NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2010

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This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2010. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Cristina Ledon-Rettig is "Ecological Epigenetics in Invasive House Sparrow." The host institution for this research is the University of South Florida and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Lynn Martin.Historically it was thought that the instructions for an organism's behavior are contained in its genome. However, genes only influence an organism's behavior when they are expressed. It is now known that a network of chemical switches - collectively known as the "epigenome" - governs when genes are expressed or silenced. Further, these chemical switches can be modified by an organism's environment. For instance, a stressful environmental can generate stable epigenetic changes that "program" individuals to be less fearful and more aggressive when they encounter future stressors. This rapid modification of behavior may enable certain species to expand their ranges and become pests because epigenetics shortcuts genetic mutation in generating fearless, aggressive behaviors. This project is using the common house sparrow to investigate the role of epigenetics in biological invasions. While the house sparrow has colonized most of the planet, it is currently invading central Kenya. To test the hypothesis that epigenetic modifications facilitate the rapid expansion of a species into novel habitats, these chemical switches are being characterized and compared among house sparrow populations in Kenya. Training objectives include applying new technologies for investigating epigenetic modification to an ecologically relevant setting. The scientific impact of this work is broad, as epigenetic modification is pertinent in evolutionary and developmental biology and plays an important role in conservation studies. In addition, the results from this research prevent future invasions when it is communicated locally through conservation groups, and abroad through involvement with the National Museum of Kenya.