Frontiers in Polar Biology in the Genomic Era (2003) / Chapter Skim
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4. Complements to Genome Science: Other Enabling Technologies, Facilities, and Infrastructure
4. Complements to Genome Science: Other Enabling Technologies, Facilities, and Infrastructure
Pages 105-118
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From page 105... ...
Enabling technologies include sophisticated methodologies for integrating biological data with information from geochemical and geophysical analyses, improved means for providing access to field sites during winter conditions, improvements of laboratory and storage facilities, advanced technologies to allow remote sensing of organismal activities, and better methodologies for accessing specimens found in difficult-to-sample habitats such as subglacial lakes. ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES Examples of New Approaches to Link Organismal and Process Data New and improved stable isotopic techniques, used alone or in parallel with molecular methods, can help unravel how organisms respond to the uncertainties of global change and how they contribute to the functioning of polar ecosystems.
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From page 106... ...
can be identified (Neff et al., 2002~. When compoundspecific stable isotope techniques are combined with traditional bulk stable isotope or radioisotope analyses, the power of biogeochemical research increases substantially due to our enhanced ability to resolve carbon sources, including paleocarbon sources.
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From page 107... ...
Biosensors, On-board Instrument Packages, Electronic Tagging, and Nanotechnology Obtaining data on free-ranging organisms in the field is challenging in all environments. However, the polar regions pose special challenges, notably those associated with efforts to observe organisms in the field on a year-round basis.
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From page 108... ...
A number of enabling technologies will be required to study the form, distribution, and activity of life in the lakes (SCAR, 2001~. One critical aspect of subglacial lake exploration is testing, verification, and monitoring for potential contamination during all phases of the scientific program.
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From page 109... ...
In the United States alone, the estimated combined DNA sequencing capacity in medium to large centers is approximately 500 million lanes per year more than enough to meet the needs of the polar biology research community in the near future. In addition, the large sequencing centers also have the appropriate bioinformatics tools and pipelines to support genome anno
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From page 110... ...
As costs for DNA sequencing continue to decrease, the number of possible species that can be selected for sequence analysis will continue to grow. The polar research community needs to provide input into the selection discussion through specific workshops to discuss these ques
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From page 111... ...
Sample Repositories and Culturing Facilities Establishment of a base-funded and staffed repository for frozen samples of polar organisms would serve functions that are becoming increasingly important as new genomic and postgenomic technologies are being trained on problems of polar biology. Such a facility would: · provide long-term maintenance and curation of frozen samples, thereby allowing genetic comparisons with natural populations in the future; · offer new investigators in polar biology the opportunity to obtain samples to conduct pilot studies that could ultimately form the basis for a more complete proposal without the need for actual deployment to field sites; and · provide access to samples of polar organisms to the broader community of biologists.
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From page 112... ...
Currently, only a handful of researchers conduct genomic research in the Arctic, and this may be a reflection of the absence of high-technology facilities. In the near term, the creation of a molecular biology laboratory will facilitate the application of new biological tools in Arctic bioscience.
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From page 113... ...
The Atmospheric Climate Research and Biological Research Facilities of the Norwegian Polar Institute support research on physical parameters that affect climate, on ultraviolet (UV) radiation and its biological effects on marine and terrestrial ecosystems and on the marine ecology of Arctic glacial fjords.
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From page 114... ...
Access to Arctic and Antarctic terrestrial field sites is severely limited by logistics and safety concerns in the winter. In the marine environment, access by traditional surface vessels to polar waters is limited due to the presence of pack ice, especially in winter, and is hazardous because the waters are often poorly charted and can contain icebergs.
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From page 115... ...
Some ideas and potential solutions that address constraints on winter access to polar regions are as follows: · Initiate transition from "daylight-only" to year-round access for field stations such as Toolik Lake and McMurdo. Longer access will also allow greater flexibility for a broad range of scientists to participate directly in field research and will encourage new participants to enter polar research.
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From page 116... ...
provide research platforms of large and intermediatesmall size for multiseason research at high northern latitudes. In the near future, the Alpha Helix will be replaced by the larger, as yet unnamed, Arctic Region Research Vessel (226 ft.
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From page 117... ...
It provides scientists with the capability to conduct examinations and measurements of ice cores, and it preserves the integrity of these ice cores in a long-term repository for current and future investigations ( |
From page 118... ...
Without the temperature record made during shipment, scientists could misinterpret data subsequently obtained from compromised samples. Care must be taken to maintain desired temperatures during shipment, and all investigators should be presented with detailed temperature records during the period of shipment.
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