International Research Fellowship Program: Phylogenetic Analysis of the Phaeophyceae (Brown Algae) Based on rbcL and LSU Sequences

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0107297PhillipsThe International Research Fellow Awards Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will provide twenty-four months of support to Dr. Naomi E. Phillips to work with Dr. Gary W. Saunders at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, Canada.This project will use the rbcL and LSU sequence information to elucidate the ordinal and some familial relationships among the Phaeophyceae (brown algae). Brown algae are one of the most dominant and biologically diverse groups of primary producers in coastal marine environments. They exhibit a wide range of morphological forms, from simple microscopic and macroscopic filaments to large and complex parenchymatous thalli. Economically, brown algae are major sources of natural products and biomedical supplies. Despite their importance, research is just beginning to examine objectively evolutionary relationships and a consensus in terms of a natural classification system that reflects phylogenetic relationships is missing. It is critical to our conservation of these resources that we initiate comprehensive studies to understand them. The results of this research will contribute no only to our understanding of this group of organisms, but will facilitate future research in other areas, such as ecology.Dr. Gary Saunders is an established researcher in brown algal systematics with expertise in both traditional and molecular techniques.