Flow Cytometry and Molecular Multi-User Facility at BIOS

Bermuda Institute Of Ocean Sciences (Bios), Inc., St. George'S

Investigators

Abstract

In order to fully characterize and understand both regional and global climate, as well as fundamental ocean processes and functions, scientists are required to collect a wealth of information. Certain questions, such as how the ocean responds to global climate change, can only be answered by in-depth analysis of data collected continuously over a significantly long period of time, also known as a time-series study. The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) (www.bios.edu), an independent U.S. not-for-profit organization and a Bermuda Registered Charity, is home to several of the longest running, open-ocean time-series research programs in the world (Hydrostation 'S', the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series (BATS) Program and the Ocean Flux Program (OFP)). Bermuda's unique geographic position in close proximity to the open ocean, combined with BIOS' oceanographic support infrastructure, provide an ideal venue for research initiatives that address pressing issues in the ocean sciences. The new Flow Cytometry and Molecular Multi-User Facility (FCMMF) at BIOS will provide access to basic molecular instrumentation, in-house flow cytometer (laser-based technology used in cell counting, cell sorting and biomarker detection) and devices to vertically sample the ocean. This project will expand the number of important questions that can be locally addressed, while reducing the cost and risk associated with shipping samples off-island for all users. The large number of visiting scientists and ongoing scientific collaborations with external scientists, many with NSF-supported research programs, means that the equipment provided by the FCMMF will have a far reaching impact on the research capacity of the marine sciences community as a whole. Importantly, the FCMMF will assist BIOS in meeting the increasing student demand for research training in cutting-edge techniques. The educational goal of BIOS is to immerse students in experiential learning through research in the ocean sciences. This can be a seminal change for many students whose institutions lack programs in marine science or the opportunity to conduct independent research. Education experiences at BIOS can influence decisions that determine STEM education and career trajectories, with students leaving better prepared to pursue professional careers and/or graduate programs. This new facility includes field sampling equipment that will provide a mechanism to collect individuals of the planktonic community (nano to mesoplankton) in a vertically stratified way. The chosen dry lab equipment platforms are characterized by their versatility, easy use and low maintenance. The Flow Cytometer model will allow the analysis of particles from 50 nm to 200 ìm in diameter, facilitating a wide spectrum of studies, from environmental microbial ecology to eukaryotic cell biology. The modularity capability of this unit will allow for future improvement and expansion if desired. The molecular component of the facility will allow basic analyses and also support sample preparation for next-generation sequencing. The FCMMF will benefit a wide range of research programs at BIOS, as well as those of visiting scientists. Paralleling the benefits to basic research, the FCMMF facility has been explicitly designed for use with student internships, current BIOS courses and the development of new courses, particularly a modern biological oceanography course. Since 2010, BIOS has hosted an average of 105 visiting scientists and over 750 students annually, most of them from US institutions. The FCMMF allows BIOS to provide scientists and students with the ability to address numerous and diverse biological questions. In addition to biological oceanography, this project will benefit a wide variety of research programs including genome structure and gene expression in marine invertebrates, larval longevity and gene flow in corals, temporal and spatial fine-scale characterization of open ocean microbial and eukaryotic communities, organismal response to ocean acidification, and the biological processes influencing ocean-atmosphere gas exchange of carbon.