AToL: Collaborative Research: Reconstructing Eukaryotic Phylogeny through Multigene Analyses of Microbial Eukaryotes

AToL：合作研究：通过微生物真核生物的多基因分析重建真核系统发育

• 批准号: 0431185
• 负责人: Laura Katz
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Smith College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-10-01 至 2010-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0431185&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: AToL; Collaborative; Research; Reconstructing; Eukaryotic

To truly understand biological diversity on Earth requires that microorganisms be correctly placed on the Tree of Life. Life on Earth exists in two forms: (1) prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea), all of which are microbial, and (2) eukaryotes, cells with nuclei. Eukaryotes themselves were exclusively microbial for about one billion years before the evolution of the more familiar macroscopic eukaryotic groups: plants, animals, and fungi. Microbial eukaryotes, or protists, are characterized by tremendous cellular diversity and play an essential role in ecosystems (e.g. carbon fixation in marine systems). Moreover, some microbial eukaryotes are the causative agents of prevalent infectious diseases (e.g. malaria) that impact the social and economic fortunes of many countries. This collaborative project, part of the NSF-funded effort "Assembling the Tree of Life" will elucidate relationships among eukaryotes by analyzing DNA sequences of nine genes from 200 species of predominantly free-living protists. Analyses of the resulting data will combine existing phylogenetic approaches with those developed for this project. These analyses are essential for: 1) unifying the universal tree of life that includes both prokaryotes and eukaryotes, 2) understanding the multiple origins of multicellular eukaryotes, and 3) interpreting the origins of disease-causing protists. The study will invigorate protist research in the U.S. while answering fundamental questions about the eukaryotic Tree of Life. At least three postdoctoral fellows and three graduate students will be integrated into the proposed research. Undergraduates will also be trained in all aspects of the research, and the principal investigators will maintain their commitment to recruiting students from traditionally underrepresented groups. The project also includes the development of a workshop on collection and identification (by light microscopy) of protists. Finally, micro*scope, a web-based tool for exploring eukaryotic diversity (http://www.mbl.edu/microscope) will be expanded to include educational materials at multiple levels.

为了真正了解地球上的生物多样性，要求将微生物正确地放在生命树上。 地球上的生命以两种形式存在：（1）原核生物（细菌和古细菌），所有这些都是微生物，以及（2）真核生物，带有核的细胞。 在更熟悉的宏观真核生物群体的演变之前，真核生物本身仅是十亿年的微生物：植物，动物和真菌。微生物真核生物或原生物的特征是巨大的细胞多样性，并在生态系统中起着至关重要的作用（例如，海洋系统中的碳固定）。 此外，一些微生物真核生物是影响许多国家的社会和经济命运的流行感染疾病（例如疟疾）的病因。 这个协作项目是NSF资助的“汇集生命之树”的一部分，将通过分析来自200种主要自由生活的生物的9种基因的DNA序列来阐明真核生物之间的关系。 对所得数据的分析将将现有的系统发育方法与为该项目开发的方法结合在一起。 这些分析对于：1）统一包括原核生物和真核生物在内的普遍生命树，2）了解多细胞真核生物的多重起源，以及3）解释引起疾病的生物的起源。这项研究将在美国充满活力，同时回答有关真核生命树的基本问题。至少有三名博士后研究员和三名研究生将融入拟议的研究中。本科生还将在研究的各个方面接受培训，主要研究人员将保持其致力于从传统代表性不足的群体中招募学生的承诺。 该项目还包括开发有关生物学家的收集和识别（通过光学显微镜）的研讨会。 最后，基于网络的真核多样性工具Micro*Scope（http://www.mbl.edu/microscope）将扩展到多个级别的教育材料。