C-DEBI Newsletter – March 1, 2021

C-DEBI Newsletter – March 1, 2021
A biweekly digest of deep biosphere news and opportunities
from the Center for Dark Energy Biosphere Investigations

Publications & Press
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Italian Journal of Geosciences
The shallow-sea hydrothermal system at Vulcano Island (Italy): the ‘type locality’ for several transformative discoveries in geobiology (https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/italianjgeo/article-abstract/140/1/7/594961/The-shallow-sea-hydrothermal-system-at-Vulcano?redirectedFrom=PDF) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
Jan P. Amend*, D’Arcy R. Meyer-Dombard*
*C-DEBI Contribution 537

Shallow-sea (<200 m depth) hydrothermal systems have garnered far less attention than their deep-sea or on-land counterparts. However, interdisciplinary research efforts on rock, sediment, water, gas, and biofilm samples collected in the Baia di Levante, Vulcano Island (Italy) have led to major discoveries in geobiology. For example, the archaeal species Pyrodictium occultum was the first isolated microorganism thriving at temperatures above 100°C, Aquifex and Thermotoga represent the highest temperature genera of Bacteria, and Archaeoglobus fulgidus was the first pure culture Archaeon capable of extracting metabolic energy from the reduction of sulfate to sulfide. In addition, the first large-scale assessment of in situ redox reaction energetics (potential catabolic strategies for chemolithotrophic Archaea and Bacteria) was carried out for the shallow-sea hydrothermal system at Vulcano. These and other fundamental contributions to our understanding of heat-loving (thermophilic)
microorganisms in their natural habitats were facilitated by numerous detailed investigations of the aqueous geochemistry and volcanology of the Aeolian Islands.

Nature Communications
The contribution of water radiolysis to marine sedimentary life (http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21218-z) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!
Justine Sauvage*, Ashton Flinders, Arthur J. Spivack, Robert Pockalny*, Ann G. Dunlea, Chloe H. Anderson, David C. Smith, Richard W. Murray, Steven L. D’Hondt*
*C-DEBI Contribution 553

Water radiolysis continuously produces H2 and oxidized chemicals in wet sediment and rock. Radiolytic H2 has been identified as the primary electron donor (food) for microorganisms in continental aquifers kilometers below Earth’s surface. Radiolytic products may also be significant for sustaining life in subseafloor sediment and subsurface environments of other planets. However, the extent to which most subsurface ecosystems rely on radiolytic products has been poorly constrained, due to incomplete understanding of radiolytic chemical yields in natural environments. Here we show that all common marine sediment types catalyse radiolytic H2 production, amplifying yields by up to 27X relative to pure water. In electron equivalents, the global rate of radiolytic H2 production in marine sediment appears to be 1-2% of the global organic flux to the seafloor. However, most organic matter is consumed at or near the seafloor, whereas radiolytic H2 is produced at all sediment depths. Comparison of
radiolytic H2 consumption rates to organic oxidation rates suggests that water radiolysis is the principal source of biologically accessible energy for microbial communities in marine sediment older than a few million years. Where water permeates similarly catalytic material on other worlds, life may also be sustained by water radiolysis.

University of Rhode Island
Microbes deep beneath seafloor survive on byproducts of radioactive process: Results have implications for life on Mars (https://today.uri.edu/news/uri-researchers-microbes-deep-beneath-seafloor-survive-on-byproducts-of-radioactive-process/) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116386) – NEW!

A team of researchers from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography and their collaborators have revealed that the abundant microbes living in ancient sediment below the seafloor are sustained primarily by chemicals created by the natural irradiation of water molecules. The team discovered that the creation of these chemicals is amplified significantly by minerals in marine sediment. In contrast to the conventional view that life in sediment is fueled by products of photosynthesis, an ecosystem fueled by irradiation of water begins just meters below the seafloor in much of the open ocean. This radiation-fueled world is one of Earth’s volumetrically largest ecosystems. The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.

Meetings & Activities
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-NSF BIO-wide Virtual Office Hours: COVID-19 Response Update, March 2, 2021 (https://www.nsf.gov/events/event_summ.jsp?cntn_id=302167) — NEW!
As noted in a recent announcement and in order to answer any questions the community may have about BIO’s efforts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic or the support available to the wider community, NSF will host a BIO-wide virtual office hour on Tuesday, March 2. Register in advance for the webinar on March 2, 2021 at 11AM – 12PM Eastern.

-NSF: Celebrating the NSF ADVANCE Program, March 3-31, 2021 (https://www.nsf.gov/events/event_summ.jsp?cntn_id=302062) –
Register for the online series March 3-31, 2021.

