Hot Spring Cyanobacteria
We are interested in what it means to be a species in the microbial world. There is considerable debate as to whether bacteria are evolving in fundamentally different ways than eukaryotes since they rapidly reproduce, have limited sexuality and may exhibit rampant gene exchange. However, natural patterning of genetic diversity and evolutionary theory predict that bacterial evolution leads to ecologically adapted, species-like populations (ecotypes) that link genetic diversity to microbial community composition, structure and function. We are attempting to integrate theory with genomic sequencing, population genetics analyses and microarray technology to evaluate whether ecotypes exist. We will also order gene distribution and expression within a well-studied microbial mat community, the hot-springs community found in Yellowstone National Park. The hot-springs environment found in Yellowstone National Park is shown in Figure 1 (Mushroom Springs) and the microbial mats that are being studied are shown in Figure 2. The discovery of genetically separable ecotypes within this community will broadly impact thinking on microbial evolution, systematics, ecology and physiology, unifying evolutionary principles across populations of bacteria.
The group of scientists involved in this project includes David Ward of Montana State (the leader of the project), John Heidelberg of TIGR, Fred Cohan of Wesleyan, Devaki Bhaya of the Carnegie Institution and myself. The team of scientists is presented in Figure 3. The research integrates principles from general biology with microbiology and molecular biology, providing a cross-training opportunity that will help fill the chasm separating these fields. It will also integrate molecular approaches with both ecological and evolutionary approaches. The microbial community is in Yellowstone Park, providing numerous opportunities for interaction with the Park’s trained informal educators. Preparation of new educational resources (e.g., resource manual for educating seasonal rangers and park managers, signage, trail guides and exhibits for a new Visitor Education Center) will help millions of annual visitors, young and old, change the way they think about microorganisms. For more information go to the web site http://landresources.montana.edu/FIBR/.
Figure 1. Mushroom Springs in Yellowstone National Park. This is our primary site of collection. The temperatures at which material is collected ranges from 50-70oC. The board at the bottom of the picture is a platform used for collecting at sites not easily accessible from the edge of the spring.
Figure 2. A section of the microbial mat taken from Mushroom Springs. The upper green layer is primarily the cyanobacterium Synechococcus.
Figure 3. The team of investigators involved in the project. From right to left, Fred Cohan, Devaki Bhaya, Dave Ward, Arthur Grossman and John Heidelberg.