CAREER: Host-Endosymbiont Co-evolution and Host Speciation: Wolbachia pipientis and Drosophila simulans

职业：宿主-内共生体共同进化和宿主物种形成：Wolbachia pipientis 和 Drosophila simulans

• 批准号: 9702824
• 负责人: J. William O. Ballard
• 金额: $ 35万
• 依托单位: Field Museum of Natural History
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1997
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1997-09-01 至 2001-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9702824&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: CAREER; Host; Endosymbiont; Co; evolution

9702824 Ballard The aim of this innovative CAREER proposal is to integrate Dr. Ballard's research with a three-phase education, curation and study program that targets young women and minority groups from Chicago's inner city. The research is aimed at testing a central prediction of co-evolutionary theory that the interaction of a host and an endosymbiont should evolve from disease toward symbiosis. Specifically, the research will investigate ways in which naturally occurring Wolbachia pipientis, an alpha proteobacteria, influences genetic divergence in common Drosophila simulans fruit flies. Wolbachia typically causes a reduction in gene flow between uninfected females and infected males and among individuals infected with different strains of Wolbachia. The education program will build students' knowledge and interest in environmental biology and will culminate in students and teachers conducting a small project directly related to Dr. Ballard's research. In phase I, 7th and 8th grade students will be introduced--through a series of lectures, exhibit tours and a "behind-the-scenes" excursion--to The Field Museum. In phase II, teachers and students will be involved in discussions where they will learn about biodiversity and the role of museum collections. They will also participate in the construction of a species-level insect database, a priority of the research staff in The Field Museum's Division of Insects. In phase III, a subset of students/teachers will conduct a supervised study that investigates a specific aspect of co-evolution that directly contributes to Ballard's research. The three phase program will build self-confidence and will foster interest in science careers by providing direct and frequent interaction with research scientists.

9702824巴拉德这一创新的职业生涯建议的目的是整合巴拉德博士的研究与三个阶段的教育，策展和研究计划，针对年轻女性和少数群体从芝加哥的内城。 这项研究旨在验证共同进化理论的一个核心预测，即宿主和内共生体的相互作用应该从疾病发展到共生。 具体来说，该研究将调查自然发生的Wolbachia pipientis（一种α变形菌）影响普通果蝇遗传分化的方式。 沃尔巴克氏体通常会导致未感染女性和感染男性之间以及感染不同沃尔巴克氏体菌株的个体之间的基因流动减少。 该教育计划将建立学生对环境生物学的知识和兴趣，并将在学生和教师进行一个与巴拉德博士的研究直接相关的小项目中达到高潮。 在第一阶段，七年级和八年级的学生将通过一系列讲座、图尔斯参观和“幕后”游览被介绍到菲尔德博物馆。 在第二阶段，教师和学生将参与讨论，他们将了解生物多样性和博物馆收藏品的作用。 他们还将参与物种级昆虫数据库的建设，这是菲尔德博物馆昆虫部门研究人员的优先事项。 在第三阶段，一部分学生/教师将进行监督研究，调查共同进化的一个具体方面，直接有助于巴拉德的研究。 三个阶段的计划将建立自信，并通过提供与研究科学家的直接和频繁的互动来培养对科学事业的兴趣。