Linking function to process: developing methods to explore the link between microbial function and biogeochemical cycling in soils

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Many important biogeochemical cycling processes in soils are mediated by soil microorganisms. The role and significance of the soil microbial biomass, the total of these organisms, has long been known but only recently have techniques become available to identify some of the key organisms in this `black box¿. In particular, molecular methods are now sufficiently developed to enable their use in the DNA- and organic chemical-rich environment of soils. We will test existing, and develop new, molecular and other methods to identify key soil microorganisms and their function and link these to the biogeochemical cycling processes that they mediate. We will begin with nitrogen cycling because (1) nitrogen is the main yield-determining nutrient in crop-based systems and the loss of nitrogen from cropping systems represents an economic loss to the farmer and pollutes air and water; (2) we have made excellent process in developing molecular techniques to study nitrifying organisms and want to extend this to denitrifying organisms.The main objectives of this project are: 1) To validate DNA/RNA based methods for profiling microorganisms involved in key biogeochemical cycling processes, beginning with microbial species involved in nitrogen cycling processes, specifically denitrification. 2) To investigate the relationship between process and function, beginning with the link between N2O fluxes and functional gene expression.

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