DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Selection, drift, and constraint in the evolution of a developmental regulatory gene network

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Changes in genes affecting the development of embyros play an important role in the evolution of differences between species. However, because genes interact in complex networks during development, the relationship between specific genetic changes affecting development and organismal changes is not straightforward. This study uses two closely related species of sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and S. droebachiensis, to understand how genetic interactions during development evolve. By examining patterns of gene expression within the well-characterized network of genes underlying the development of the larval skeleton in these two species, and in the hybrid offspring between these species, the investigators will identify specific genetic interactions within the network that have evolved between the species. These results will inform where in the network changes accumulate and how specific interactions have evolved between species. Complex genetic networks are a common feature of biological systems, including pathways and processes involved in human disease. Insight into the ways networks respond to genetic variation are important for understanding human disease as well as engineering biological systems. This sea urchin network is also known to be affected by changes in CO2 levels associated with global warming. This project will provide an important resource to many laboratories working to understand the ways in which global change affect the health of marine organisms. The project places high priority on involvement of undergraduate students and dissemination to the broader scientific community of the computational and analytical tools that will be developed during this study.