NSF NPGI Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2012

这一行动为2012财年国家植物基因组计划博士后研究奖学金提供了资金。该奖学金支持在东道主实验室的研究和培训计划，使该研究员专注于植物基因组学研究，重点放在数量遗传学、现代育种方法和生物信息学上。雷切尔·S·迈耶的这项研究和培训计划的标题是“西非土著河流农业生境中非洲水稻(Oryza Tarberrima)的耐盐性选择”。该奖学金的主办机构是纽约大学，赞助科学家是迈克尔·普鲁加南博士。限制全球农作物产量的一个主要因素是高盐度，它影响到全球50%的灌溉土地面积。从塞内加尔到利比里亚，大西洋沿岸地区的农民种植耐盐碱条件的本土作物。该项目的重点是作为主要主食的一种这样的作物：非洲大米(Oryza tarberrima Steud.)。盐度梯度明显的河流灌溉的是青海稻田。因此，为非洲野生稻开发的农业系统意味着，已经安排了与当地盐分水平相匹配的品种。然而，农民也以独特的方式从事农业，包括修筑红树林沼泽的堤坝，翻转土壤，有时还进行海水淡化，这引发了几个关键问题。非洲野生稻基因组是如何被修改以耐受盐度的？具体的农业实践在多大程度上对盐碱环境中栽培的非洲野生稻起到了作用？是地理特征还是文化习俗指导了这种作物的选择？为了解决这些问题，将对来自三个农业水系的100份种质资源的基因组进行调查，以建立Oangberrima的SNP图谱，并确定区分种质与盐碱海岸和淡水内陆环境的DNA区域。将进行访谈，以收集有关这些河流沿线的土地条件、耕作技术和社区在种子交易中所扮演的角色的信息。DNA序列数据将与采集地的盐度、特定文化的农业实践和盐害测试相关联。成果将把人类创新的各个方面与农业生态和选择性作物育种联系起来，同时具体解决在高盐度地区实行农业所面临的挑战。培训目标包括整个基因组和种群分析的数据管理、深入的农业生态分析以及纽约大学与国际机构之间的交叉培训。更广泛的影响包括对来自美国的学生进行能力建设和高级培训，以从事植物改良和相关科学(如生理学、数量遗传学和计算生物学)的跨学科研究。外联活动包括在西非和其他国家举办培训讲习班，以提高产生的基因组序列的效用，利用农业生态数据设计帮助农民的工具，以及K-12 DNA条形码辅导。

This action funds a National Plant Genome Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2012. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow to focus their studies in plant genomics with an emphasis on quantitative genetics, modern breeding approaches, and bioinformatics. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Rachel S. Meyer is "Selection for Salt Tolerance in African Rice (Oryza Glaberrima) in Indigenous Riverine Agricultural Habitats of Western Africa". The host institution for the fellowship is New York University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Michael Purugganan. One major factor limiting worldwide crop production is high salinity, which affects 50% of global irrigated land area. Farmers in the Atlantic Coast region stretching from Senegal to Liberia plant indigenous crops that are tolerant to saline conditions. This project focuses on one such crop that is a major staple: African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.). O. glaberrima is irrigated by rivers with a conspicuous salinity gradient. Thus, the agricultural system developed for O. glaberrima implies that varieties have been arranged with matched fitness to local saline levels. However, farmers also practice agriculture in unique ways including dyking of mangrove swamps, soil overturning, and sometimes desalination, which spurs several critical questions. How has the O. glaberrima genome been modified to tolerate salinity? To what extent do specific agricultural practices play a role in the ability of O. glaberrima to be cultivated in saline environments? Is it geographic characteristics or cultural practices that guide selection for this crop? To address these questions, the genomes of 100 germplasm accessions from three agricultural river systems will be surveyed in order to build a SNP map for O. glaberrima and identify DNA regions that distinguish germplasm from saline coastal versus freshwater inland environments. Interviews will be conducted to gather information about land conditions, farming techniques, and community roles in seed trading along these rivers. DNA sequence data will be correlated with the salinity at collection locales, culturally specific agricultural practices, and salt injury tests. Results will connect aspects of human innovation to agroecology and selective crop breeding, while specifically addressing challenges faced by a need to practice agriculture on areas of high salinity. Training objectives include data management of entire genomes and population analyses, in-depth agroecological analysis, and cross-training between NYU and international institutions. Broader impacts include include capacity-building and advanced training for students from the United States to engage in interdisciplinary research in plant improvement and associated sciences such as physiology, quantitative genetics, and computational biology. Outreach activities include training workshops in West Africa and other countries to enhance utility of genome sequence generated and use of agroecological data to design tools to help farmers, and K-12 DNA barcoding mentoring.