Research Initiation Award: The ecology of microbial communities in relation to red deep sea crabs and their surrounding environment

Hampton University, Hampton VA

Investigators

Abstract

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP) Research Initiation Awards (RIAs) provide support to STEM junior faculty at HBCUs who are starting to build a research program, as well as for mid-career faculty who may have returned to the faculty ranks after holding an administrative post or who need to redirect and rebuild a research program. Faculty members may pursue research at their home institution, at an NSF-funded Center, at a research intensive institution or at a national laboratory. The RIA projects are expected to help further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, to improve research and teaching at his or her home institution, and to involve undergraduate students in research experiences. With support from the National Science Foundation, Hampton University (HU) will conduct research aimed at understanding the ecology of microbial communities in relation to red deep-sea crabs and their surrounding environment. This study will provide academic and experiential opportunities for undergraduate students in an effort to encourage them to pursue post-graduate study and careers as STEM research scientists. The project will help to enhance the university's research infrastructure and expand HU's ability to access advanced, innovative resources through collaborative partnering arrangements. Thus, HU will be positioned to educate the future members of STEM workforce with the knowledge to conduct innovative research and to enhance local, state, national, and global competitiveness. In addition, this study is aligned with HU's current strategic initiative to raise its research profile and competitiveness in the STEM sciences as well as to become a High Activity Research University. The goal of the proposed study is to understand the microbial ecology of decapods inhabiting the slope of the mid-Atlantic Ocean. The specific aims of this project are to: 1) characterize the in situ midgut microflora of the red deep-sea crab and the microbiome in the in situ benthic ocean environment of the red deep-sea crab; and 2) characterize the stability of microbial communities after exposure to surface water microbiome in a controlled closed system. This study will contribute to our understanding of: a) the effect of dispersal on microbial communities by comparing datasets from three geographic locations; b) the role of environmental microbial flora in establishing the stable symbiotic communities within the crab; c) the effect of seasonal variation on the microbial communities from benthic environment and those associated with crabs. It will also set a biological reference point for future research. Findings from this study will contribute to our understanding of microbial ecology specifically: microbial dispersal, the effect of seasonal variation and how the crab gut communities are influenced by their environment. This project will be conducted in collaboration with the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), University of Delaware and Atlantic Red Crab Company (local fishing industry).