RUI: Characterization of coevolution, adaptation, and diversification in a model microbial mutualism

老虎的爪子和猎物的伪装是每个物种在一个称为共同进化的过程中获得的适应能力的例子，以应对对方施加的挑战。虽然这类拮抗剂的共同进化得到了广泛的研究，但较少的研究集中在物种之间的互惠(互惠)相互作用上。在这项研究中，将研究从起源到实验室中2000代进化的相互作用的共同进化。在22个微生物物种普通硫弧菌和甲烷球菌的共同进化中，将通过将每个互助者与其过去和未来的进化伙伴配对，与独立进化的互助性伙伴配对，以及通过与非互惠对照的比较来描述共同进化。共同进化和对照群体中的突变将通过基因组测序来识别，以确定共同进化的分子特征。这个项目将给本科生提供规划、执行和分析原创研究的经验。它还将在华盛顿大学博塞尔分校的新科学、技术、工程和数学学院建立一种本科生研究文化。这些结果将增加对甲烷生产的理解和控制，甲烷是一种温室气体和生物燃料。

The claws of a tiger and camouflage of its prey are examples of adaptations that each species acquired in response to challenges imposed by the other in a process called coevolution. While coevolution of such antagonists has been studied extensively, less research has focused on mutually beneficial (mutualist) interactions between species. In this research, the coevolution of a mutualistic interaction from its origin through 2000 generations of evolution in the laboratory will be studied. Coevolution in 22 communities of the microbial species Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Methanococcus maripaludis will be characterized by pairing each mutualist with its past and future evolutionary partners, with partners from independently-evolved mutualisms, and by comparison to non-mutualistic controls. Mutations in coevolved and control populations will be identified by genome sequencing to determine the molecular signatures of coevolution. This project will give undergraduates experience planning, performing, and analyzing original research. It will also establish a culture of undergraduate research in the new school of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics at University of Washington, Bothell. The results will increase understanding and control of methane production, a greenhouse gas and biofuel.