What is the role of nematode in the Vietnamese female doctor who spent a decade decoding?

Spending 10 years collecting specimens, research on nematodes by Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Duong and her colleagues has been published in the prestigious Nature Magazine.

Although small, nematodes are a very important part of the terrestrial or underwater biosphere. This is the richest animal on Earth but how rich it is that no one really knows exactly.Nguyen Thi Anh Duong and a group of researchers from around the world spent a decade decoding the mysterious population of this creature.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Duong is the co-author of the largest study ever so far on the coincidence route.

Nearly 7,000 acres of land from every corner of the planet

To carry out the study, the team of scientists took 6,759 acres of land representing all continents with 73 different climatic and microclimate regions. Soil samples were taken at a depth of 15cm below the surface, the most biologically active and concentrated nematode density.

The collected specimen was observed through a modern microscope to analyze the density of each nematode, thereby creating a global scale database. Statistical software is used to determine the richness and diversity of each nematode type, indicating the relevance to climatic conditions, soil and vegetation at each sample site.

Close-up nematodes under the scanning electron microscope (SEM).Species include: Ảnh A, Tricironema tamdaoensis;Photo B: Acrobeloides topali.(Photo C: Acrobeloides topali).

From a small soil sample representing each region and climate, the modeling team predicted the nematode population for each square kilometer, creating the first map with high resolution and deep detail. for the world about the density of nematodes in the soil and their roles and functions.

The results of the study showed a completely different view of nematode populations, giving numbers that no one had ever known before. Specifically, nematodes are concentrated in high latitudes: 38.7% exist in northern temperate forests and tundra throughout North America, Scandinavia or Russia; 24.5% in temperate regions or lower latitudes; and only 20.5% in tropical and subtropical regions like in Vietnam.

Nematode density per 100 grams of soil distributed throughout the world.The purple-black color shows that about 100 individuals in 100 grams of sample soil were collected, while the brightest yellow color corresponds to more than 19,000 individuals in that soil unit.

The study also showed that the total number of nematodes on the planet is about 4.4 ± 0.64 × 10 ^ 20 individuals and total biomass reaches about 300 million tons - equivalent to 80% of the total weight of 7, 7 billion people, in other words, reach about 80% of the world's human population.

Biome population below every human footstep

Filling all the food chains from the shore to the water, nematodes are an indispensable part of the global ecosystem; nematodes eat bacteria, fungi, plants and other soil organisms and release mineralized materials, participate in soil carbon circulation.

This activity helps the soil to improve and create minerals, carbon also helps plants grow. Nematodes are usually more active when temperatures rise, so the nematode population in the Arctic and subarctic regions is used as a tool to assess and show climate sensitivity when temperature is of the warming area.

Nematodes play a role in the ecosystem's food chain, their absence will have huge consequences for the planet's ecosystem.

'This is the first study to have the most detailed and in-depth assessment of the role and function of this small and sensitive group of animals. Ecology mostly studies and focuses on 'seeing' parts: large plants and animals such as deer, reptiles, frogs, etc. that often overlook huge diversity and The importance of small organisms that are invisible to the naked eye often lives in the soil, but here for example nematodes.

Discover nematodes like opening a vast world hidden right at the feet that we almost never know. So our study basically helps us to change people's understanding of them, the distribution of nematode groups and their function in ecology, 'said Dr. Anh Duong.

The location of the collected soil samples for research.

Sharing more about the study, Dr. Anh Duong said her group took 100 grams of soil, concentrating on 15 cm of depth below the surface because it is the most crowded nematode area and also the active area. most of this species. From nearly 7,000 acres of collected land, small populations of organisms have appeared in front of people in a closer way than ever.

Tiny animals predict climate change

The nematode participates in soil carbon circulation. Meanwhile, to understand the climate and forecast climate change, we also need knowledge of the global carbon cycle and nutrition chain. Indirectly, this study is predictable about the planet's climate.

'To predict climate change, we have a lot of knowledge about the planet's chemistry and chemistry, but we know very little about organisms that control this process in terms of biology. Clearly these little creatures not only play a role in chaining in the food chain but also 'take control' of our planet's climate through carbon metabolism.

Our research will help scientists make better predictions about the carbon cycle by developing models that reflect the effects of soil organisms, especially nematode groups. It will also allow land managers to make the right decisions in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change by identifying the types of land that need to be rehabilitated , 'said Dr Anh Duong. .

This study is co-implemented by 70 leading scientists in the field of microscopic studies from 57 laboratories around the world. This is one of the most extensive scientific database ever and is the most complete data set in the history of coincidence.

Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Duong (second from right) received the 2017 Golden Globe Youth Science and Technology Award (Photo: VNU).

Dr. Nguyen Thi Anh Duong, born in 1983, in Hanoi. In 2007, TS. Nguyen Thi Anh Duong graduated valedictorian at the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences University of Natural Sciences, VNU-HCM. Ho Chi Minh.

In 2009, Dr. Duong won the Erasmus Mundus full scholarship of the EU valued at 48,000 euros / 2 years of study in 4 Belgium, Germany, Spain and Portugal. After the term of the scholarship, Anh Duong completed her graduation with an excellent grade.

In 2013, she received a full scholarship DAAD from the German government for her fellowship at the University of Cologne, majoring in Biology, gaining the highest thesis defense.

In May 2017, Anh Duong returned to Vietnam and continued to work at the Department of Nematology Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology so far.

In December 2017, TS Duong received the Golden Globe Award in 2017 for young people with outstanding achievements in scientific research by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Central Union for environmental technology.

Currently, TS. Nguyen Thi Anh Duong is the author and co-author of nearly 30 prestigious international scientific papers, announcing 15 new species for science.