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

2013 财年 NSF 东亚及太平洋夏季学院 (EAPSI) 在日本举行

• 批准号: 1316805
• 负责人: Joshua Stepanek
• 金额: $ 0.51万
• 依托单位: Stepanek Joshua G
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-06-01 至 2014-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1316805&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; East; Asia; Pacific; Summer

This action funds Joshua Stepanek of the University of Colorado Boulder to conduct a research project in Biology during the summer of 2013 at Tokyo Gakugei University in Koganei, Tokyo. The project title is "Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Investigation of the Diatom Genus Amphora." The host scientist is Dr. Shigeki Mayama.Diatoms are an important and diverse group of microalgae found in virtually all aquatic environments. Within diatoms, members of the genus Amphora have been singled out as a potentially important biofuels source due to their ability to naturally produce large amounts of cellular oil. Although shown to be promising, the diversity and evolutionary history of the group continues to be poorly understood, undermining its potential usefulness. Preliminary data has shown Amphora to be a collection of distantly related subgroups, widely distributed throughout the diatom tree of life. This project continues an investigation into the taxonomy and evolutionary history of the genus Amphora, utilizing both the unique flora of Japan, as well as the expertise of Japanese diatom researchers. These goals are being met through the targeted collection of known Amphora populations, followed by the isolation and culturing of Amphora taxa present. From these collections, an evolutionary tree is being constructed using morphological and molecular techniques. Collaborative outcomes include: the description and publication of new species encountered during collections; the most extensively sampled phylogeny to date for the genus Amphora; and insights into the evolution of important lineages and characteristics within diatoms.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. The unique experience of conducting research in Japan will be disseminated through departmental seminars at the University of Colorado. These will highlight the research conducted, as well as the cultural experience obtained through an EAPSI fellowship to a broad group of young researchers who could benefit from a similar experience. Furthermore outcomes from this study provide an ideal example of "real world" applications of evolutionary research and will have broader impacts outside the scientific community. Through public outreach programs of the Evolution Outreach Committee at the University of Colorado, this research will provide an opportunity to bring evolution out of the laboratory and demonstrate its practical importance in an accessible way to a general public audience. Relating how ongoing evolutionary research effects people?s everyday lives and is closely tied to practical problems and decision marking is an important component of this evolutionary study.

这项行动资助了科罗拉多大学博尔德分校的约书亚·斯捷潘内克于2013年夏天在东京小金井的东京学园大学进行一个生物学研究项目。该项目的题目是“双耳硅藻属的分类和系统发育研究”。主持会议的科学家是茂树Mayama博士。硅藻是一种重要而多样的微藻，几乎在所有水生环境中都有发现。在硅藻中，双耳藻属的成员被挑选出来作为潜在的重要生物燃料来源，因为它们能够自然产生大量的细胞油。虽然显示出希望，但该群体的多样性和进化历史仍然知之甚少，破坏了其潜在的用途。初步数据表明，双耳藻是一个远亲亚群的集合，广泛分布在整个硅藻生命树中。该项目利用日本独特的植物区系以及日本硅藻研究人员的专业知识，继续调查双硅藻属的分类和进化历史。这些目标正在通过有针对性地收集已知的双耳菌种群，然后分离和培养现有的双耳菌分类群来实现。从这些集合中，利用形态学和分子技术构建了一棵进化树。合作成果包括：对收集过程中遇到的新物种进行描述和发表；迄今为止取样最多的双耳属的系统发育；以及对硅藻重要血统和特征的进化的见解。EAPSI奖学金的广泛影响包括为研究员提供美国以外的第一手研究经验；介绍该地区的科学、科学政策和科学基础设施；以及对社会、文化和语言的了解。这些活动符合美国国家科学基金会的目标，即在其科学家、工程师和教育工作者的职业生涯早期培养国际合作，从而确保美国科学劳动力具有全球意识。在日本进行研究的独特经验将通过科罗拉多大学的部门研讨会进行传播。这将突出所进行的研究，以及通过EAPSI奖学金为广大青年研究人员获得的文化经验，这些研究人员可以从类似的经验中受益。此外，这项研究的结果为进化研究的“现实世界”应用提供了一个理想的例子，并将在科学界之外产生更广泛的影响。通过科罗拉多大学进化推广委员会的公共推广项目，这项研究将提供一个机会，把进化带出实验室，并以一种通俗易懂的方式向公众展示它的实际重要性。关于正在进行的进化研究如何影响人类？它与实际问题密切相关，决策标记是这一进化研究的重要组成部分。