Dissertation Research: Genetic Architecture of Correlated Evolution in Gametophytes and Sporophytes of Ceratodon Purpureus

生物学的一个中心目标是了解生物体如何适应环境。该项目旨在阐明在植物的生活史中，形态上不同的单倍体和二倍体世代的交替对植物适应的限制。如果两个世代的性状由同一套基因控制，随着种群的适应，这些性状应该以一种相关的方式发生变化。该项目将利用苔藓模式系统(Ceratodon Purpureus)，在该系统中，两个世代都足够大，形态复杂，便于进行基因和表型分析。来自各地的多个种群的物种将生长在一个共同的环境中，以评估两代之间的关联程度。然后将使用基因组图谱技术来测试相同的基因是否与两代植物的变化有关。这项研究将回答有关适应的遗传基础的基本问题，并提供对所有植物共同的生活史的更深层次的了解。这将是使用现代遗传工具对整个植物生命周期进行的最全面的检查。许多致力于生物学应用和基本问题的科学家正在使用Ceratodon实验系统，这项研究产生的遗传学见解将进一步增加它对其他研究的效用。

A central goal of biology is to understand how organisms adapt to their environment. This project seeks to clarify the constraints imposed on adaptation in plants by the alternation of morphologically distinct haploid and diploid generations in their life cycles. If traits in the two generations are controlled by the same suite of genes, as populations adapt, these traits should change in a correlated fashion. This project will utilize a bryophyte model system (Ceratodon purpureus) in which both generations are sufficiently large and morphologically complex to facilitate genotypic and phenotypic analysis. Multiple populations from throughout the distribution of the species will be grown in a common environment to assess the degree of correlation between the two generations. Genome mapping techniques will then be used to test whether the same genes are associated with changes in the two generations.This study will answer fundamental questions concerning the genetic basis of adaptation, in addition to providing a deeper understanding of life cycles that are common to all plants. It will be the most comprehensive examination of the whole plant life cycle using modern genetic tools. The Ceratodon experimental system is being utilized by many scientists working on applied as well as basic problems in biology, and the genetic insights generated by this study will further increase its utility for other research.