En-Gen: Ecological Genomics of Soil Nematode Community Responses: Model and Non-Model Approaches

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The changing natural environments of organisms present many challenges that require both short-term ecological and long-term evolutionary responses. However, the complexity of these responses has made it difficult to discover the genes involved. The emerging field of Ecological Genomics combines the recent technical advances in genome analysis with ecological approaches to understand genetic mechanisms underlying the responses of organisms to their natural environment. Here, resident soil nematode populations sampled from the Konza Prairie Biological Station, near Manhattan, Kansas, are used to link the responses of organisms to environmental change at the genetic level. Specifically, laboratory tests are used to determine which genes affect fitness in the changed environment and are used to develop a functional gene array to determine which genes are expressed by nematodes as they respond to environmental cues in the field. As nematodes are among the most abundant invertebrates in soils and respond quickly to changing environmental conditions, they are ideal organisms to assess the potential impacts of environmental change on soil communities. A broader impact of the project will be gaining an understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying ecological responses to environmental changes that will provide a predictive value previously not possible. Other broader impacts include interdisciplinary training of graduate and undergraduate students as well as partnering with two Kansas State University undergraduate research programs that specifically involve members of underrepresented groups to promote diversity in science.