Full Proposals for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Proposed IPY Activity Details

1.0 PROPOSER INFORMATION

(Activity ID No: 55)

1.1 Title of Activity
Microbiological and Ecological Responses to Global Environmental Changes in Polar Regions

1.2 Short Form Title of Proposed Activity
MERGE

1.3 Activity Leader Details
Takeshi Naganuma
Graduate School of Biosphere Science, Hiroshima University
Japan

1.4 Lead International Organisation(s) (if applicable)
NULL
NULL
NULL
NULL

1.5 Other Countries involved in the activity
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Canada
Egypt
Finland
France
Germany
Italy
Korea
Malaysia
New Zealand
Philippines
Poland

1.6 Expression of Intent ID #'s brought together in this proposed activity
429, 60, 96, 110, 119, 205, 231, 479, 526, 613, 846, 1018, 1080, FP#193

1.7 Location of Field Activities
Bipolar

1.8 Which IPY themes are addressed
1. Current state of the environment
2. Change in the polar regions
4. Exploring new frontiers

1.9 What is the main IPY target addressed by this activity
1. Natural or social science

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2.0 SUMMARY OF THE ACTIVITY

MERGE is an umbrella program that aims to understand the responses of terrestrial, limnetic and supraglacial polar ecosystems to climate change. The program consists of 11 Expressions of Intent. Three key questions have been selected from the EoIs to yield scientific achievements efficiently. An EoI may contribute to more than one theme. Prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms in terrestrial, limnetic and supraglacial habitats are targeted; marine and other related activities, e.g., PAME (565), EBA (577) and SALE-UNITED (876), have not been explicitly included, but may be cooperated with this program if requested, but cooperation with IPY projects that share certain similar interests is foreseen and liaison persons were identified.
Theme 1 “Diversity and biogeography” answers “What taxa are present, how are the communities organized and how are they distributed, and where are they?” Conventional and modern techniques, i.e., culture-dependent to meta-genomic approaches will be used to analyze community structure and biogeography of Polar terrestrial, limnetic and supraglacial ecosystems. Addressing this theme will produce reference collections of Polar organisms and genetic material such as bulk environmental DNA. Selected groups of organisms will be studied to associate species diversification with geographical separation, and to screen for unique physiological and biochemical functions that occur in response to the extreme conditions of polar habitats.
Theme 2 “Food webs and ecosystem evolution” will answer the question “How do high-latitude biota interact and function?” Food webs in polar habitats have reduced complexity relative to lower latitudes and are thus likely to be sensitive to changes in species composition. Food web analyses have also highlighted the vulnerability of polar terrestrial ecosystems to climate changes. Palaeo-environmental analysis of diatoms, chemical biomarkers and other records in lake sediment cores have the potential to reveal how climate and environmental changes have driven species successions and ecosystem evolution. Process studies will include analysis of microbial production and interactions, in addition to carbon and nitrogen cycling including microbial controls on CO2 and CH4 dynamics.
Theme 3 “Linkages between biological, chemical and physical processes in the supraglacial biome” elucidates “How do physical, chemical and biological processes interact in icy ecosystems?” Supraglacial habitats include water-saturated snow, supraglacial channels, cryoconite holes and veins in ice. Biogeochemical processes in these environments transform atmospheric inputs to the glacier, in a similar way that watershed surfaces modify atmospheric inputs in temperate environments. This work will document the range and nature of aquatic ecosystems on the surfaces of glaciers in the Arctic and Antarctic. In doing so controls on biological productivity (physical, chemical, biological); key biogeochemical transformations; and linkages between biological activity and atmospheric fluxes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus to glacial surfaces will be characterised. Some complementary studies will also be undertaken on ice shelf cryo-ecosystems that occur in both polar regions and that have some microbiological similarities to cryoconite systems.
Themes 1-3 naturally interlink with each other; a finding may stimulate activities in other themes, and each hypothesis may require evidence from other activities. The major purpose of the MERGE umbrella is thus to provide and expand the chances for sharing/exchanging/offering data, samples, logistics, expedition opportunities, field facilities, laboratories, analytical instruments, etc between the research themes. Groups of former EoIs will keep their own focus, but will be encouraged to interact and interlink under the umbrella. This is particularly important in inviting countries that have little of experience in polar activities in the past. Because climate change influences ecosystems and human societies not only in polar regions but also worldwide, MERGE is keen to encourage participation of such so-far-unrelated countries.
The MERGE umbrella does not necessarily take a top-down control over the original-EoI-based groups, but it coordinates inter-thematic and inter-group collaborations based on a bottom-up approach. The Activity Leader plays a “housekeeping” role in the coordination as well as a leading role in his original EoI group.
The MERGE umbrella will also widen the reach and scope of our education, outreach and communication (EOC) programs through close interaction and integration, which will achieve, much more than a single EoI could do.

