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The Type GB Starter Grant provided by the American Chemical Society- Petroleum Research Fund has played a key role in the successful implementation of my overall research agenda involving the investigation of life in the subsurface biosphere during the first year of my academic appointment at East Carolina University (ECU), from 2008-2009.  Furthermore, the funds allowed me to initiate research in high pressure microbiology (a subset of the aforementioned program) to address the specific goals set forth in the PRF proposal.  The funding provided by the PRF provided a critical “backbone” to my developing research program in lieu of the current economic crisis, which impacted my state-funded new faculty start up grant.  The PRF grant was used to purchase a major piece of equipment in the form of a gas chromatograph (ordered but not yet received), which will be used to measure the consumption and production of volatile compounds associated with microbial metabolism, as well as consumable supplies used in cultivating microorganisms and conducting chemical and biochemical analyses.  From a personnel standpoint, the grant provided funds to support the employment of two highly qualified undergraduates from my department in summer 2009, as well as one month of my summer salary to facilitate the training of these students and the overall management of the research project.  A small percentage of the funds were used to support participation in scientific meetings, where the results of my laboratory’s research in high pressure microbiology were presented as an invited talk (fall American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco).

Some of the noteworthy achievements of my lab within the past year (largely due to the contributions of students!) include documenting the significance of pressure as a variable in microbial enrichment cultures from deep-sea environments, development of genetic assays for genes involved in carbon fixation, and development of an organic chemical framework for the quantification and characterization of extracellular polymers associated with microbial biofilms.  Specific to the PRF project, an undergraduate in my laboratory initiated enrichment cultures of microorganisms from samples obtained from Loihi Seamount, near Hawaii from 5,000 meters water depth.  Three types of enrichment solutions were employed including those containing complex carbon sources, those containing extremely dilute concentrations of hydrocarbons, and completely autotrophic (organic-free) media, all at in situ pressures of ~50 MPa.  She has followed microbial metabolism and diversity in these cultures versus time, which will yield new data about the rates of carbon transformation in these deep environments.  A second student has been concentrating on the cultivation and biogeochemical characterization of sulfate-reducing microbial strains specific to the PRF work, and has been adept at quantifying and tracking the growth of these cultures at atmospheric pressures.  A next step is to merge the two area of expertise as outlined in the original proposal.  These findings are significant because they advance our understanding of the biogeochemistry and the ecology of subsurface environments and contribute to the sparse base of knowledge about life in such ecosystems.  Importantly, my research efforts and collaborations have provided opportunities for public outreach including guest lectures, and the development of a laboratory website highlighting our research.  I am also actively involved as a steering committee member of the Dark Energy Biosphere Institute (DEBI) Research Coordination Network (sponsored by NSF) and will be co-hosting a workshop on this topic at UNC-Chapel Hill in Fall 2010.  The DEBI network is aimed at characterizing and quantifying microbial activities in the subseafloor biosphere, which may be independent of light-driven reactions at the Earth’s surface.

From a personal standpoint, the PRF starter grant enabled me to refine the research agenda set forth in my original proposal in terms of 1.) generating publishable data, 2.) securing funding, 3.) maintaining a strong network of colleagues in my field, and 4.) building a lab ‘identity’.   We have developed several avenues of research within the broader topic of studying life in the subsurface biosphere.  In addition to the topic of high pressure petroleum biodegradation, we are conducting research into carbon sequestration in subsurface ecosystems (both hydrothermal and serpentinization-associated), as well as bio-energy production.  I have submitted several proposals to both federal and state funding agencies based upon preliminary data, and I have maintained a strong presence in the field of microbial geochemistry/ecology- which is reflected in my participation in meeting and workshops, and my services as an ad hoc reviewer.  All of this has been facilitated by the opportunity to undertake the project described in the PRF grant, as well as the associated meeting/workshop travel allowances.  Finally, the PRF grant and associated  pilot projects, and investments in a laboratory website have enabled me to build an ‘identity’ for my laboratory- which will help to both anchor my research program and serve as an opportunity to engage the general public and the larger scientific community.

The resources provided by the PRF helped me to develop a solid laboratory infrastructure which allowed me to focus upon the recruitment and training of numerous undergraduate students who became engaged in my research program.  Within the past year, more than a dozen undergraduate students have worked in my lab in various capacities (not all on this specific project, but all on related topics).  Several of these students were successful in securing extramural funding and scholarships in support of their research (ECU-URCA, Sigma Xi, ECU- ICSP).  Some of these students, including the two supported by PRF funds In Summer 09’ will be continuing on with their research through the academic year as independent study or thesis projects.  Many of these students contributed data which will be used in the preparation and submission of manuscripts based upon the research they conducted.  Three of the students presented their work at the Research and Creative Activities symposium at ECU in Spring 09’.

In summary, the funds by the ACS-PRF Type GB starter grant have been extremely valuable to jump starting my career, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities they have provided.