Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Microbial Biology for FY2001

Zinser, Erik R, Brookline MA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Microbial Biology for FY2001. The fellowship supports training and research on the basic biology of protozoan, microalgal, fungal, archaeal, bacterial and viral species that are not generally considered to be model organisms. Further, it provides opportunities for a recent doctoral recipients to obtain additional training in microbial biology, to gain research experience under the sponsorship of established scientists, and to broaden his/her scientific horizons beyond the research experiences during the undergraduate and graduate training. These fellowships are further designed to assist new scientists to direct their research efforts across traditional disciplinary lines and to avail themselves of unique research resources, sites, and facilities, including foreign locations. The research and training plan is entitled "Developing gene expression tools to identify the physiological states of natural populations of a marine cyanobacterium." The important physiological activities of microorganisms that facilitate their survival and define their roles within an ecosystem are largely unknown. This research focuses on adapting new gene expression technologies (DNA microarrays, in situ RT-PCR, and proteomics) to identify the environmentally-significant physiological activities of the highly-abundant, globally-significant marine cyanobacterium, Prochlorococcus spp.