2.1 What is the evidence of inter-disciplinarity in this activity?
In order to make MERGE more than a mixture of EoIs from different disciplines, we have carried out extensive discussions about significant goals, common methodologies, overlooked issues, etc, from viewpoints of different scientific fields. There is a long list of e-mail records of our communications in the past 4 months. Some members of EoI 110, 429 and 846 have also had face-to-face meetings prior to integration of their EoIs into MERGE. Furthermore, we will continue communication to make MERGE more a “SMART” (Specific, Measurable, Archivable, Realistic and Time-framed) interdisciplinary activity.
From a thematic point of view, MERGE covers a wide range of molecular biology, ecology and taxonomy of prokaryotes, algae, fungi, lichens, mosses, protozoa and metazoans; geochemistry; limnology; and glaciology. With these thematic backgrounds, MERGE will provide a broad view of biogeography of and biogeochemical processes mediated by polar organisms. In addition to the use of conventional approaches by some participating groups, advanced and unique techniques of that have been developed within other research teams will be available to all the contributors. For example, the analysis of genetic material and biomarkers provides biological evidence of the potential for CO2 fixation, methane oxidation, reduction/oxidation of nitrogen and sulphur, etc., which should help geochemical interpretation of the flux and cycling of carbon and other major biospheric elements. From a methodological point of view, MERGE employs various techniques to detect, determine and describe genetic signatures (DNA and RNA), biomarkers (lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and their constituents), biological index species, geochemical and geologic records, climatologic and limnological parameters, glaciologial features, etc. Particularly notable is the expertise in “contamination-free” sampling and isolation of ice-borne microorganisms developed by our participants. Technical support among our and other activities within the same expeditions should be considered positively for mutual benefits, as often done in the past expeditions.The MERGE umbrella respects priorities of achievements by original EoI-based groups; however MERGE also aims at yielding syntheses from the three selected themes. That is, the MERGE umbrella does not necessarily take a top-down approach but a bottom-up approach, and each bottom-up achievement comprises part of a holistic view. As a result, MERGE will submit a few holistic conclusions to IPY after major activities have finished.

2.2 What will be the significant advances/developments from this activity? What will be the major deliverables? What are the outputs for your peers?
Exploration of new biotopes will be one result of MERGE activities by accessing under-studied polar regions and if the traverses of the continent would include sampling of remote nunataks. Phylogeographic analyses of isolated organisms and environmental DNA sequences will help understanding inter-relationships of geographical separation and species separation (i.e., speciation or micro-evolution), which should be highly contrasted between north and south polar regions. In order to consider micro-evolutions in terms of bipolarism and extremophilism, these regions are contrasted with other moderate and extreme environments such as deep-sea, volcanoes, salterns, etc. Antarctic cold dry terrains are in particular regarded as Martian analogues and often contrasted with hot deserts. The microbes living there may provide genomic evolutions and phenotypic adaptations related to high/low temperatures and/or water activity, for example. More direct evidence of genomic evolutions may come from comparison of modern and ancient members of the same species. A Russian and Japanese collaboration has already resulted in isolation and molecular identification of Bacillus species revived from >200,000-year-old glacier. Whole genome analyses of these organisms with modern relatives such as B. lichenformis will clarify genomic evolutions during the >200,000 years. There are only few environmental samples that have “time stamps”; glaciers and salt rocks are such, and we have already initiated the comparison with microbes revived from old rock salts. The salt rock microbes were closely related to the ones from hot deserts. Antarctic counterparts, Prince Charles Mountains and Dry Valleys may provide field sites to study freeze-dried microbes, in contrast to heat-dried ones. One component of MERGE, a detailed study of the biota of the Prince Charles Mountains, which is one of the few areas of Antarctic that has been ice-free for millions of years, will not only provide important samples for studies of autotrophic and heterotrophic bacterial biodiversity and biogeography, but will also investigate the role of continental refugia in influencing the development of the Antarctic biota. In particular, as assessment will be made of localised speciation within the rotifers, nematodes, tardigrades and mites that inhabit isolated ice-free massifs in this range. Evolution of ecosystems is a relatively new idea, and should be clearly distinguished from mere “ecological succession”. This can be done by detailed analyses of biochemical markers, fossil diatom frustules and other records in sediment cores from lakes in association with palaeoclimate records such as isotopic signatures in ice cores. This approach has been proven useful to reconstruct past environmental change, and provides key baseline information about the effect of past climate changes on polar ecosystems.Deglaciation would stimulate resuscitation of glacier-packed microbes and also influence geochemical cycling, mediated by relevant microbes. For example, pedogenesis (soil formation) and melting of permafrost soils are likely to trigger emission of greenhouse gasses N2O and methane by denitrifying and methanogenic prokaryotes, respectively. Possible habitats for such microbes prior to deglaciation may include those described in Theme 3, particularly cryoconite holes, which effectively represent biogeochemical “hot spots” upon glaciers that may be readily redistributed following melt. This work will therefore characterise the key linkages between glacial and ice-marginal habitiats, giving emphasis to the role of the former as a possible refuge during cold intervals and a source of innoculi during warm periods. In summary, MERGE works as a data-producing factory: data from genetic (DNA) to limnological and glaciological scales. Moreover, MERGE will yield material outcomes such as environmental DNA, viz. meta-genomic, libraries, and microbial strains from extreme environments, in addition to intellectual outputs (archivable datasets). MERGE also foresees contributions to human welfare via microbiological and molecular biological studies, which will further facilitates policy-making and decisions for near-future polar programs.

