NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Japan

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This action funds Justin Havird of Auburn University to conduct a research project in Biological Sciences during the summer of 2013 at The University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan. The project title is "Molecular Mechanisms of Salt Balance in Unusual Japanese Shrimps." The host scientists are Drs. Yoshihisa Fujita and Michio Hidaka.The molecular mechanisms of ionic/salt regulation in crustaceans (i.e., osmoregulation) have only been characterized for a narrow range of species, mainly decapod crabs with a marine ancestry. Atyid shrimps from anchialine habitats (coastal ponds and pools) represent an opportunity to address this lack of knowledge since they have a decisively freshwater ancestry but have adapted to live in these "extreme" environments characterized by drastically fluctuating salinities. Previous research found that the Hawaiian endemic atyid Halocaridina rubra has atypical patterns of gene expression following salinity transfer. Specifically, genes typically and dramatically up-regulated (~100 fold) during salinity transfer in other crustaceans do not change significantly in H. rubra. However, no published studies have examined the molecular mechanisms of osmoregulation or functional evolution of anchialine shrimp species. To examine this in an evolutionary context, the molecular mechanisms of osmoregulation from additional anchialine shrimp species from the Ryukyus Islands, Japan are being investigated using high-throughput measures of gene expression (RNA-Seq). These shrimp species represent independent invasions of anchialine habitats (from both freshwater and marine environments) and characterizing their mechanisms of osmoregulation will thus further our limited understanding of the molecular basis of euryhalinity and address convergent evolution in response to similar natural selection pressures. This project illuminates the evolution of osmoregulation, a critical biological process for all living organisms.Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, undergraduates from underrepresented groups in the sciences are being trained and mentored during this project. Additionally, this project is fostering research collaborations between scientists at Auburn University and Oregon State University in conjunction with a recent NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DEB 1311500) to the Fellow. The experiences gained from this EAPSI fellowship will be presented to students at Auburn University in an attempt to raise local awareness about international research collaborations in general and the opportunities associated with an EAPSI fellowship specifically. Lastly, anchialine habitats and organisms are being used to engage K-12 students in a variety of biological concepts, building on a current anchialine module in the outreach program Alabama Science in Motion.