CAREER: Evolutionary Research and Education at CSU

在过去的十年里，来自不同生物学学科的概念和技术为研究进化的模式和过程提供了新的工具。因此，寻求利用跨学科概念和研究技能的进化性问题变得越来越重要。在这份职业发展计划中，提出了进化研究、教育和服务目标，旨在向科罗拉多州立大学(CSU)的本科生、研究生和教职员工介绍进化生物学的新兴、跨学科性质。研究部分的总体目标是将遗传和基因组方法整合到现有的专注于火蜥蜴生物学的进化研究计划中。其具体目标是构建任何两栖动物的第一个比较基因组图谱，并对生态、进化和发育方面的重要性状进行数量性状基因座(QTL)定位。比较基因图谱将有助于识别火蜥蜴和其他脊椎动物之间的同源染色体片段，从而为脊椎动物基因组进化提供第一个两栖动物的视角。这一目标将通过利用来自种间作图杂交(Ambystoma micianum x A.micianum/A.tigrum tigrum)的现有材料确定大约600个蛋白质编码区的基因组位置来实现。第二个研究目标将通过对两个独特的尾羽特征进行比较QTL分析来实现：变态衰竭(足畸形)和肢体再生。介绍了背景数据，说明了研究目标的可行性和意义。教育部分的具体目标是：(1)协调为CSU生物学专业本科生开设一门新的必修课：《BZ220：进化论》；(2)进一步为高年级本科生和研究生开发一门名为《BZ478：分子与发育进化论》的课程；(3)建立以进化生物学为重点的经常性研究生研讨会；以及(4)通过REU项目为本科生提供研究机会。最后，服务构成部分的具体目标将是担任进化研究学会年会的会议组织者，该年会将于2004年由基社盟主办。综上所述，这些研究、服务和教育目标的实现将进一步加强CSU的进化生物学课程。

0093251VossDuring the last decade, concepts and techniques from various biological disciplines have yielded new tools for studying patterns and processes of evolution. Accordingly, it is becoming increasingly important to pursue evolutionary questions that draw upon interdisciplinary concepts and research skills. In this Career Development Plan, evolutionary research, education, and service objectives are proposed to introduce undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty at Colorado State University (CSU) to the emerging, interdisciplinary nature of evolutionary biology. The overall goal of the research component is to integrate genetic and genomic approaches into an existing evolutionary research program that focuses on salamander biology. The specific objectives are to construct the first comparative genome map of any amphibian and pursue quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of ecologically, evolutionarily, and developmentally important traits. A comparative gene map will allow identification of homologous chromosomal segments between salamanders and other vertebrates, thereby providing the first amphibian perspective to vertebrate genome evolution. This objective will be accomplished by determining the genome location of approximately 600 protein coding loci using existing material from an interspecific mapping cross (Ambystoma mexicanum x A. mexicanum/A. tigrinum tigrinum). The second research objective will be accomplished by performing comparative QTL analyses of two unique urodele traits: metamorphic failure (paedomorphosis) and limb regeneration. Background data are presented to show the feasibility and significance of the research objectives. The specific objectives of the education component are to: (1) Coordinate the development of a new, required course for undergraduate Biology majors at CSU: "BZ220: Introduction to Evolution", (2) Further develop a course for upper division undergraduates and graduate students entitled "BZ478: Molecular and Developmental Evolution.", (3) Establish a recurrent graduate seminar that focuses on evolutionary biology, and (4) Provide research opportunities for undergraduates through the REU program. Finally, the specific objective of the Service component will be to serve as a meeting organizer of the annual meeting of The Society for the Study of Evolution, which will be hosted by CSU in 2004. Taken together, accomplishment of these research, service, and education objectives will further strengthen the program in Evolutionary Biology at CSU.