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What is the context of this research?

Winogradsky columns are a simple, beautiful way to study the diversity and interactions within a microbial community. They are made by adding soil and a few supplements to a clear cylinder, and incubating in the light. Bacteria grow to fill different environmental niches, forming colorful colonies and performing all essential functions in the ecosystem. These columns have helped us to understand the various roles bacteria play in soil microbial communities – but viruses, too, play an important role. In our previous research we used Winogradsky columns to study communities in the soil, observing evidence that viruses may be killing off certain bacteria and allowing others to take their place.

What is the significance of this project?

As we learn more about microbial communities, we are increasingly recognizing the importance of these complex systems. Bacteria and viruses are all around (and even inside of) us, and understanding their interactions is an important step in understanding the world that we live in. These communities help us digest our food, cycle nutrients in the environment, and remove pollutants. However, these natural systems are extremely complex. Model systems are used in the lab to study complex natural systems on a smaller scale and with more control over variables. Establishing the Winogradsky column as a model microbial ecosystem will advance our understanding of viral ecology in soils. The conclusions can used to understand the more complex systems found in nature.

What are the goals of the project?

We already know what bacteria are present in Winogradsky columns and how they can change. What we don't know is what viruses are present and how they change. We plan to identify the Winogradsky "virome," the diverse community of viruses present, and how it changes over time as the bacterial community changes. Using DNA sequencing we will identify the rich diversity of viruses giving us a more complete picture of the members of this community. Using this data we hope to see the relationship between the changes in the bacterial community and viral community.