaguez, and the University of Connecticut. They will undertake a multidisciplinary research effort to study the geological contributions of microorganisms in the Cabo Rojo salterns. Two different microbial mat systems in the salterns will be used to compare how microbial metabolism alters the geochemical characteristics of sediments and ultimately defines the microscale mineralogy. The production of biogenic gases by these different microbial communities will also be studied. As the salterns are characterized by extreme seasonal changes, their metabolic and community composition is continuously altered leading to differential patterns of gene and protein expression. Knowledge of the molecular aspects that control the precipitation and dissolution of key minerals such as calcium carbonate has important implications with respect to sediment formation, construction of oceanic reefs and deterioration of stone monuments. By the identification of genes and proteins crucial for the regulation of these processes, it may be possible to control and possibly even manipulate them at the molecular level. Besides the scientific contributions, the most valuable products of this project are a generation of Puerto Rican students trained with state-of-the-art techniques. Students will benefit with a series of workshops and conferences, a summer exchange program with students at the University of Connecticut, and a pioneer program providing information about the field of geomicrobiology to K-12 students. Students will also construct a weather station that will be publicly accessible to monitor the conditions atthe observatory via the internet.
Intelectual merrits: The primary research objective of the Cabo Rojo Salterns Microbial Observatory (CRSMO) was to identify the groups of microbes present in microbial mats. We reported for the first time the presence of fungi in these mats and characterized novel fungal and bacterial species. We linked metabolic diversity to the binding of minerals and investigated microbially-induced precipitations. We also investigated how salinity changes altered the microbial mat communities and the production of relevant volatile organic biosignatures like methane. In studies with cultures, we identified the genes and gene products involved in the precipitation and dissolution of carbonate minerals. To date, our findings have been published in 11 articles (coauthored with undergraduates) and five book chapters. Broader impacts: The primary educational objective was to offer short courses,' fieldwork and laboratory projects to teach undergraduates about Geomicrobiology and Metagenomics. Our secondary educational objective was to promote environmental science to K-12 students and teachers. To date, we have impacted about 1,000 students in Puerto Rico and US, trained more than 100 undergraduates and published our assessment strategies in 3 educational journals. We have significantly increased the success rate in graduate school applications, with over 40% of our undergraduate trainees pursuing graduate studies.