2.3 Outline the geographical location(s) for the proposed field work (approximate coordinates will be helpful if possible)

2.4 Define the approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities?

2.5 What major logistic support/facilities will be required for this project?
Icebreaker
Existing field stations
Snow terrain vehicles
Fixed wing transport aircraft
Observatories
Fuel depots
Helicopters

Further details – We would like to take advantage of the big traverses and ask the participating scientists to take samples for us. We will discuss the sampling protocols with them. Positioning of fuel in the southern Prince Charles Mountains in 2006-7 to support a season of helicopter activities (in conjunction with EoI 384 - GIGAGAP) in 2007-8.

2.6 How will the required logistics be supplied? Have operators been approached?

2.7 If working in the Arctic regions, has there been contact with local indigenous groups or relevant authorities regarding access?

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3.0 STRUCTURE OF THE ACTIVITY

3.1 Origin of the activity
This is a new activity developed for the IPY period

3.2 How will the activity be organised and managed? Describe the proposed management structure and means for coordinating across the cluster
MERGE consists of 11 EoIs relevant to microbiology and biogeochemistry having sharable scientific goals and methodologies. MERGE serves as an “umbrella” to link the EoI-based groups with three focused themes as shown in the section 2.0. MERGE is a bottom-up consortium, where scientific goals will be achieved by independent or interdependent activities of EoI-based groups that are led by each former major proponent. However, sub-programs are now not independent anymore, but interdisciplinary and interdependent in sharing data, samples, expeditions, logistics and channels/windows for education/outreach/communication (EOC). To formalise the interactions and make them more efficient, we propose a Steering Committee including all leaders of former EoIs. In order to speed the communication in transversal activities such as “Data management”, “Education”, “Outreach”, one person per EoI will be selected as responsible for the coordination of these tasks. Other such cross-team committees might be created following identification of needs (e.g. ‘Industrial exploitation’ or ‘Methodologies’)
The original-EoI-based groups of MERGE will seek their own funding sources (mainly national), and we will also apply for a few big funds to cover all or most of MERGE activities. One MERGE group may participate in or be associated with more than one theme, if necessary and available. Again, the main role of MERGE is to provide a base for interdisciplinary and interdependent collaborations to increase chances for more data, samples, expeditions, logistics, EOC channels/windows, and so on.
The MERGE members have an established forum based on face-to-face meetings, phone calls, and e-mail discussions so often in a “reply-to-all” manner. These communications have worked successfully, and we are confident that MERGE will be well managed, further developed, and successfully realized internationally and interdisciplinarily as a part of IPY activities.
On the other hand, each original-EoI-based group is and will be managed by its respective manager; however, each sub-program should be responsible for developing internal collaboration and organization to be brought to whole MERGE discussion. In funding proposals, attention will be given to travel funds to enable meetings of MERGE partners. Before and during the project, international meetings such as International Conference on Alpine and Polar Microbiology (March 27-30, 2006, Innsbruck, Austria) will be used as opportunities for the respective managers and MERGE partners to gather and prepare the coordinated activities. Special sessions on MERGE topics will be proposed when possible during these international meetings.
We are very keen about EOC. Each group may develop is own EOC activity such as set-up of a web site, and we will also set up a common MERGE web site for our e-forum purpose as well as a communication channel with general public.
Finally, but importantly, the Activity Leader and colleagues from Egypt, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam have been well acquainted and constructed trusting relationships; and, the MERGE members are willing to utilize any occasions to have direct face-to-face talks, if necessary and possible.

