RUI: Ciliate Phylogeny Assessed by Mitochondrial Markers

该奖项授予史密斯学院（Smith College）生物科学副教授劳拉·a·卡茨（Laura A. Katz），将支持对两类纤毛虫的原生动物进行系统（分类学）研究。多样的尾足纲包括许多土壤纤毛虫，而螺旋体纲的成员在淡水和海洋生态系统中丰富。从这些纤毛虫的可见结构（形态）的研究中出现了许多分类假设。到目前为止，只有一个核基因被分析来评估基于形态学的假设。该奖项将大大增加这些微生物的分子数据量，并将允许进一步评估分类假设。具体来说，这项工作将集中在核基因和从纤毛虫线粒体基因组中分离出来的其他基因上。由此产生的数据将进一步加深我们对纤毛虫，各种微生物的进化的理解，这些微生物在生态学上是重要的，并且通常用于其他生物学研究。该奖项将支持本科生和研究生的培训。将继续从传统上代表性不足的群体和第一代大学生中招募学生，部分通过由首席研究员创立的一个项目：在数学、工程和科学方面取得卓越成就（AEMES）。AEMES的目的是使不同的本科生在史密斯学院学习的早期就能在科学方面表现出色。至少一名研究生也将接受科学方法和有效指导本科生的培训。对于所有参与者，培训将在分子系统方法的理论和实践方面进行。最后，K-12的努力将继续侧重于向学校推广，在史密斯学院校园进行动手实验指导，并在当地学校进行演讲。

This award to Laura A. Katz, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Smith College, will support systematic (taxonomic) studies of protozoans in two classes of ciliates. The diverse class Colpodea includes many soil ciliates, whereas members of the class Spirotrichea are abundant in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Numerous taxonomic hypotheses have emerged from studies of the visible structures (morphology) of these ciliates. To date, only a singe nuclear gene has been analyzed to assess hypotheses based on morphology. This award will dramatically increase the amount of molecular data from these microbes and will allow further evaluation of taxonomic hypotheses. Specifically, the work will focus on the nuclear gene plus other genes isolated from ciliate mitochondrial genomes. The resulting data will further our understanding of the evolution of ciliates, diverse microorganisms that are important ecologically and are commonly used in other biological research.This award will support the training of students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. There will be a continued recruitment of students from traditionally underrepresented groups and first generation college students, in part through a program founded by the principal investigator: Achieving Excellence in Mathematics, Engineering and Science (AEMES). AEMES is designed to enable diverse undergraduates to excel in science early in their studies at Smith College. At least one graduate student will also be trained, both in scientific methods and in effective mentoring of undergraduates. For all participants, training will be in the theoretical and practical aspects of molecular systematic methods. Finally, K-12 efforts will continue to focus on outreach to schools, with hands-on laboratory instruction at the Smith College campus and presentations at local schools.