-Boston Museum of Science: Reach Out Science Communication Challenge (https://www.mos.org/reach-out-challenge) — NEW!
Calling C-DEBI students and postdocs: There’s less than one week left to enter the Reach Out Science Slams! Join us for a chance to share your passion for science with a national audience, earn up to $400 in stipends, win $1000 prizes from the Museum of Science, and meet our panel of expert and celebrity SciComm judges! Entering the Slams is easy, plus we will send you a $50 Amazon gift card just for submitting an entry. All you (or your team) need to do is fill out the entry form and create a 2-3 minute video that gives us an idea of the science story you’d like to tell and how you’d like to tell it. Your entry video does not need to be polished or perfect, but if you’d like a little help, we’re offering free one-on-one coaching sessions through March 6th to help you prep your Slam entry. The submission deadline is March 7, 2021.

-CJM: Call for Papers on Astrobiology – Insights into Microbial Life on Earth and Beyond (https://cdnsciencepub.com/do/10.1139/news.2020.10.07/abs/) –
Submission deadline: March 8, 2021.

-Delta Murphy Distinguished Lecture: Women, Science and the Road to Inclusive Leadership, March 11, 2021 (https://usc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Akt8VJlmQl-wv23Wf2p9vw) –
Register in advance for the webinar on March 11, 2021 at 12-2pm PST.

-NAS: Call for “Ocean-Shot” Concepts: Transformative Research for the Decade (https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/us-national-committee-on-ocean-science-for-sustainable-development-2021-2030#sl-three-columns-e33ae106-08bc-49e3-8baf-078797861e38) –
The next call for submissions is due April 1, 2021.

-AGU Honors and Asahiko Taira International Scientific Ocean Drilling Research Prize Nominations (https://www.agu.org/Honor-and-Recognize/Honors/Union-Prizes/Taira-Prize) –
Nomination deadline: April 15, 2021.

Ongoing Activities:
* -C-DEBI: Community Workshop Support (http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/research-activities/research-support/workshops/) –
* -JOIDES Resolution Facility Board: Request for Information (http://www.iodp.org/proposals/submitting-proposals) –
* NAS: The Science of Effective Mentoring in STEMM Podcast (https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/the-science-of-effective-mentoring-in-stemm)
* Unlearning Racism in Geoscience (URGE) (https://urgeoscience.org/) : January 18 to May 7, 2021
* Ridge Seminar Series (https://ridgeseminarseries.wordpress.com/)

Education & Outreach
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-CC-CREW: Community College Research Experiences at WHOI (https://www2.whoi.edu/staff/jhuber/cc-crew/) –
Formerly known as part of the C-DEBI CC-RISE Program for community college students, CC-CREW is a paid, non-residential summer research experience for local community college students to work at WHOI for 8-10 weeks ~June 15-August 15 (exact dates depend on student availability). Right now, the opportunity is limited to up to 4 students per summer, working in the Huber lab under the direct guidance of Dr. Gretta Serres but we will be expanding post-COVID. The students are part of the lab, participate in research, and get exposure to the many STEM careers a research institution like WHOI has to offer. Students receive mentoring on the transition from a community college to a university and on options for graduate studies in areas they are interested in. Students also have a chance to present their research to an audience of peers and mentors. Our 2021 program will likely be mostly virtual due to COVID restrictions. Applications are due March 31, 2021.

Proposal Calls
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-NSF GEO: EarthCube: Developing a Community-Driven Data and Knowledge Environment for the Geosciences (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21515/nsf21515.htm) –
Full proposal deadline: March 2, 2021.

-NSF GEO: Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (OCE-PRF) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21538/nsf21538.htm) –
Full proposal deadlines: March 3, 2021 and November 12, 2021.

-NSF: Navigating the New Arctic (NNA) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21524/nsf21524.htm) –
Full proposal deadline: March 5, 2021.

-NSF BIO: Integrative Research in Biology (IntBIO) (https://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505850&org=NSF&sel_org=NSF&from=fund) –
Full proposal deadline date: March 16, 2021.

-NSF BIO / NIH: Enabling Discovery through GEnomics (EDGE (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21546/nsf21546.htm) )-
Full proposal deadlines: March 16, 2021 and February 17, 2022.

-NSF BIO: (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21524/nsf21524.htm?WT.mc_id=USNSF_25&WT.mc_ev=click) Dimensions of Biodiversity (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21545/nsf21545.htm) –
Full proposal deadline: March 26, 2021.