3.3 Will the activity leave a legacy of infrastructure and if so in what form?
Yes. MERGE will leave not an instrumental or structural legacy but an bio-intellectual and bio-material legacy of:
- Collection of isolated microbial strains in live and preserved forms
- Bulk DNA extracted from a wide range of polar habitats
- PCR-based clone libraries (e.g., of 16S rRNA genes) from the above-mentioned bulk DNA
- Meta-genomic libraries based on the above-mentioned bulk DNA. MERGE also will try to leave a more permanent trace. One outcome will be the assessment of the ‘microbial interest’ of biotopes, and could result in the definition of ‘permanent quadrants’ and ‘microbial observatories’. ‘Permanent quadrants’ would be light infrastructures marking permanently an area that could be regularly and easily sampled, for example, at the frontier between two biotopes (ice-rock, water-mosses…). The studies would include diversity and functional aspects, to evaluate changes. ‘Microbial observatories’ would be Sites of Special Microbial Interest, deserving more interdisciplinary studies in the future.

3.4 Will the activity involve nations other than traditional polar nations? How will this be addressed?
Yes. Some of the MERGE-member nations have little or no tradition in polar activities, though some members do have enough experiences. It may be difficult to know from other sections, e.g., 2.0 and 4.2, but Theme 1 hosts participation of Egypt, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam. The Activity Leader has already good contacts with the members from these relatively new face countries. Other themes consist mainly of experienced nations. As pre-IPY activities, workshops, symposia and/or training courses will be planned to strengthen the ties between MERGE-members and partners, as well as share expertise. As during- and post-IPY activities, the use of dedicated laboratories and facilities such as cold rooms and cryo-stage microscopes will be offered to the members from non-traditional as well as traditional countries.

3.5 Will this activity be linked with other IPY core activities? If yes please specify
Yes. MERGE has already initiated communication and will develop more interactions with:
- Polar aquatic microbial ecosystems (PAME, EoI 565, led by Prof. Gunnar Bratbak)
- Subglacial Antarctic lake environments (SALE-UNITED, EoI 876, led by Prof. Mahlon M. C. Kennicutt II).
- Circumpolar Freshwater Lake Research and Data Management Network (Circumpolar Lakes 4 Future, EoI 539, led by Prof Kirsten Christoffersen)
- Evolution and Biodiversity in the Antarctic: the Response of Life to Change (EBA, EoI 577, led by Prof Guido di Prisco)
- New Zealand's Latitudinal Gradient Project in the Ross Sea Sector (NZ-LGP, led by Dr. Clive Howard Williams)

3.6 How will the activity manage its data? Is there a viable plan and which data management organisations/structures will be involved?
All data will be collected, processed and validated by the respective original-EoI-based groups. Some data will be produced in laboratories by post-field analyses, and samples for that purpose will be stored primarily by corresponding groups. To secure enough time for adequate validation, the groups might keep their experimental data for a maximum of two years; thereafter, samples and data should be fully available. This kind of policy on sample/data management has been taken in well-established international programs such as Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP).

