PMB3802: Field Microbiology at Itasca Biological Research Station

The microbial world is incredibly diverse: there are estimated to be more microbial cells on Earth than stars in the entire universe. Much of our understanding in microbiology derives from studies of pure cultures; organisms that can easily be grown in the lab. However, it is now clear that the vast majority of microorganisms in nearly every environment are not readily grown under laboratory conditions. We must therefore go to them. Field Microbiology will be a three-week intensive course where students will be taught methods of environmental microbiology in both lecture and laboratory format. The goal is to not only quantify who is in a given sample, but also to understand something about the conditions they live in (temperature, nutrient availability, etc.). Ecological data and microbial community structure will be generated using Oxford Nanopore sequencing technology – a cutting edge method to generate large sequencing datasets in real-time. Analyses will be integrated with an in situ set of field instrumentation that includes an eddy covariance system for quantifying fluxes of methane and carbon dioxide from Lake Itasca and Elk Lake, as well as in-lake measurements of solar radiation, dissolved organic matter, pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll. A series of field trips will be scheduled to locations in and around Itasca State Park including Elk Lake, Arco Lake, Iron Springs Bog and Lake Alice Spring. Students will also develop an independent research project that will apply methods learned during the first 1.5 weeks of the course.

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