Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2007

Croal Laura R, Somerville MA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2007. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in US science. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce. The research and training plan is entitled "Mechanisms of stress-survival in the marine cyanobacterium, Prochlorococcus." The cyanobacterium, Prochlorococcus, is the most abundant photosynthetic organism in the oceans and thus contributes significantly to global carbon cycling. To fully understand the impact of Prochlorococcus on the oceanic and global ecosystems, it is necessary to understand the physiology of this organism under conditions that closely mimic the environmental conditions and stresses it faces in the ocean. This study employs physiological, biochemical, and genetic approaches to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the response of Prochlorococcus to extended nutrient or light deprivation. The sponsoring scientist is Sallie W. Chisholm at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Training goals are to develop expertise in techniques fundamental to conducting microbial research.