U.S.-France Cooperative Research: Analysis of Gene Expression during Acclimation of Cyanobacteria to Stress Conditions

Carnegie Institution Of Washington, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

9909967 Grossman This three-year award for U.S.-France cooperative research in marine microbial biology involves Arthur Grossman and a postdoctoral researcher at the Carnegie Institute of Washington, located at Stanford University, and Daniel Vaulot of the Roscoff Biological Station of the French National Center for Scientific Research. They will collaborate on studies of physiological processes in freshwater and marine cyanobacteria and the control mechanism, which allows acclimation to environmental change. Using a technique known as differential display, the investigators propose to identify environmentally triggered changes in gene expression in freshwater Synechoccus and Prochlorococcus. The U.S. investigators bring to this collaboration expertise in photosynthetic bacteria. This is complemented by the French investigator's expertise in biological oceanography. Their collaboration will advance understanding of the processes in cyanobacteria when environmental conditions are altered and how these acclimation processes are tailored to the diverse habitats in which cyanobacteria can thrive. This award will support the incremental costs of this international collaboration; that is, the travel to Roscoff, France and subsistence expenses of the U.S. investigator and postdoctoral researcher.