Announcement of the 2023 Project Guidelines of the Major Research Program on the Mechanisms of Microbial-Driven Elemental Cycling in the Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere is one of the unique features of the Earth, and the hydrosphere environment is home to a large number of microorganisms with diverse genetic and metabolic patterns, which drive the cycling of Earth’s important elements such as carbon, nitrogen and sulfur, and are key regulators of greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change. However, there is limited understanding of the species composition and community structure of microorganisms in different hydrosphere habitats, their metabolic patterns, habitat-related regulation, interaction mechanisms with the environment, and their contributions to the cycling of important elements such as carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur.
This major research program selects typical hydrosphere habitats and focuses on the microbial geochemical cycle of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and other important elements that are inseparable from life activities. The study will reveal the mechanism of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycle, especially the emission of warm and cold room gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, DMS, etc.), deepen the knowledge of the contribution of hydrosphere microorganisms to the carbon sink process and its mechanism, support biotechnological innovation, and contribute to the protection of hydrosphere ecological function, respond to global climate change, serve the national “double carbon” strategy, and promote the sustainable development of national economy and society. To provide scientific and technological support for the sustainable development of national economy and society.
I. Scientific objectives
This major research program selects representative hydrosphere habitats, focuses on the biogeochemical cycle of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and other elements, and is oriented by interdisciplinary and technological innovation to elucidate the formation and succession of hydrosphere microbial communities driving the carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycle and the mechanism of their interaction with the environment at multiple levels, analyze their energy utilization and metabolic mechanisms, and reveal their processes and environmental responses. We will also explore the relationship between the hydrosphere microbial community and carbon sink processes, greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change, and deepen the understanding of the interactions and synergistic evolution of life and the Earth’s environment.
II. Core scientific issues
This major research program focuses on the discovery of new mechanisms of microbial-driven elemental cycling in the hydrosphere habitats and their ecological responses, and intends to address the following core scientific questions:
(1) Microscopic mechanisms and macroscopic ecological effects of microbial-driven carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling and warm and cool room gas emissions in the hydrosphere.
(2) The formation and succession of hydrosphere microbial communities in the carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycle and the mechanism of their interaction with the environment.
(3) New pathways of energy acquisition and material metabolism of microorganisms in the hydrosphere and new regulatory mechanisms.
III. Research directions for 2023
This year, the funding will be carried out in the form of “integrated projects”. Focusing on the above core scientific questions, we will further focus on representative hydrosphere habitats, carry out cross-habitat, multi-level and multi-scale research, strengthen data integration and sharing, achieve integration of results and sublimation of understanding, and strive to achieve systematic breakthroughs in the composition and structure and function of new groups of hydrosphere microorganisms, new pathways and regulatory mechanisms of energy acquisition and material metabolism, and macro-ecological effects of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles. The overall knowledge of the hydrosphere microorganisms driving the Earth’s important element cycle and the carbon source and sink mechanism will provide theoretical and technical support to protect the ecological functions of the hydrosphere, respond to global climate change and implement the “double carbon” strategy.
Based on the previous implementation of this major research program, the following research directions will be integrated in this year.
(1) Evolution and succession of deep-sea microorganisms.
On the basis of the previous research to reveal the new pathways of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycling of deep-sea microorganisms under high pressure and their new mechanisms of high pressure adaptation, we will select several deep-sea/trench habitats, use in situ long-period monitoring and sampling equipment in the deep-sea/trench, introduce time-series change indicators, reveal the evolutionary characteristics of deep-sea microbial communities and active functions at diurnal and seasonal scales, and explore their relationship with long-period evolution; explore the evolution of microbial communities and their drivers in the deep-sea We will investigate the cycles and trends of microbial communities and the carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles driven by them under high pressure in the deep sea; and clarify the relationship between microbial community succession and evolutionary processes and high pressure in the deep sea.
(2) Mechanisms of microbial-driven carbon and nitrogen cycling in inland water bodies and land-sea interface.
We will compile and integrate data from microbial system surveys and related experiments in representative inland water bodies and key areas of the land-sea interface, reveal the distribution patterns and mechanisms of microbial community structure and functional genes in multiple aquatic habitats, compare and analyze the key processes of microbial-driven carbon and nitrogen cycles in different aquatic habitats, and explore the response and feedback mechanisms of these processes to environmental changes, and improve the understanding of the distribution patterns of microbial communities in the aquatic area. (3) Microbial-driven carbon and nitrogen cycling in the hydrosphere
(3) New metabolic mechanisms of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycles driven by microorganisms in the hydrosphere.
To reveal the new mechanisms by which typical hydrosphere microorganisms sense environmental carbon, nitrogen and sulfur levels and regulate their own metabolism; to analyze the metabolic coupling relationships and mechanisms by which microorganisms synergistically promote carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycling in hydrosphere habitats; to elucidate the mechanisms and ecological effects of non-traditional energy use by hydrosphere microorganisms.
