CAREER: Evolutionary Research and Education at CSU

在过去的十年中，来自不同生物学科的概念和技术已经产生了研究进化模式和过程的新工具。因此，追求利用跨学科概念和研究技能的进化问题变得越来越重要。在这个职业发展计划中，进化研究、教育和服务目标被提出，以向科罗拉多州立大学（CSU）的本科生、研究生和教师介绍进化生物学新兴的、跨学科的本质。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以蝾螈生物学为重点的进化研究项目中。具体目标是构建任何两栖动物的第一个比较基因组图谱，并追求生态，进化和发育重要性状的数量性状位点（QTL）定位。一个比较基因图谱将允许在蝾螈和其他脊椎动物之间鉴定同源染色体片段，从而提供脊椎动物基因组进化的第一个两栖动物视角。这一目标将通过利用来自种间定位杂交（Ambystoma mexicanum x A. mexicanum/A.）的现有材料确定大约600个蛋白质编码位点的基因组位置来实现。tigrinum tigrinum)。第二个研究目标将通过对两种独特的犬类性状：变形失败（幼体发育）和肢体再生进行比较QTL分析来完成。背景数据显示了研究目标的可行性和意义。教育部分的具体目标是：(1)协调科罗拉多州立大学生物学本科专业新必修课“BZ220：进化论导论”的发展；(2)进一步发展高年级本科生和研究生课程“BZ478”；(3)建立一个以进化生物学为重点的定期研究生研讨会；(4)通过REU计划为本科生提供研究机会。最后，服务组件的具体目标将是作为进化研究学会年会的会议组织者，该会议将于2004年由CSU主办。总之，这些研究、服务和教育目标的实现将进一步加强科罗拉多州立大学的进化生物学项目。

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.