- Archaea
- Research the diversity of thermophilic microorganisms by investigation using the cultivation-isolation technique and the molecular phylogenitic approach.
- molecular phylogenetic surveys of the archaeal populations (not yet done)
- Test for types and diversity of archaea by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.
- Test for lateral gene transfer based on a new method of periodicity analysis of physical parameters along the DNA sequence.
- Investigate the effects of temperature and DNA template topology in a thermophilic arachaeal transcription system using highly purified polymerase and recombinant transcription factors via permanganate modification and DNaseI footprinting.
- Hydrothermal Vent Bacteria -- What we really need to do when it comes to the microbes of the deep is observe them. We need someone in a lab experimenting with different elements (Fe, Ca) to see what these things metabolize. We need to be able to reproduce deep sea conditions. We also need to determine the genomes of these bacteria and compare that with surface bacteria--in what ways do they differ? How are they the same?
- What types of bacteria reside in hydrothermal vents? We can determine this by sampling the water near the vents and subjecting that water to different elements and hydrocarbons (in a lab setting). If we measure the amount of each before and after the experiment, we should be able to determine what these microbes metabolize and therein determine their species.
- The best way to determine the effect of temperature on the hydrothermal bacterial enzymes is to reproduce a hydrothermic environment in the lab, and study the differences between the actions of the enzymes in surface microbes verses their deep sea counterparts.
- As in experiment 1, we could measure the chemical composition of an environment before and after the introduction of thermophiles and other chemo-autotrophic organisms. to determine what they metabolize, and to what quantity.
- In order to determine how the bacteria contribute to their environment, we must first find their byproducts and do an exhaustive laboratory study of their life processes.
- We recognize that pressure and temperature dependencies in most cells hinder human behavior and life processes. By studying how micro-organisms deal with these issues, we can apply that knowledge to humans and possibly manipulate our own cells to act in kind. The ecological implications of pollutant-metabolizing bacteria are far reaching. Biodegradation is a process whereby microbes are used to clean up oil spills or neutralize the pH in a polluted environment.
- Vent Ecology
- Preferably before the habitat is placed:
- In an isolated site near the Edmond vent, the effects of different wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum on various vent organisms need to be investigated. Light sensitive shrimp have been found at vent sites at depths of up to 3500 m, so it is likely that there are indeed organisms that will be harmed by intense light. This should be done through controlled exposure of organisms to various intensities and wavelengths of radiation.
- The role of bioluminescence at the Edmond vent should be investigated through direct observation. I know some submersibles use screens that record the light patterns of organisms that run into them -- something like this would allow us to observe the wavelengths at which light is naturally present at the vents, and to focus our efforts in experiment 1 at these wavelengths.
- There is evidence of black-body radiation that produces electromagnetic radiation at vent sites. Again, the nature of this radiation should be observed, using highly sensitive receptors in ranges throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.
- Once the habitat is in place:
- A wealth of real-time measurements of pH, salinity, temperature, density, chemical composition, and light intensity should be taken at regular radii and heights around and above each vent chimney and outlet. Over time, using computer modeling, a highly accurate picture of the environmental conditions of the vent complex should be developed. Extreme events, such as eruptions and the death of vents, should be included in this model.
- Using some type of visual observation, a similar model should be constructed as to the nature of the vent community. Biodensity and species distribution should be measured at regular intervals over years of time, in order to understand the process of vent community development.
- If new vent structures form while Atlantis II is in place, direct observation should follow the role of tube worms and other vent fauna in the geologic formation of the smoker chimney. This data should be compared with the fossilized evidence found at other vent sites for biologic involvement in the geologic formation of vents.
- The symbiotic relationships between organisms at the vent community should be investigated, primarily through the collection of samples and dissection of organisms within the habitat.
- Through both direct observation and collection and dissection, the energy flow through the vent system should be traced and understood.
- Evidence for the methods of reproduction and dispersal of vent organisms should be looked for. There is not clear evidence where to look for this right now, but hopefully early experiments and observations will give guidance as to the processes employed by vent organisms to spread their young.
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- Archaea
- What are the trademark genetic qualities of archaea?
- How do archaea reproduce?
- How is their everyday survival dependent on their environment (pH, temperature, pressure)?
- In what types of colonies do they reside?
- How is their genetic material transcribed?
- How man species of archaea are represented at the Edmond vent site?
- Is one species more powerful/dominant over another?
- Hydrothermal Vent Bacteria
- What types of Bacteria reside in the hydrothermal vents?
- How does the temperature not effect the proteins and enzymes of the bacteria?
What do the bacteria metabolize in the abyssal environment?
- How do the processes of the abyssal bacterium contribute to the environment (construction of the vents, pH of the water...etc)?
- How might these bacterium be useful in the pharmaceutical field?
- What can we learn about chemio-osmotic processes from these organisms? About temperature dependence on enzyme interaction?
- Vent Ecology
- In what order do species colonize vent systems? Does the nature of the vent itself affect this order (i.e. is a newly formed vent colonized differently than a vent that's surrounding ecosystem was destroyed by a volcanic eruption or other such event)?
- Exactly what role do bacteria and other microbes play in the formation of vent chimneys and formations? What chemical reactions do they cause/mediate? Do they serve as catalysts, or in some other function?
- What species live at the Edmond vent site? Do these species differ from those at similar abyssal hydrothermal vents?
- What symbiotic relationships exist between species at the Edmond vent? What are the processes by which these interactions occur?
- How do vent organisms reproduce and disperse their offspring to other locations?
- What are the pathways of energy transfer between organisms at the vent? (i.e. food web)
- How elastic is the vent ecosystem to changes in its environment (chemical composition of seawater, temperature, light, etc.)
- How do different wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum affect the vent organisms and ecosystem? What role does bioluminescense play in vent communities? What are the effects of pressure change on vent organisms? (This should preferably be researched before the habitat is in place, so as to allow modifications to lab design based on results).
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