FIBR Planning: Why are so many Plants Polyploid?

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Intellectual merit: This project focuses on a major, unanswered question in biology: Why are so many plants polyploid? The prevalence of polyploidy in plants and its rarity in animals represent a fundamental genomic distinction between these kingdoms. Genomic sequences for representatives of each of two major angiosperm branches (dicots: Arabidopsis and monocots: Oryza), together with new information from other taxa, provide new opportunities to examine the evolutionary significance of polyploidy and its abundance in angiosperms. An anticipated new synthesis about the role of polyploidy in evolution is expected to be generally relevant both to angiosperms and ancient polyploids in other kingdoms such as fungi and animals. Goals in this planning project are the assembly of a multidisciplinary team and the development of a comprehensive research plan. These goals are being pursued through a series of smaller meetings followed by a workshop. These meetings will enable participants to explore computational methods for inferring the antiquity of specific polyploidization events; the feasibility of linking resulting computational inferences to paleobotanical and paleoclimatological data; and wet-lab approaches to test new hypotheses about polyploidization in an array of taxa across the plant family tree. Broader impacts: This planning project includes the development of plans for opportunities to participate in cutting-edge integrative biology research opportunities at both pre- and postgraduate levels. This will be coupled with ongoing ties to strong outreach programs designed to effectively engage under-represented groups in the project. Additionally, plans will be developed for enhancing the research and education infrastructure by Web-based dissemination of deliverables valuable to a diverse clientele. Such materials are being developed through partnerships with unique programs at the participating institutions and by forging links among these programs. For example, through an NSF GK-12 program at UGA project participants will contribute actively to the development and implementation of new research-based educational materials. Together with ten GK-12 graduate students and an associated statewide network of high-school teachers, project participants are exploring metaphorical examples and dialogue by which to portray key scientific concepts. Materials will be developed for broad dissemination to enhance public understanding of science, both directly and via museums (such as the FL Museum of Natural History, with which three participants are associated), nature centers, and similar institutions.