-IODP: Call for Drilling Proposals (http://iodp.org/proposals/call-for-proposals) –
Deadline: April 1, 2021.

-NSF BIO / CISE: Center for Advancement and Synthesis of Open Environmental Data and Sciences (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505829) –
Letter of intent due date: April 1, 2021.

-NSF: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions (ADVANCE) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5383) –
Institutional Transformation preliminary proposal deadline date: April 22, 2021.

-NSF OCE: Request for Expression of Interest Regarding Provision of a Drilling Vessel to Support Future International Scientific Ocean Discovery (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21043/nsf21043.jsp) –
Expressions of Interest should be provided by May 1, 2021.

-NSF: Understanding the Rules of Life: Emergent Networks (URoL:EN) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21560/nsf21560.htm) –
Predicting Transformation of Living Systems in Evolving Environments. Full proposal deadline: May 10, 2021.

-NSF OCE: Chemical Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11698) –
Full proposal target dates: August 16, 2021 and February 15, 2022.

-NSF OCE: Physical Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=12729) –
Full proposal target dates: August 16, 2021 and February 15, 2022.

-NSF: Research Traineeship (NRT) Program (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505015) –
Full proposal deadline date: September 6, 2021.

-NSF OISE: International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20598/nsf20598.htm) –
Track I: IRES Sites (IS) due date: September 21, 2021. Track II: Advanced Studies Institutes (ASI) due date: September 28, 2021.

-NSF: Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (NSF INCLUDES) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505289) –
Letter of intent deadline date: October 4, 2021.

-NSF: Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21511/nsf21511.htm) –
Full proposal deadline: October 11, 2021.

-NSF HRD: Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5483) –
See the program solicitation for proposal windows and deadlines through 2021.

Rolling Calls:
* -C-DEBI: Research Exchange Program (http://www.darkenergybiosphere.org/research-activities/research-support/exchange/) –
* IODP-USSSP: Proposals for Pre-Drilling Activities (http://usoceandiscovery.org/pre-drilling-activities/)
* NSF GEO: Antarctic Research Program Solicitation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21567/nsf21567.htm)
* NSF GEO: Arctic Research Program Solicitation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21526/nsf21526.htm)
* -NSF OCE: Biological Oceanography (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=11696) –
* NSF BIO IOS: IMAGiNE FG: Functional Genomics (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21034/nsf21034.jsp)
* NSF BIO DEB: Poorly Sampled and Unknown Taxa (PurSUiT) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20059/nsf20059.jsp)
* NSF BIO: Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503634)
* NSF BIO: Infrastructure Innovation for Biological Research (IIBR) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21502/nsf21502.htm)
* NSF: NSF and US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) Research Cooperation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20094/nsf20094.jsp)
* NSF BIO: NSF and UK Research and Innovation BBSRC Research Cooperation (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2020/nsf20118/nsf20118.jsp)
* NSF BIO: Research Assistantships for High School Students (RAHSS) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18088/nsf18088.jsp)
* NSF BIO: Research Experience for Teachers (RET) (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18089/nsf18089.jsp)
* NSF: Non-Academic Research Internships for Graduate Students (INTERN) Supplement (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21013/nsf21013.jsp)
* NSF: Career-Life Balance (CLB) Supplement (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21021/nsf21021.jsp)
* UNOLS: Cruise Opportunity Program (https://www.unols.org/unols-cruise-opportunity-program)

Employment
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-Bigelow: Postdoctoral Scientist in Marine Microbial Single Cell Genomics (https://bigelow.freshteam.com/jobs/GnsQxRZlz1st/postdoctoral-scientist-in-marine-microbial-single-cell-genomics) –
For full consideration, the application should be received by March 14, 2021.

-MMA Corning School of Ocean Studies: Assistant Professor of Oceanography (https://mainemaritime.edu/employment-at-mma/employment-at-mma/faculty-positions/) –
Review of applications will begin March 15, 2021.

-University of Colorado Boulder: Postdoctoral Position in Ocean Biogeochemistry (https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/PostDoctoral-Associate/28572) –
Review of applications will begin on March 22, 2021, and continue until the position is filled.

-Gulf of Maine Research Institute: Chief Scientific Officer (https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/451541) –
Applications due March 31, 2021.

-Heising-Simons Foundation: Science Program Officer (https://www.hsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/Science-Program-Officer.pdf) –

-MBARI: Principal Investigator or Principal Engineer (focus on seafloor patterns and processes) (https://www.mbari.org/principal_investigator_engineer/) –