CAREER: Upon Which Selection Can Act: Quantifying How Mutation and Environment Generate Genotypic & Phenotypic Variation in an Emerging Ecological & Evolutionary Genomic

突变是基因变异的最终来源。尽管大量的理论和应用生物学都建立在对其发生速度及其影响的了解之上，但很少有估计，而且个体、种群和物种之间的差异在很大程度上是未知的。这个项目将使用水蚤在全基因组范围内量化突变率及其影响，水蚤是一群动物，长期以来一直是种群生物学、群落生态学和环境毒理学的哨兵。详细的分析将包括在多个尺度上估计突变率，包括i)机制原因不同的主要突变类别之间，ii)基因组(线粒体和核)之间，以及iii)表现出不同特征的物种内和物种之间。它将配合对突变对这些相同群体和不同环境中的长寿、生长速度和繁殖力等特征的可测量(表型)影响的分析。将特别关注基因组中一种特别令人兴奋的突变来源--转座元件。所有开发的生物和基因组资源都将公开提供。更广泛的影响追求卓越的研究和教学通常被视为一种权衡，但战略方法可以丰富这两方面的努力。从现实生活场景和实践经验中获得的知识往往更有说服力，影响更持久。这些项目将是基础研究(涉及学生、博士后研究人员和合作者)、教学和课程开发(包括开发新课程和教程)以及外展(通过国内和国际研讨会以及公开讲座)的综合计划的一部分。这项研究的好处包括1)加深我们对生物学关键参数的理解，2)产生共享的生物、基因组和生物信息资源，3)通过与下一代美国和国际科学家合作来建设科学能力，以及4)通过分享新发现来教育公众关于遗传学、基因组学和进化论的核心作用。

Mutation is the ultimate source of genetic variation. Although a great deal of theoretical and applied biology rests on understanding the rate at which it occurs and its effects, few estimates exist and the variation among individuals, populations, and species is largely unknown. This project will quantify mutation rates and their effects on a genome-wide scale using Daphnia, a group of animals that has long served as a sentinel for population biology, community ecology, and environmental toxicology. The detailed analysis will include estimating mutation rates at multiple scales, including i) among the major categories of mutation which differ in their mechanistic causes, ii) between genomes (mitochondrial and nuclear), and iii) within and between species exhibiting different characteristics. It will be partnered with an analysis of measurable (phenotypic) effects of mutations on traits such as longevity, growth rate, and fecundity among these same groups and in variable environments. Special attention will be paid to a particularly exciting source of mutation in the genome-transposable elements. All biological and genomic resources developed will be made publicly available. Broader ImpactsPursuing excellence in research and teaching is often seen as a trade-off, yet strategic approaches can enrich both endeavors. Knowledge gained from real-life scenarios and hands-on experience is often more compelling with longer lasting impact. These projects will be part of an integrative program of basic research (involving students, post-doctoral researchers, and collaborators), teaching and curriculum development (including the development of new courses and tutorials), and outreach (through domestic and international workshops, as well as public lectures). The benefits of this research include 1) deepening our understanding of key parameters in biology, 2) generating shared biological, genomic, and bioinformatic resources, 3) building science capacity through collaborating with the next generation of American and international scientists, and 4) educating the public about the central role of genetics, genomics, and evolution by sharing new discoveries as they occur.