A template of data management may be taken from the Australian Antarctic Data Centre. Data management will also be in accordance with the operating data management systems of the participating institutes, e.g., National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR), Tokyo, Japan. Processed data will be made available to IPY, MERGE-dedicated (planned), and/or other databases as required.
Qualitative data (images, descriptions) will be stored electronically, listed in a www-searchable database and made available on request, as described in the section 3.9 regarding the education, outreach and communication (EOC) issues.
The biological materials such as isolated microbial strains, extracted DNA and metazoan samples will be deposited in dedicated international depositary authorities, such as International Patent Organism Depositary (IPOD, Japan) and National Institute of Technology and Evaluation’s Biological Resource Center (NITE-BRC, Japan), that are stipulated by the Budapest Treaty. The genetic data will be deposited in dedicated international authorities, such as DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ), an NIPR’s sister institute.
The above-mentioned facilities are Japan-based but internationally accessible, and some members of MERGE have direct or close relationships to those facilities. In other cases, MERGE members may chose different repositories (e.g. national culture collections) if they conform to international standards (e.g ISO 9001/2000) and are recognised by the Budapest Treaty.
We will ensure that our biodiversity data will also be amenable to inclusion in the databases of GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
We are also aware that some proposed IPY EoI activities target at data management as self-characterized in the section 1.9, and it should be possible for IPY to make “matching” of activities having different targets. This possible “matchmaker” role of IPY is also discussed in the section 3.9 regarding the EOC issues.
We will ensure that our biodiversity data will also be amenable to inclusion in the databases of GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

3.7 Data Policy Agreement
Will this activity sign up to the IPY draft Data Policy (see website)
Yes

3.8 How will the activity contribute to developing the next generation of polar scientists, logisticians, etc.?
MERGE thinks much of commitment to education, particularly universities’ undergraduate and post-graduate training. This educational effort will increase interests and researchers in polar sciences and expeditions, and thus stimulates more policy decisions on polar programs. MERGE EOC will help to increase this stimulation. Each partner will enroll undergraduate and PhD students, who will get a chance to be involved in polar research. Participation to a international, multidisciplinary, and bipolar project should be highly motivating for young scientists and logisticians.

MERGE has direct relevance to global change issues, and thus has impetus to push more research activities. Thanks to EOC (see 3.9), it will increase the awareness of future polar actors about the importance of these unique and fragile regions, and the interest to study them.

As stated in the section 2.2, MERGE also foresees contributions to human welfare via microbiological and molecular biological studies, which will further facilitates policy-making and decisions for near-future polar programs.

3.9 How will this activity address education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
For higher education, MERGE’s member universities will take MERGE-related activities into bachelor, masters, doctoral and post-doctoral training, and encourage students and fellows to get involved in MERGE. It should be noted that National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) of Japan is a part of The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, which is the first institution in Japan to consist exclusively of graduate programs and was established in 1988. The University of Tasmania, base of work in the Prince Charles Mountains, is also the home of the planned International Antarctic Institute. If possible, exchange of young scientists between laboratories will be carried out. We will try to set up a Mobility and Training Network under the European Commission Marie Curie programme.

For general education, outreach and communication (EOC), the first step of MERGE will be “piggyback” on some existing web sites on Polar activities such as NIPR’s Welcome to JARE (Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition) and Kids’ JARE; both sites are currently available only in Japanese language and dedicated only to Antarctic activities by Japanese communities. MERGE will ask NIPR to set up web sites in multi-languages, i.e., English and other languages, and to cover both Arctic and Antarctic regions. In addition, we will build on our established links with the Canada-based, international program ArcticNet and its communication and outreach activities for polar research such as ‘Schools on Board’. Each partner will maximize use of their established outreach and media links in multiple languages (e.g., outreach to Spanish media via El Pais and other outlets).

MERGE may also set up a dedicated web site in collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organizations such as Earth Watch Institute, International Polar Foundation (IPF), etc. In either case (piggyback or dedicated), a MERGE web site will serve as a gateway for general public including young generations to increase their awareness of Polar and Global environments; it will serve as well as a forum for MERGE members and partners to discuss incoming schedules and obtained outcomes, deposit data to share, offer/request laboratory uses, etc.

The project's EOC strategy would involve development of a suite of high-quality contemporary communications products targeting key audiences including: current and emerging research scientists, decision-makers, media, the general public and school communities. In particular, the strategy would involve attractive visual materials - carefully developed to interest and educate youth as well as wider audiences - which will convey the significance of the project's findings to the general public. We would seek financial supports to support this strategy.

We are aware that some EOC-focused EoI activities have been proposed to IPY, and we will seek collaboration with such activities. We expect also that these IPY clusters will need a supply of information and ideas from us. In addition, it should be an idea that IPY takes an active role as a “matchmaker” for co-workable science- and EOC-targeted activities. The section 1.9 characterizes the target (science, EOC, data management, or legacy) of each activity, and it should be possible to make cross-team activities over a range of different targets.

