2010/11 VMS Geonomics sampling - data collected from the VMS (Voyage Marine Science) voyage of the Aurora Australis

Purpose of future metagenomic (DNA), metaproteomic (protein) and metatranscriptomic (RNA) analysis:

For each sample, two drums (~200L each) of seawater were collected. Samples were taken from CTD sites, and surface samples (2m depth) taken at each of these sites. At most of these CTD sites, a deeper sample was taken according to the location of the DCM at that site. The 200L seawater is pumped through a 20 micron mesh to remove the largest particles, then the biomass is collected on three consecutive filters corresponding to decreasing pore size (3.0 microns, 0.8 microns, 0.1 microns). This is repeated for each sample using the second 200L of seawater to generate duplicates for each sample. The overall aim is to determine the identity of microbes present in the Southern Ocean, and what microbial metabolic processes are in operation. In other words: who is there, and what they are doing. Special emphasis was placed on the SR3 transect.
Samples were collected as below. For each sample, a total of six filters were obtained (3x pore sizes, 2x replicates). Each filter is stored in a storage buffer in a 50mL tube, and placed at -80 degrees C for the remainder of the voyage.

未来宏基因组（metagenomic）、宏蛋白质组（metaproteomic）及宏转录组（metatranscriptomic）分析的研究目标：
针对每个样本，采集两桶（每桶约200升）海水。样本取自CTD（Conductivity Temperature Depth，温盐深剖面仪）测站，每个测站均采集水深2米的表层海水样本。在多数此类CTD测站中，还会根据该测站处的DCM（Deep Chlorophyll Maximum，深部叶绿素最大值层）位置采集深层海水样本。将200升海水经20微米滤网过滤以去除大粒径颗粒物，随后通过孔径依次递减的三层滤膜（3.0微米、0.8微米、0.1微米）收集生物量。针对每个样本，使用第二桶200升海水重复上述操作，以制备该样本的平行重复样品。
本研究的总体目标为明确南大洋中存在的微生物种类及其活跃的代谢过程，简言之即：厘清群落中的物种组成与代谢活性。本研究特别关注SR3断面。
样本采集流程如下：针对每个样本，共计获得6层滤膜（3种孔径×2次重复）。每片滤膜均置于装有保存缓冲液的50毫升离心管中，并在科考航行剩余时段内保存于-80℃环境中。