Team：Marine carbon sink

Person in charge or Leader：Dr. Jihua LIU

Introduction of research area：Microbe-driven biogeochemical cycling (e.g., carbon, nitrogen and sulfur), especially the microbial carbon pump; including the way of energy obtaining and cycling, substance metabolic pathways; the mechanisms of formation, maintaining periods and driven force of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur sink; the relationship between elements cycling and oceanic processes. The response of microbes to the natural processes and anthropogenic activities; the degradation of organic matter and production of bio-active products; the response of microbes to the environmental pollution, eutrophication, red tide，ocean acidification and hypoxia；the co-effects of microbial carbon pump and biological carbon pump；the production of microbial related trace gas and the restraint by marine physical-chemical conditions; The mechanisms of carbon storage and regulation under oxic and anoxic conditions; the contribution of marine microbial processes during historical geo-events; the responses, regulation, and the strategies of microbial oceanography to global warming.

Introduction of projects：1, Effects of envrionmental factors on  marine organisms - taking gut microbiota in sea cucumber as one example. The change of environmental conditionss in the current circumstance of global warming and ocean acidification could affect the marine organisms. Those changes could be regulated by gut microbiota in marine organisms, and further affects their activities. This project will use the sea cucumber, which has a relative simple gut, as one example. We will collect sea cucumbers from different seasons with different ages, to analyze the composition of microbial communities in the gut. By linking the microbial composition to different environmental factors and ages, we will futher study the effects of environmental conditions on its activities.
2, Environmental bacterial isolation and identification - denitrifiers and bioluminescent bacteria in marine environments. Oceanic nitrogen cycling is important for global elements cycling. The isolation of unknown bacterial species in the environment is important to further understand their physiological activities.

Training programme (set in 3 months, detail in every two weeks)：

Week 1-2: literature review, lab preparation.
Week 3-4: bacterial isolation.
Week 5-6: Physiological and biochemical experiments.
Week 6-8: identification with molecular tools.
Week 9-10: identification and report writing.
Week 11-12: report writing and presentation.

Assessment (what to expect to achieve after this program and how to provide students a sense of gain?)：To foster students interests in marine microbiology, to obtain knowledge of molecular biology, and experimental skills.

Requirements for Canadian students (preparatory courses, technical skills,  etc)：Having basic knowledge of biology, especially molecular biology, having basic lab working experience.

Chinese student volunteers (2-3)：Chen Xiao