3.10 What are the proposed sources of funding for this activity?
A combination of “big” and “small” grants will be searched by all partners for the MERGE project. This multiplicity of funding sources and a minimum redundancy between partners’ expertise should ensure that the tasks defined in the Science programme will be carried out. Following is a list of grant-seeking opportunities that we will apply for:- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, JSPS). Submission deadline, September to October 2005- International Cooperative Research Project (ICORP; Japan Science and Technology Agency, JST). Submission deadline, to be announced (TBA).- International Joint Research Grant (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization, NEDO). Submission deadline, TBA.- The Belgian partners will send scientific proposals in answer to the calls for proposals of BELSPO (calls involving Antarctic research in 2005 and 2006, possibly a dedicated call for IPY, and a call in 2007 for the new Belgian base).
- In case that the FP7 of the European Communities would issue a call where our consortium could make a bid, we will try this.
- Malaysian members will seek funds from Malaysian Antarctic Research Programme (MARP).
- Applications for funding for work in the Prince Charles Mountains will be made to the Australian Research Council and the Australian Antarctic Grants Scheme.
-Canadian members are seeking partial support from the network of Centres of Excellence program ArcticNet, and operating funds from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canada Research Chair program, Fonds québécois de recherche sur la nature et les technologies and Indian and Northern Affairs, Canada. Logistic support will be sought from Polar Continental Shelf Project, Centre d’Études Nordiques, ArcticNet, and the Canadian Coast Guard. Pre-IPY ramp-up activities are planned for 2006 in the Arctic.
- Spanish members will seek funding through the research program LIMNOPOLAR from Ministerio de Educaciòn y Ciencia, including logistic support. Some funding is already secured via the program ECOSENSOR (BBVA Funding Program).
- UK researchers will seek funds from NERC and the Leverhulme Trust.
- US NSF Arctic Science Section is considered as a possible founder for Arctic activities.
- In Argentina, a call for IPY projects will be issued.
- In case that the FP7 of the European Communities would issue a call where our consortium could make a bid, we will try this.
- For preparatory workshops and workshops during the IPY, we will look for extra funding from sources like ESF, OECD, NATO, EC, etc.

3.11 Additional Comments
MERGE members represent 81 scientists from 22 countries; Russia, Spain, UK, USA and Vietnam should be added to the section 1.5. The section 2.3 (proposed filed activity sites) should also include [we have precise or approximate coordinates]:- Vestfold Hills- Livingston Island (Byers Peninsula)- Deception Island
- Utsteinen Nunatak, Belgian Station (from the 2008-2009 season)- Midre Lovenbreen, Ny Ålesund, Svalbard - Austre Brøggerbreen, Ny Ålesund, Svalbard- Hornsund, Svalbard- Toolik Field Station, Alaska- Thule, Greenland- Northern Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic- ArcticNet/Northern RiSCC Transect in the Canadian Arctic with complementary studies in western Greenland- Collaboration with the big traverses of the continent will be seeked for sampling of remote biotopes Collaborations are expected to take place on all levels and along all axes, i.e., individuals, original EoIs, within and between themes, national, bilateral, multilateral, science and technology, fieldworks and logistics, infrastructures, EOC, etc. We are nevertheless open for collaborations with individuals and teams participating in other IPY activities.

We are aware of the questions raised by the commercial exploitation of microbial resources as explained during the workshop ‘Bioprospecting in Antarctica’ (April 2003, New Zealand) and will follow the rules and conventions concerning this issue. We also have been considering this issue seriously in any occasions. An example is an inventory effort on current status of industrial uses and industry-oriented collections of Arctic/Antarctic microorganisms, whose report will be publicized shortly by New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), Japan.

In the Arctic, care will be taken to involve the indigenous people, and contacts with ArcticNet will be helpful in this respect..
Detailed commitment to research, logistic and administrative tasks can not be planned before funding for each partner is secured.

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4.0 CONSORTIUM INFORMATION

4.1 Contact Details

Lead Contact
Dr Takeshi Naganuma
Hiroshima University
Graduate School of Biosphere Science 1-4-4 Kagamiyama Higashi-hiroshima
739-8528
Japan

Tel:          -8411
Mobile:   -5783
Fax:         -8341
Email:       takn@hiroshima-u.ac.jp

Second Contact
Dr Annick Wilmotte
University of Liege
Centre for Protein Engineering Institute of Chemistry B6 Liège
4000
Belgium

Tel:          -432
Mobile:   N/A
Fax:         -435
Email:      awilmotte@ulg.ac.be

4.2 Other significant consortium members and their affiliation