Reference number : GC-2017-Q1-02075, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Whyte, Lyle (McGill University)|Whyte, Lyle (Université McGill), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Quebec|Québec, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Discovery Grants Program - Individual, program name french : Programme de subventions à la découverte - individuelles, program purpose english : My research program examines microbial biodiversity and ecology in polar ecosystems using both classical microbiology and novel genomics based molecular techniques for studying microbial communities. These habitats include unique cold saline springs, permafrost and ground ice, and more recently novel gypsum cryptoendoliths. These investigations explore the biodiversity, ecology, adaptations, and activity of microbial communities in cryoenvironments (subzero habitats) in an emerging field best described as cryomicrobiology. Recent evidence of microbial activity and bacterial growth at ultra-low temperatures (-5 to 15&deg;C) in permanently cold environments suggest that these habitats harbor active microbial ecosystems. This area is presently very poorly understood but crucial for determining if such communities are active in situ at subzero temperatures and determining the impact of such activity on global biogeochemical cycling. For example, permafrost represents ~20% of terrestrial soil ecosystems yet its biology, essentially microbiology, remains unexplored. The proposed research will help elucidate the effects of global warming on microbial ecosystems in warming permafrost, focusing on microbial populations involve in methane metabolism and their roles in methane fluxes. The proposed research will provide new insights into Arctic microbial biodiversity and ecology, especially in terms of identifying and characterizing microbes that are metabolically active in these cryoenvironments under ambient conditions. Novel &ldquo;omic&rdquo;, single cell microbiology, and an innovative culturing techniquewill be employed to discover and characterize novel microorganisms and genomic resources, some of which will have potential biotechnology applications. The polar sites that we will study, especially the unique cold saline springs on Axel Heiberg Island, are considered significant Mars analogues sites especially in terms of understanding life in very cold salty liquid water habitats, such as brine-bearing reoccurring slope linea (RSLs) recentlly discovered on Mars as well as the icy moons of Europa and Enceladus. Funding for this proposal will support arctic research training of 4 graduate students, one undergraduate student, and a PDF / year in polar microbiology, state-of-the-art environmental genomics, single cell microbiology, bioinformatics, astrobiology/planetary exploration, and Arctic climate change as well as provide training of a new generation of HQP required to maintain northern research in Canada., program purpose french : My research program examines microbial biodiversity and ecology in polar ecosystems using both classical microbiology and novel genomics based molecular techniques for studying microbial communities. These habitats include unique cold saline springs, permafrost and ground ice, and more recently novel gypsum cryptoendoliths. These investigations explore the biodiversity, ecology, adaptations, and activity of microbial communities in cryoenvironments (subzero habitats) in an emerging field best described as cryomicrobiology. Recent evidence of microbial activity and bacterial growth at ultra-low temperatures (-5 to 15&deg;C) in permanently cold environments suggest that these habitats harbor active microbial ecosystems. This area is presently very poorly understood but crucial for determining if such communities are active in situ at subzero temperatures and determining the impact of such activity on global biogeochemical cycling. For example, permafrost represents ~20% of terrestrial soil ecosystems yet its biology, essentially microbiology, remains unexplored. The proposed research will help elucidate the effects of global warming on microbial ecosystems in warming permafrost, focusing on microbial populations involve in methane metabolism and their roles in methane fluxes. The proposed research will provide new insights into Arctic microbial biodiversity and ecology, especially in terms of identifying and characterizing microbes that are metabolically active in these cryoenvironments under ambient conditions. Novel &ldquo;omic&rdquo;, single cell microbiology, and an innovative culturing techniquewill be employed to discover and characterize novel microorganisms and genomic resources, some of which will have potential biotechnology applications. The polar sites that we will study, especially the unique cold saline springs on Axel Heiberg Island, are considered significant Mars analogues sites especially in terms of understanding life in very cold salty liquid water habitats, such as brine-bearing reoccurring slope linea (RSLs) recentlly discovered on Mars as well as the icy moons of Europa and Enceladus. Funding for this proposal will support arctic research training of 4 graduate students, one undergraduate student, and a PDF / year in polar microbiology, state-of-the-art environmental genomics, single cell microbiology, bioinformatics, astrobiology/planetary exploration, and Arctic climate change as well as provide training of a new generation of HQP required to maintain northern research in Canada., agreement title english : Polar Microbial Ecology and Diversity, agreement title french : Polar Microbial Ecology and Diversity, agreement number : RGPIN, agreement value : 240000.0, agreement start date : 2017-05-10, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023), additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2022-2023), owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada