This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
Organic matter diagenesis, including protein diagenesis, is an important area for understanding the fate of sinking marine materials as well as the global oceanic carbon and nitrogen cycles. In marine waters and sediments, hydrolysable amino acid compositions, derived from proteins and peptides, have historically been important indicators for organic matter degradation status and bioavailability. Traditional amino acid analyses result in the break down of proteins, which wipe out the sequence and source information provided within those proteins. However, new marine proteomic techniques have allowed scientists to unlock the sequence and source information that is lost during amino acid analyses.
A scientist from the University of Washington will integrate proteomic and amino acid approaches to bridge the knowledge gap between traditional measurements and modern techniques of analyzing amino acids in the marine environment. Through the combination of field and laboratory analyses, he will determine how various environmental factors influence protein degradation and preservation.
Results from this research will provide quantitative information regarding the rates at which organic carbon and nitrogen cycling occur in the oceans and sediments, as well as provide insight on the processes controlling them. This project will be integrated with the SoundCitizen program, a co-mentoring and student learning community within the University of Washington's School of Oceanography. Support and training opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students will also be available.
