Preface 



The Department of Energy has accelerated integration of 

 molecular biology into its current programs in ecosystems research, 

 in order to better detect, understand, and predict the responses of 

 ecosystems to environmental changes. This effort is not predicated 

 on simply finding uses for the remarkable new tools of molecular 

 biology. Rather, the effort will focus on the stated goals and 

 objectives of existing programs, using molecular biology to 

 facilitate and enhance the research. 



In FY 1993, the Environmental Sciences Division of the Office 

 of Health and Environmental Research (OHER) will enhance molecular 

 biology research in three of its fundamental, interdisciplinary 

 programs, Ecosystems Research, Ocean Margins, and Subsurface 

 Science. Emphasis will be given to molecular biological methods as 

 one of a suite of approaches that are appropriate for 

 multidisciplinary research; techniques development will receive 

 less attention than new applications of promising techniques. 

 Specifically, the Ocean Margins Program will focus on the carbon 

 cycle, the Subsurface Science Program will investigate the origins 

 of microorganisms in the deep subsurface, and the Program for 

 Ecosystems Research will focus on organismic and ecosystem 

 adjustments of plants and soil microbiota during environmental 

 changes. These three areas of research focus will add exciting new 

 dimensions to our understanding of microbial origins and of 

 microbial and plant function in natural terrestrial and aquatic 

 habitats. They will also contribute to our understanding of how 

 habitats are affected by energy exploration and use and help 

 provide predictive and ameliorative capabilities in ecosystem 

 management. 



The following report, Molecular Approaches to Ecosystems 

 Research (MAESR) , represents a first step in the development of an 

 ecological research program that fully integrates molecular 

 biological methods and approaches. In the next few years, 

 molecular biology will assume an even more prominent role in 

 ecosystems research. 



I wish to take this opportunity to thank Dr. Paul Falkowski 

 for organizing and chairing the workshop that lead to the MAESR 

 report. I am also grateful to Dr. Falkowski and his colleagues at 

 Brookhaven National Laboratory for creatively weaving the ideas and 

 working group reports that came out of the workshop into this 

 excellent report on the future use of molecular biology in 

 ecosystems research. 



David J. Galas 



Associate Director for Health and 



Environmental Research, Office of 



Energy Research 



