C-DEBI Newsletter – March 1, 2016

 
C-DEBI Newsletter – March 1, 2016
This newsletter is also accessible via our website.

Our 2015-2016 Networked Speaker Series speakers have been selected: Dr. Katrina Twing (University of Utah Postdoc), Dr. Olivia Nigro (University of Hawaii Postdoc), and Dr. Stephanie Carr (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Postdoc). So mark your calendars for the live broadcasts from these accomplished early career scientists Thursdays this spring starting with Dr. Twing on 3/31 (more info below)!

Congratulations also to C-DEBI scientists Laura Zinke (USC PhD student) for being selected for the 2016-2017 Schlanger Ocean Drilling Fellowship and Dr. Steven Finkel (C-DEBI Senior Scientist) for being elected as a 2016 Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology!  

C-DEBI, share your prestigious achievements with us so we can highlight and celebrate with your C-DEBI peers!

Cheers,

Jan Amend
C-DEBI Director

 

Publications


Limnology and Oceanography
Identification of subannual patterns in microbial community signatures from individual sedimentary laminae using a freeze-coring approach
B.K. Harrison*, A. Myrbo, B.E. Flood, J.V. Bailey
*C-DEBI Contribution 291

Discrete biological community signatures were identified in individual sub-annually deposited sedimentary laminae of anoxic lake sediments from two lakes in the Minneapolis–St. Paul (Minnesota, U.S.A.) urban area. Recognizing variation in microbial communities associated with discrete millimeter scale sedimentary horizons was made possible using a freeze-coring method to recover bacterial DNA for amplicon iTag sequencing and Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism analyses. Variation in 16S rRNA gene composition between laminae suggests that seasonal changes in cell transport from the water column impart a residual molecular signature on subsurface communities. Direct comparison of frozen-in-situ core samples to ambient temperature sediment indicates that freeze coring methodology imposes no significant bias on DNA-based community fingerprints. This work further supports previous observations demonstrating the efficacy of freeze coring for high-resolution analysis of microbial communities, but here it is applied to resolving molecular signatures derived from sedimentary laminae.

 

Proposal Calls


DCO/AGI: Diversity Engagement Grants
AGI (American Geosciences Institute) has received funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to bolster participation of traditionally underrepresented geoscientists within the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) community. AGI is working on behalf of DCO to engage and actively recruit geoscientists from underrepresented groups to participate in DCO research and activities. Who is eligible? (Must match all three criteria to be considered): 1) Traditionally underrepresented geoscientists who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. This includes those who are African American, Native American, Native Alaskan, Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Native Hawaiian, Native Pacific Islander, Filipino, or of mixed racial/ethnic backgrounds from these diverse groups. 2) Geoscientists who are currently pursuing doctoral degrees, who are employed as post-doctoral researchers, or who are early-career assistant faculty members or research staff. 3) Geoscientists whose research interests are aligned with the Deep Carbon Observatory’s mission. Grants up to $4,500 will be awarded to eligible applicants. The exact amount of each award is contingent upon applicant’s proposal summary, proposed budget and alignment with DCO mission objectives. We are able to support geoscience researchers with travel funds to national and international conferences to present DCO-affiliated research, travel funds to attend DCO-related workshops, conferences and events, funds for supporting lab or fieldwork that advances DCO-aligned research, or instrumentation time at DCO-affiliated facilities. Awards are flexible in nature, and a diverse range of proposals will be considered. Please submit all materials by May 02, 2016

DCO: Deep Life Cultivation Internship Program
Recent studies using bioreactor-cultivation techniques, under high pressure and/or temperature, have resulted in successful enrichment of previously uncultivable archaeal and bacterial components that mediate biogeochemical carbon cycling in deep subsurface (1-7). The DLC will support early-carrier researchers to visit some key laboratories (Inagaki – Kochi, Japan, Bartlett – La Jolla, USA, and others) to learn and practice newly developed cultivation and cultivation-dependent molecular/biogeochemical techniques using samples from the DLC’s field missions. Financial support includes $5,400 per person for travel and lodging costs and host lab research supply reimbursement. Interested applicants should send their cv, a brief one page statement of their cultivation plans, and a letter of support from their intended host to Fumio Inagaki (inagaki@jamstec.go.jp) and Douglas Bartlett (dbartlett@ucsd.edu).

