C-DEBI Newsletter – August 17, 2020
C-DEBI Newsletter – August 17, 2020
This newsletter is also accessible via our website (https://www.darkenergybiosphere.org) .
Message from the Director:
We hope this fall semester treats you safe and well. We also congratulate these C-DEBIers who have recently been promoted or are starting new positions: Brandon Briggs (Associate Professor at University of Alaska Anchorage); Joy Buongiorno (Assistant Professor at Maryville College); Jackie Goordial (Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph); Jeff Marlow (Assistant Professor at Boston University); Bill Orsi (Associate Professor at LMU Munich); Brandi Reese (Associate Professor at Dauphin Island Sea Lab); Haley Sapers (Assistant Professor at York University); Lauren Seyler (Assistant Professor at Stockton University); Jason Sylvan (Associate Professor at Texas A&M University); and Katrina Twing (Assistant Professor at Weber State University).
And stay tuned for our next season of Networked Speaker Series (https://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/outputs-resources/networked-speaker-series/) talks! Dr. Rose Jones (University of Minnesota) kicks it off with “Menu for a deep microbe: Attempts in understanding microbe-mineral interactions in the deep marine seafloor” on September 10 at 12:30PM Pacific Time. Our other distinguished speakers include Dr. Julia McGonigle (Bigelow), Dr. Jesse Colangelo-Lillis(CU Boulder), and Megan Mullis (Texas A&M Corpus Christi).
Cheers,
Jan Amend
C-DEBI Director
Publications
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Science Advances
Widespread energy limitation to life in global subseafloor sediments (http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aba0697) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
James A. Bradley*, Sandra Arndt, Jan P. Amend*, Ewa Burwicz, Andrew W. Dale, M. Egger, Douglas E. LaRowe
*C-DEBI Contribution 534
Microbial cells buried in subseafloor sediments comprise a substantial portion of Earth’s biosphere and control global biogeochemical cycles; however, the rate at which they use energy (i.e., power) is virtually unknown. Here, we quantify organic matter degradation and calculate the power utilization of microbial cells throughout Earth’s Quaternary-age subseafloor sediments. Aerobic respiration, sulfate reduction, and methanogenesis mediate 6.9, 64.5, and 28.6% of global subseafloor organic matter degradation, respectively. The total power utilization of the subseafloor sediment biosphere is 37.3 gigawatts, less than 0.1% of the power produced in the marine photic zone. Aerobic heterotrophs use the largest share of global power (54.5%) with a median power utilization of 2.23 × 10^−18 watts per cell, while sulfate reducers and methanogens use 1.08 × 10^−19 and 1.50 × 10^−20 watts per cell, respectively. Most subseafloor cells subsist at energy fluxes lower than have previously been shown to
support life, calling into question the power limit to life.
See also the accompanying article at Vice (https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/jgxavb/scientists-found-creatures-so-inactive-they-expanded-our-idea-of-life-itself) .
Have an upcoming manuscript about the deep subseafloor biosphere and want to increase your press coverage? NSF’s Office of Legislative and Public Affairs is looking to coordinate press releases between your home institution and the NSF to coincide with the date of publication. Please contact us as soon as your publication is accepted! (mailto:janicak@usc.edu)
Meetings & Activities
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C-DEBI: Networked Speaker Series Seminar, Thursday, September 10, 2020,12:30pm PST (https://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/outputs-resources/networked-speaker-series/nss-rose-jones/) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
With Dr. Rose Jones, University of Minnesota on “Menu for a deep microbe; attempts in understanding microbe-mineral interactions in the deep marine seafloor.” Abstract: For microbes in the deep marine subsurface, inorganic chemical energy often is the sole energy source, catalyzing redox reactions of chemical species dissolved in fluid or from solid substrate. This influences the environment by altering subsurface minerals and geochemistry. I’m currently looking for evidence of how microbes influence mineralogy at East Pacific Rise 9.5°N, using Synchrotron microprobe X-ray fluorescence mapping (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray absorption spectroscopies (XAS) to map element distributions and phase identification for crystalline and poorly-crystalline minerals. With this information we can describe how minerals change in space and time during the transition from active to inactive venting, providing context for understanding microbial community patterns. Using bioelectrochemistry, I
also found evidence of microbes capable of influencing cool, oxic basalt at North Pond, Mid-Atlantic ridge through directly transferring electrons from the minerals. Overall, our results are attempting to understand how microbes and minerals influence each other and local geochemistry in the deep marine seafloor.
NSF: Recorded Webinar: Navigating Opportunities at the National Science Foundation (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iWoyUriTk5TH3H8R_UAszpdDb_adrb3P/view) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
Dr. Karla Heidelberg (Professor of Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies, USC) has recently taken a leave of absence to serve as an NSF program officer. She spends a few minutes talking about her career path and then speaks about the opportunities for early career scientists at NSF.
Ongoing Activities:
* C-DEBI: Rolling call for Community Workshop support (http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/research-activities/research-support/workshops/)
* C-DEBI: Protocols.io Group Page (https://www.protocols.io/groups/center-for-dark-energy-biosphere-investigations)
* C-DEBI: Subseafloor Cultures Database (http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/outputs-resources/subseafloor-cultures-database/)
* C-DEBI: Join us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-debi-center-for-dark-energy-biosphere-investigations/)
Proposal Calls
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-NSF: Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&WT.mc_id=USNSF_46&WT.mc_ev=click) –
Full proposal deadline: August 26, 2020.
