Description: Das Projekt "Genetic microdiversity and ecology of protists-follow up" wird vom Umweltbundesamt gefördert und von Universite de Neuchatel, Institut de Biologie durchgeführt. The recent developments of molecular biology allowed the discovery of a huge genetic diversity in eukaryotic micro-organisms. But to this date, the true extension of this diversity has not been properly evaluated. In addition, these assumptions are based on DNA sequence data solely, without any reference to the morphology, life history and ecological roles of the organisms from which these sequences derived. The aim of my Ambizione project, and in particular of this follow-up, is to start answering to these questions based on a model group, the euglyphid testate amoebae. These organisms are considered as ubiquitous in marine, freshwater and terrestrial environments, and are considered to be especially abundant and diversified in mosses and forest litters. In this project, and in my further research, it is planned to: 1) Evaluate the global genetic diversity of euglyphids in forest soils and mosses, determine which are the hotspots of their diversity and understand their causes. 2) Starting with three morphologically almost identical (but genetically different) strains of Euglypha rotunda (a species considered as ubiquitous and very tolerant), evaluate their ecological requirements by characterising their growth rates at different temperatures and pH values. Preliminary results indicate differential ecological requirements; this indicates that E. rotunda cannot be considered as a single taxonomic unit but rather a complex of cryptic species. These data have capital implications on the use of euglyphids as bioindicators. 3) Entire deep-branching novel clades of euglyphids have been detected in the environment. It is planned to try to detect those with a combination of In-situ hybridisation and scanning electron microscopy to be able to describe new species and families. 4) Try to calibrate a molecular clock for the tree of Euglyphids based on the current fossil record of these organisms. Initially, this record was very poor, but the increasing number of researchers interested in these organisms led to the discovery of many fossils, mostly preserved in lacustrine sediments, but also amber. Here, we will investigate samples dating back from the Eocene. By addressing all these questions, I hope to contribute to the knowledge of general protist diversity. This knowledge will contribute to a better understanding of the role of unicellular eukaryotes in natural ecosystems, a role that is unfortunately still widely underestimated but that is slowly gaining momentum.
Types:
SupportProgram
Origin: /Bund/UBA/UFORDAT
Tags: Amöben ? Genökologie ? Rasterelektronenmikroskopie ? Molekularbiologie ? Baum ? DNA ? Genetik ? Kalibrierung ? Moos ? Morphologie ? Ökologie ? Biologie ? Datierung ? Mikroökologie ? Mikroskopie ? Süßwasser ? Temperatur ? Waldboden ? Süßwasserorganismen ? Boden ? Genetische Vielfalt ? Bioindikator ? Daten ? Evolution ? Familie ? Rechtsverfahren ? Mikroorganismen ? Sediment ? Meeresgewässer ? Wertermittlung ? Bauelement ? Forschung ? in situ ? Naturhaushalt ? Organismen ? Umwelt ? Wald ? Hybridisierung ? Globale Aspekte ? GEMISCHT ? Vermehrung ? GEPLANT ? GRUPPE ? KONSERVE ? Kapital ? Zins ? LIMNISCH ? ENTWICKLUNG ? MISCHUNG ? NEU ? ERFORDERNIS ? PROBE ? BEWERTEN ? WERT ? Diversität ? ERGEBNIS ? Art [Spezies] ? PROJEKT ? REFERENZ ? FRAGE ? Wachstum [biologisch] ? EINSATZ ? BAEUME ? Sequenzierung ?
License: cc-by-nc-nd/4.0
Language: Deutsch
Time ranges: 2012-01-01 - 2012-12-31
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