The prestigious CAREER Awards are presented nationwide to junior faculty who “exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research within the context of the mission of their organizations,” according to the NSF website.

A highly competitive grant award designed to establish a “lifetime of leadership in integrating education and research,” the CAREER Award is considered a clear indication of achievement. A number of UNLV faculty have received this prestigious award through the years; here is the story of one of them.

Brian Hedlund, Life Sciences

Boiling and near-boiling hot springs in northern Nevada – or, more specifically, the tiny creatures that thrive within them – are the focus of Brian Hedlund’s NSF CAREER Award project.

Hedlund is especially interested in determining how creatures in the hot springs can exist at temperatures above the upper temperature limit of photosynthesis – 163° Fahrenheit (73°C). They don’t rely on photosynthesis as a source of energy, as do virtually all creatures on Earth. Most organisms survive through photosynthesis either directly, as plants do, or indirectly, as animals do by ingesting plants.

In the absence of photosynthesis, some microorganisms, such as those in the hot springs, obtain energy by metabolizing chemical compounds humans consider foreign or toxic. For example, many microorganisms can eat chemical compounds such as hydrogen gas, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, or certain forms of metals, such as arsenic. In turn, they can “breathe” chemical compounds other than oxygen, such as salts like nitrate and sulfate, or gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. These are the unusual organisms Hedlund studies in northern Nevada hot springs.

What is the impact of this research?

Not only does Hedlund’s research tell us about these creatures, but it also expands knowledge of the diversity of life on Earth and strengthens understanding of the fundamentals of life.

It also may lead to important medical discoveries. Hedlund is working closely with private-sector partners to explore the possibilities.

“My closest partner is Lucigen Corp., a mid-sized company in suburban Madison, Wisconsin. We work together on a variety of projects, and I’m very optimistic that our research will lead to important products.”

For example, Lucigen discovered an enzyme from a hot spring virus from Yellowstone National Park that may reduce the cost and increase the speed of diagnosis of certain viral diseases, such as flu, hepatitis, and AIDS. “There are some imperfections with that enzyme, so I’m helping them search for similar enzymes that might work better,” Hedlund says. “We recently discovered many candidates in some hot springs in Nevada, and they are now being screened.”

Another tangible impact: Hedlund has brought in more than $6 million in grant funding since he arrived at UNLV, mostly from NSF, NASA, and the Department of Energy. His largest project is the Tengchong Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) project, which is a $3.75 million grant from NSF. The Tengchong PIRE project funds a team of researchers at eight U.S. universities and six partner institutions in China. (The Chinese institutions are funded by their own government, so the actual amount of funding is significantly more than $3.75 million.) This five-year project involves study of the microbiology of the largest geothermal field in China.

“We hope to integrate what we learn with what we know about U.S. hot springs to develop a more universal understanding of life at high temperatures,” he says.

How did he become interested in this area of study?

“I’ve been interested in science since I was a child,” Hedlund says. “In fact, my parents claim my first word was ‘outside.’ According to them, I used to stand at the back door and beg my parents to go outside so I could play with insects.” His interest grew through the years and inspired him to become a biology major. “What I learned in microbiology class about the diversity, abundance, and importance of microorganisms blew my mind and dramatically restructured my understanding of life,” he says. “I continue to be humbled by the microbial world, and I feel very lucky that I get paid to study microbiology and to teach UNLV students what I learn.”

How are students involved?

Hedlund has had approximately 30 undergraduates, several graduate students, and two postdoctoral fellows participate in his NSF CAREER Award project over the years. “It’s hard to express how thankful I am to have worked with so many talented and dedicated people,” he says. “These people have been incredibly productive. For example, more than 75 percent of the undergraduates have applied successfully for their own research fellowships and almost all have presented their research in at least one scientific meeting. More than 25 percent of the undergraduates have published research papers with me in peer-reviewed journals. A few superstar undergraduates have published several papers.”

What other areas does he study?

“Virtually all of my research focuses on some aspect of hot spring microbiology,” Hedlund says. “I’m very interested in how high temperature affects ecology, but the lab is also making great progress on the study of major new groups of bacteria and archaea that are completely new to science. About 50 percent of the microorganisms in the Great Boiling Spring, which is a major study site near Gerlach, Nevada, represent a phylum or class that has never been studied in the laboratory. These microorganisms are so different from anything known that we’ve started to use the term ‘biological dark matter’ to describe them.”

How does he feel about receiving the NSF Career Award?

“The Career Award is a great honor,” Hedlund says. “I feel very lucky to have received the award, and I’m extremely thankful to those who have supported me and my work over the years, particularly my lab team, my colleagues, and my family. I feel a strong sense of duty to make NSF’s investment worthwhile. I try to do research that significantly impacts our understanding of life, and I work hard to contribute to our economy and inspire young people to live productive and exciting lives.”