IODP: Call for Scientific Drilling Proposals
Next proposal submission deadline: April 01, 2016.

Shell: Ocean Discovery XPRIZE
Regular registration deadline: June 30, 2016.

NSF: Geobiology and Low-Temperature Geochemistry Program Solicitation
Proposals accepted anytime.

IODP-USSSP: Proposals for Pre-Drilling Activities and Workshops
The U.S. Science Support Program (USSSP) accepts proposals on a rolling basis for pre-drilling activities and semi-annually for workshops, related to the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).

 

Education & Outreach


C-DEBI: The Community College Research Internship for Scientific Engagement, June 13 – August 5, 2016
CC-RISE is an eight-week, paid, summer research internship program for community college students run by the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations. Students will gain firsthand exposure to the scientific process by working in a faculty-led research lab at the University of California Santa Cruz or at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. In addition to research, students will participate in activities focusing on how to transition from a two-year college to a university and information on graduate school. At the end of the program, students will present their results to an audience of peers and mentors. Applications due March 18, 2016.

IODP-USSSP: ECORD Summer School 2016: Petrophysics
The first ECORD Summer School in Petrophysics will provide a unique workshop that will bring together experts from both academia and industry to  give training in the theory and practice of petrophysics and, notably its applications across both IODP and industry. The School will focus on the application of downhole logging and core physical properties data to answering scientific questions using case studies from each of the IODP Science Plan themes. Lectures, discussion groups, and practical exercises will introduce the different elements and data types used in petrophysical analysis. In addition, basic training in industry-standard software packages will form a core part of the school. The European Petrophysics Consortium and its collaborators offer this unique training opportunity for a summer school through the provision of technical and scientific expertise in the fields of downhole logging and core petrophysics. The course is open to applicants from the international community, but applications from early career researchers (including PhD students) are particularly encouraged. U.S.-affiliated students and researchers may apply for partial travel support through the U.S. Science Support Program. A limited number of travel grants are available. To apply for U.S. travel support, visit the USSSP webpage and scroll down to “Participation” to submit an online application. The deadline to apply for travel support and for the course is April 01, 2016.

Meetings & Activities


IODP-USSSP Workshop Announcement: Antarctic Ice & Climate
Deadline to apply: March 7, 2016.

Nominate a 2016 AGU Fellow for their exceptional contribution in Earth and space science
We know you know someone in C-DEBI, like our early-career stars, that fits the bill and deserves a shiny AGU Fellows medallion! Deadline: March 15, 2016.

AGU/JpGU: Taira Prize Call for Nominations
Nominations due March 15, 2016.

SoCal Geobiology Symposium: Call for Abstract Submissions
The 13th annual Southern California Geobiology Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 7th 2016 at the California Institute of Technology (see program for details). Abstract submission deadline: April 01, 2016.

 

Employment


Cardiff University: Senior Lecturer / Reader / Chair in Geomicrobiology, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences
Closing date: March 31, 2016.

IFREMER: Life at the extremes: microbial EcoGenomics of deep-sea extremophiles: Postdoctoral position (starting immediately) 
The Lab for Microbiology of Extreme environments in Brest (France) has an 18-month postdoctoral position available to carry out research in the ecology of bacterial and archaeal communities in deep-sea brine lakes and hydrothermal vent systems. The appointment should start no later than April 1 2016. Please send inquiries and application to Loïs Maignien (lois.maignien@univ-brest.fr) and A.M. Eren (meren@mbl.edu).

 

Don’t forget to email me with any items you’d like to share in future newsletters! You are what makes our deep biosphere community!

 
Best, 
 
Matt
 
— 
Matthew Janicak
Data Manager
Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations (C-DEBI)
University of Southern California
3616 Trousdale Pkwy, AHF 209, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0371
Phone: 708-691-9563, Fax: 213-740-2437
Exploring life beneath the seafloor and making transformative discoveries that advance science, benefit society, and inspire people of all ages and origins.

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