The Newsletter of the Center
for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence - Mid-Atlantic (COSEE-MA)
Microbes catalyze collaboration between scientist and COSEE-MA
An environmental enzyme researcher is partnering with the COSEE-MA education group to help deliver the education and outreach components of a five-year Biocomplexity Instrumentation Development for Environmental Activities (IDEA) grant from the National Science Foundation.
Traditional methods of detecting enzymes in aquatic environments involve incubating discrete water samples, or more recently, using continuous flow-through analyzers. Both methods can require expensive ship and personnel time, which is well known to Dr. Jim Ammerman at the Rutgers University Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences. Jim has spent considerable time studying the cycling of phosphorus by microbes in the northern Gulf of Mexico, and how variations in this process relate to factors such as agriculture, precipitation, and the recurrent hypoxic (low oxygen) "dead zone" in the northern Gulf waters (see "And the Beat Goes on…" below.) An important part of this project is frequent measurements of microbial enzyme activities in surface waters of the Gulf.
With the IDEA grant, Jim and several colleagues are working to develop a remotely operated Multiple Enzyme Analyzer (MEA) that, for the first time, will allow continuous, in situ measurement of microbial enzyme activities for periods of weeks to months. This cost-effective instrument will provide data in real-time, adding an important biological component to the extensive physical and chemical measurements that can be made at ocean observatories.
Recognizing the need to effectively address the broader impacts of the proposed work, Jim solicited assistance from the COSEE-MA education group at Rutgers-IMCS early in the proposal writing process. The group proposed to develop new activities for the existing COOL Classroom web site (www.coolclassroom.org). The draft activities combine fundamental food web and marine microbiology concepts with the proposed research, as well as professional development workshops for educators in grades 6-12 to support the new materials.
As the project PI, Jim supports these education efforts by serving as scientific advisor to the COSEE-MA education team and the participating school teachers. During multi-day curriculum and professional development workshops, teachers interact directly with Jim, graduate students, and undergraduates involved in the NSF-sponsored Research Internships in Ocean Sciences (RIOS) program at Rutgers-IMCS. RIOS is an NSF-sponsored Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) site at Rutgers.
“My experience working with the educators is not a one-way street”, says Jim. “I think we all learn a lot from having to explain our science.”
Education products developed to date can be accessed at www.coolclassroom.org/micro_test.
Key elements to Jim’s successful integration of research and education included:
- Identifying an appropriate and qualified education partner
- Early pre-proposal planning efforts between the science and education communities. This allowed a cohesive and integrated approach to outreach, including clearly defining both parties' roles and commitments
- The enthusiastic and direct engagement of multiple research scientists, and graduate and undergraduate students, in the education efforts
|
Jim's research involves how the small size, unicellular structure, and metabolic pathways of many microbes dictate the need to transport essential nutrients directly across the cell membrane. In instances when these nutrients are associated with molecules too large too cross the cell membrane, the microbe must produce enzymes that can chemically "cut" the desired chemical groups from the larger molecule to allow transport into the cell. The ability of scientists to detect the presence and concentrations of these highly-specific microbial enzymes is critical to the understanding of ecosystem processes, including anthropogenic (human-induced) effects, in coastal marine environments. In particular, Jim has used measurements of extracellular enzyme activity to study the role of microbes in the cycling of phosphorus in the northern Gulf of Mexico, including what role this process may play in the dynamics of the annual hypoxic Dead Zone. Follow these links for additional information related to current research on the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone: More than you ever probably wanted to know about
the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, provided by the US Geological Survey
Scientists Issue Dead Zone Forecast for 2005 (http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2005/jul05/noaa05-r464.html) 2005 Dead Zone mapping results (http://www.lumcon.edu/Information/news/default.asp?XMLFilename=20050801RabalaisHypoxia.xml) Article: Recent Research Sheds Light on the History of the Dead Zone (PDF) |
About
the Scientist
Dr. Jim Ammerman has a distinguished academic career in the field of aquatic
microbial ecology and biogeochemistry, with a current emphasis on the
role of microbes in phosphorus cycling in marine and estuarine systems.
Learn more about Jim and his experiences at the Rutgers-IMCS web site
(http://www.imcs.rutgers.edu/faculty_jammerman.html).
One of COSEE-MA's most important objectives is to provide ocean scientists with tools and resources to improve their ability to engage in, and support, education and outreach efforts related to their research. Here are a few:
COSEE-MA Scientist Connections
This project helps scientists at varying stages of their careers get involved
in the professional development of formal classroom educators. It’s
a good example of a Partner Scientist commitment discussed in the COSEE-MA
Scientist Connections guidelines. Learn how Scientist Connections can
help you determine which level and type of education and outreach best
meets your needs. (http://www.cosee-ma.net/res_ed/guide_intro.htm)
NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Supplement
Opportunity
Interested in directly engaging educators in your research? If you have
(or will be seeking) funding from the National Science Foundation, you
can pursue supplemental funding to support the active participation of
K-12 and community college educators in your research efforts. Learn more
…
(http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf05047)
Related Education/Outreach Resources
It Could Use a Little Salt – A Marine Science
Approach to Understanding the Cycling of Matter and Energy (http://www.coolclassroom.org/micro_test/)
Now under development, this collection of web-based educational activities are designed to support Jim Ammerman's research project featured in this issue. These activities are being designed for middle and high school students to explore both basic and advanced concepts related to the transfer of matter and energy between organisms, including microbial ecology, in a marine science context.
Science Museum of Minnesota – The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone interactive education web site (http://www.smm.org/deadzone/top.html)
Each
issue of The Pulse brings you a Data Discovery - an educational activity
that incorporates the use of real data relevant to the featured research.
Based on the “Data Tips” found on The Bridge education web
site (www.vims.edu/bridge),
each Data Discovery challenges the user to employ inquiry and critical
thinking skills to interpret and apply scientific data in a meaningful
context.
Explore this issue’s Data Discovery, Catch
Your Breath?, to learn about the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone and its
connections to the economically important finfish and shrimp industries
in the northern Gulf.
To subscribe to this newsletter, please visit: http://tethys.vims.edu/macosee/mailings2.cfm
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, please send an email to: nancy@vims.edu