(4) Isolation and physiological and ecological functions of important difficult-to-culture microorganisms in the hydrosphere carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycle.
On the basis of the previous research to obtain enriched cultures of important new groups of hydrosphere microbial carbon, nitrogen and sulfur metabolism, we will adopt innovative ideas and methods to obtain pure cultures or stable enriched cultures, analyze the metabolic pathways and regulatory laws of newly discovered microbial groups, improve the understanding of important microorganisms and their ecological functions in the hydrosphere carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycle, and explore the application of hydrosphere microorganisms in the “double carbon “The application of biotechnological innovation in the hydrosphere.
(5) Hydrosphere microbial viruses and their interactions with hosts
On the basis of the previous research has obtained important new microbial viruses in the hydrosphere or establish innovative research methods of viruses, isolate new taxa of important microbial viruses in the hydrosphere and establish virus-host research system, reveal the biological characteristics of viruses, the mechanism of interaction with hosts and ecological functions; analyze the diversity of microbial viruses in specific hydrosphere environment, the regulation of host community structure and its mechanism, explore the role of viruses in the hydrosphere carbon, nitrogen and sulfur The role of viruses in the hydrosphere carbon, nitrogen and sulfur cycle and their environmental responses.
IV. 2023 Funding Plan
Five integrated projects will be funded, and the intensity of direct cost is 2.5-3.5 million RMB/project. The funding period is one year, and the research period should be filled in the application form as “January 1, 2024-December 31, 2024”.
V. Application requirements and notes
(1) Application requirements.
This major research program applicants should have the following conditions: 1:
1. have the experience of undertaking basic research topics;
2. have a senior professional and technical position (title);
Postdoctoral researchers, postdoctoral degree students, and those who do not have a work unit or whose work unit is not the supporting unit are not allowed to apply as the person in charge.
(2) Limitations.
Implement the requirements of the “Application Regulations” in the “NSF Project Guidelines for 2023”. Applicants and major participants of integrated projects of major research programs are not limited to the total number of projects applied for and undertaken.
(3) Application Notes.
Applicants and relying organizations should carefully read and implement the requirements in the Program Guidelines, the NSF Program Guidelines for 2023, and the Notice on Matters Related to the Application and Completion of NSF Projects for 2023.
1. This Major Research Program project is a paperless application. The application submission date is from June 25 to June 29, 2023 at 16:00.
(1) Applicants should complete and submit the electronic application and attachments online in accordance with the instructions and outline requirements for the Major Research Program in the Science Foundation Web-based Information System (hereinafter referred to as the Information System).
(2) This Major Research Program aims to closely focus on the core scientific problems and form an integrated project cluster through strategic integration of multidisciplinary strengths. Applicants should develop their own project titles, scientific objectives, research contents, technical routes and corresponding research funds based on the core scientific questions to be addressed by this Major Research Program and the integrated research directions announced in the project guidelines.
(3) In the application form, select “Major Research Program” as the funding category, “Integrated Project” as the subcategory description, and “Mechanisms of microbial-driven elemental cycling in the hydrosphere” as the accompanying description. “The corresponding application code should be chosen according to the specific research content of the application.
The number of collaborating research units in an integrated project must not exceed 4. The main participants of the integrated project must be the actual contributors to the project, and the total number of participants must not exceed 9.
(4) In the “Basis and Research Content” section of the application form, the applicant should first state that the project is in accordance with the research directions of the project guidelines and indicate the corresponding research directions, and also state the contribution of the applied project to solving the core scientific problems and achieving the scientific objectives of the major research program.
If the applicant has already undertaken other science and technology projects related to this Major Research Program, he/she should discuss the differences and connections between the project and other related projects in the “Research Basis and Working Conditions” section of the main body of the application.
2. The host institution shall complete the work of host institution commitment, organization of application and review of application materials as required. Submit the electronic application form and attachments through the information system by 16:00 on June 29, 2023, and submit the application list online by 16:00 on June 30.
3. Other Notes.
(1) In order to achieve the overall scientific objectives and multidisciplinary integration of the Major Research Program, the funded project leaders should commit to comply with the relevant data and information management and sharing regulations, support the big data-related work carried out at the Major Research Program level, and pay attention to the mutual support relationship with other projects of this Major Research Program during the project execution.
(2) In order to strengthen the academic exchange of projects and promote the formation of project clusters and multidisciplinary intersection and integration, this Major Research Program will hold an annual academic exchange meeting for funded projects and will organize academic seminars in related fields from time to time. The funded project leaders are obliged to participate in the above academic exchange activities organized by the Steering Expert Group and Management Working Group of this Major Research Program.
(3) Consultation methods.
Division of General and Strategic Planning, Department of Life Sciences
Tel: 010-62329341