OBSERVATIONAL EXPERIMENTS OF PBAP-IN AT MINAS GERAIS AND PARANÁ STATES

• Grant number: 24/06865-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate (Direct)
• Effective date (Start): June 20, 2024
• Effective date (End): October 10, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology - Applied Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Fábio Luiz Teixeira Gonçalves
• Grantee: Lara Chaves Carvalho Guerra
• Supervisor: Tina Santl-Temkiv
• Host Institution: Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas (IAG). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Aarhus University, Denmark
• Associated to the scholarship: 20/04137-4 - Observational experiments of PBAP-IN at Minas Gerais and Paraná States, BP.DD

Abstract

Primary Biological Aerosol Particles (PBAPs) are airborne solid and insoluble particles originate from living organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and pollen. They can impact directly and indirectly on Earth's climate as well as on human and animal health. The concentrations of PBAPs exhibit significant spatial and temporal variations based on factors such as altitude, region, and meteorology. These aerosols can function as ice nuclei, facilitating ice formation even at temperatures as high as -2 °C. The ice nucleation (IN) activity of plant-associated microorganisms has the potential to enhance precipitation, subsequently affecting the growth of microbes and plants. Furthermore, these bio-aerosols can serve as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) by initiating droplet formation. Consequently, plant-associated microorganisms, including Pseudomonas syringae and Bacillus subtilis, may significantly contribute to the processes involved in cloud droplet, ice, and rain formation. In this internship project, we aimed to assist in laboratory and field studies conducted by of the Aeromicrobiology Group, to enrich the results of this research outcomes by identifying the microorganisms responsible for ice nucleation activity, quantifying ice nucleating particles in the samples, conducting bioinformatic analysis, and assisting in the completion of two research papers, in collaboration with Tina Santl-Temkiv. The sampling sites were located in rural areas of the southern region of Minas Gerais and southwest of Paraná. These areas are situated within the Atlantic Forest Biome in Brazil, known for its agricultural activity. We collected leaf samples from various cultivars, including coffee, maize, invasive grasses, wheat, soy, mate, and forest foliage. To identify the microorganisms associated with the leaves, we will perform DNA extraction and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Additionally, we conducted droplet freezing experiments to quantify the ice nucleating particles present in both course and interstitial samples. To complete our findings, we performed bioinformatic analyses using RStudio 4.1.0. This research is a precursor in assessing the IN activity of air samples collected from a tropical environment. It contributes to deeper comprehension of the intricacies of this environment and its dynamic interactions with microorganisms. Tina's expertise will be indispensable for completing the laboratory simulations and enhancing molecular studies and sequencing of samples collected throughout the project. In addition, this presents a remarkable opportunity to engage in the group's research, glean insights from leading-edge researchers, and apply acquired knowledge and skills to both my ongoing research and an upcoming project at the University of São Paulo. Furthermore, the insights gained will be utilized as input data for numerical modelling in cloud physics by other students of our ongoing project.