Understanding the Biology of the Air: The NSF Biology Integration Institute, Regional OneHealth Aerobiome Discovery Network (BROADN)
Susan VandeWoude, Sonia Kreidenweis, Kenneth F. Reardon, Angela Bosco-Lauth, Eugene F. Kelly, Tami Bond, Brad Borlee, Amy Charkowski, PAUL DEMOTT, Noah Fierer, Jan Leach, Sheryl Magzamen, Jessica Metcalf, Stephen Reynolds, Joshua Schaeffer, Jane Stewart, Pankaj Trivedi, Diana Wall, Stephen Archer, Susannah Tringe, Jeni Cross, Erin Doyle, Amaya GarciaCostas, Franziska Sandmeier, Shirley Vincent,
Colorado State University Abstract Number: 519
Working Group: Aerosol Sources and Constituents of Emerging Importance and Their Impacts across Spatial Scales
AbstractThe aerobiome – defined as microscopic organisms inhabiting the atmosphere – plays important roles in ecosystem diversity and health, disease outbreaks, and potentially the Earth’s hydrologic cycle. Unlike the microbiomes of humans, animals, plants, and soil, and despite significant advances in the field of aerobiology, there has been little systematic exploration of aerobiome composition and its variations in space and time as these relate to the terrestrial microbiomes that shape it.
Launched in late 2021, the NSF-supported Biology Integration Institute: Regional OneHealth Aerobiome Discovery Network (BROADN) brings together experts across disciplines to address the overarching question: What is the structure and function of the aerobiome, and how does it interact with terrestrial ecosystems?
To address this overarching question, we identify the following science questions:
(1) What microscopic organisms make up the aerobiome, and how do they vary over time and space? We are optimizing aerobiome sampling and analytical technologies to allow unprecedented characterization of aerobiome components in six unique regional ecosystems surrounding the Front Range of Northern Colorado. A key strategy is to leverage the infrastructure at NSF NEON (National Ecological Observatory Network) for our observations.
(2) Where does the life in the aerobiome come from, and how does composition respond to disturbances? Our studies seek to determine how aerobiome composition is influenced by continuous or intermittent terrestrial disturbances, including fire, drought, urbanization and intensive agriculture.
(3) What physical and biological properties govern movement of microscopic organisms between terrestrial reservoirs and the aerobiome? In this aspect of the work, we will address the key biological and physical properties enabling organisms to become airborne, and will develop new methodologies to measure the fluxes of biological particles to the atmosphere.
(4) Which traits allow microscopic organisms to become aerosolized, transported, and result in ecosystem impacts? We seek to identify and characterize key microbial players and processes, the microbial metabolic and signaling interactions taking place, and the genes and molecules driving aerobiome-ecosystem interactions.
BROADN seeks to expand our understanding of the aerobiome, including its content; its response to weather patterns, anthropogenic disturbances, and physical forces; the characteristics that lead to lofting, transport, and survival of microbes; and metabolic activity and genetic attributes of aerosolized microbes. BROADN employs an integrated approach including representative sampling of aerobiome states and fluxes; bioinformatics linking functionality to molecular and genetic characteristics; and linking these functions to impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. Examples of impacts of the aerobiome to be explored include airborne transport of animal and plant pathogens; ice nucleation and precipitation formation; and global microbial transport related to wildfires.