-NSF: Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20587/nsf20587.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click) –
Application deadlines: October 19-22, 2020.
-NSF: Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Pathways into the Earth, Ocean, Polar and Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences (IUSE:GEOPAths) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20516/nsf20516.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click) –
Letter of Intent Due Date: November 17, 2020.
NSF: Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5483&WT.mc_id=USNSF_46&WT.mc_ev=click) – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) — NEW!
The Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) provides awards to Tribal Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native-serving institutions, and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions to promote high quality science (including sociology, psychology, anthropology, economics, statistics, and other social and behavioral sciences as well as natural sciences), technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education, research, and outreach. Support is available to TCUP-eligible institutions for research studies (in addition to capacity-building and multi-institution collarborations), that further the scholarly activity of individual faculty members are supported through Small Grants for Research (SGR) (Deadline: December 10, 2020) and Science Education Alliance Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science in Tribal Colleges and Universities (SEA-PHAGES in TCUs) (Deadline: September 4, 2020). Through TCUP programs, as well as collaborations with other National Science Foundation (NSF)
units and other organizations, TCUP aims to increase Native individuals’ participation in STEM careers and improve the quality of STEM programs at TCUP-eligible institutions. TCUP strongly encourages the inclusion of activities that will benefit veterans.
-NSF: Research Traineeship (NRT) Program (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505015&WT.mc_id=USNSF_46&WT.mc_ev=click) –
Full Proposal Deadline Date: February 6, 2021.
-NSF: Biological Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11696&WT.mc_id=USNSF_46&WT.mc_ev=click) –
Full proposal target date: February 15, 2021.
-NSF: Chemical Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11698&WT.mc_id=USNSF_46&WT.mc_ev=click) –
Full proposal target date: February 15, 2021.
-NSF: Physical Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12729&WT.mc_id=USNSF_46&WT.mc_ev=click) –
Full proposal target date: February 15, 2021.
-NSF: COVID-19 Impacts (https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/coronavirus/) –
Links: NSF Coronavirus webpage (https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/coronavirus/) , NSF Implementation of OMB Memorandum M-20-17 (https://www.nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/covid19/covid19_nsfombimplementation.pdf) , COVID-19 Information for the Geosciences Research Community (https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=300299&org=GEO) .
-NSF OCE: Upcoming proposals to OCE, shiptime and data proposals (https://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/proposal-call/upcoming-proposals-to-oce-shiptime-and-data-proposals/) –
Rolling Calls:
* C-DEBI: Rolling call for Research Exchange proposals (http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/research-activities/research-support/exchange/)
* IODP-USSSP: Proposals for Pre-Drilling Activities (http://usoceandiscovery.org/pre-drilling-activities/)
* NSF: Antarctic Research Program Solicitation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20568/nsf20568.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click)
* NSF: Arctic Sciences Program Solicitation (http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2016/nsf16595/nsf16595.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click)
* NSF: DCL: Collaborative Proposals under NSF and US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) Collaborative Research Opportunities (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20094/nsf20094.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click)
* NSF: Dear Colleague Letter: Poorly Sampled and Unknown Taxa (PurSUiT) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20059/nsf20059.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click)
* NSF: Division of Environmental Biology (core programs) (DEB) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20502/nsf20502.htm)
* NSF: Enabling Discovery through GEnomic Tools (EDGE) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20532/nsf20532.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click)
* NSF: Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research (IIBR) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18595/nsf18595.htm)
* NSF: Instrument Capacity for Biological Research (ICBR) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505542&WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click)
* NSF: Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplemental Funding Opportunity (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18102/nsf18102.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_179)
* NSF: Research Assistantships for High School Students (RAHSS): Funding to Broaden Participation in the Biological Sciences (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18088/nsf18088.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click)
* NSF: Research Experience for Teachers (RET): Funding Opportunity in the Biological Sciences (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18089/nsf18089.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click)
* NSF: Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5483&WT.mc_id=USNSF_46&WT.mc_ev=click)
* Queen Mary U of London: PhD Project: Microbial survival in the energy-limited deep biosphere (https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/microbial-survival-in-the-energy-limited-deep-biosphere/?p111036)
* Queen Mary U of London: PhD Project: Microbial life and activity on glaciers and in Arctic soils (https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/microbial-life-and-activity-on-glaciers-and-in-arctic-soils/?p111037)
* UNOLS: Cruise Opportunity Program (https://www.unols.org/unols-cruise-opportunity-program)
Employment
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-Bigelow: Senior Research Scientists (https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/vWoZiZSrSzM2/senior-research-scientists-bigelow-laboratory) –
For full consideration, the application should be received by September 15, 2020.
-NC State U: Assistant Professor – Chemical Oceanography (https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/133726) –
Review of applications will begin on October 12, 2020 and the position will remain open until filled.
-MSU: Postdoctoral Researcher position on Asgard archaea ecophysiology (http://nebula.wsimg.com/cd7d3e4d7def0eed4144485bcaf634ff?AccessKeyId=48B9AC89493A56C67DF6&disposition=0&alloworigin=1) –
Don’t forget to email me with any items you’d like to share in future newsletters! We will also broadcast this information on our social media outlets, Twitter and Facebook. You are what makes our deep biosphere community!
Best,
Matt