Microbial Diversity of Yellowstone Hydrocarbon Seeps

Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant MI

Investigators

Abstract

Project Summary The goal of this Minority Research Planning Grant is to use non-cultivation based methods to characterize the microbial populations associated with natural hydrocarbon seeps in Yellowstone National Park. In addition to its well-known hot springs, Yellowstone has a few documented areas that contain hydrocarbon seeps. These seeps are typically associated with thermal vents and the best characterized ones occur in terrestrial areas. The proposed research will focus on soil samples to be taken from the Calcite Springs area, where several hydrocarbon seeps exist. The specific objectives of this planning grant are: 1. Evaluate soil microbial diversity in Calcite Springs soil containing naturally occurring hydrocarbons. 2. Examine functional gene diversity and evolutionary relatedness to characterized genes encoding hydrocarbon-degrading enzymes (PAH dioxygenases). 3. Characterize the abundance and types of hydrocarbons present in Calcite Springs soil adjacent to hydrocarbon seeps. Clone libraries of 16S rRNA genes and PAH dioxygenase gene fragments will be constructed and sequenced to identify microorganisms and catabolic pathways present in hydrocarbon- impacted soil. A thorough chemical analysis of soil samples (GC-MS) will also be performed to identify and quantify the major hydrocarbons present. This study will provide the first investigation into the phylogenetic diversity of soil microbial populations associated with terrestrial hydrocarbon seeps in Yellowstone National Park. This information is of interest primarily due the extended exposure to hydrocarbons that these microbial populations have received. As such, novel microorganisms and/or metabolic pathways may have evolved in this setting. As a planning grant targeting underrepresented minorities in science, this award will help to increase the participation of a minority scientist in NSF-funded research. Furthermore, this planning grant will be used to generate sufficient preliminary data for an NSF CAREER proposal to combine research and teaching efforts focused on the microbial ecology of hydrocarbon seeps in Yellowstone National Park.