NSF NPGI Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2014

这一行动为NSF国家植物基因组计划2014财年生物学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为该研究员制定的研究和培训计划，该研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与度的计划。娜塔莉·J·南纳斯的这项研究和培训计划的标题是“在玉米中设计用于人工染色体分离的人工着丝粒”该奖学金的主办机构是佐治亚大学，赞助科学家是R.Kelly Dawe博士。世界人口的增加需要作物改良和生产的新技术。将一些转基因引入农业植物有助于抗击害虫和提高产量，但满足未来需求所需的性状可能需要大量的基因，而目前的方法不容易引入这些基因。人工着丝粒使人工染色体成为一种可行的策略，可以在不破坏本地植物基因组的情况下引入完整的遗传途径，并有效地将所有性状分离在一起。培训目标包括植物遗传学和基因组学，以及植物分子和细胞生物学。更广泛的影响包括通过与桃州路易斯·斯托克斯少数群体参与联盟(LSAMP)合作，增加本科生对科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)的参与。将举办一系列研讨会，主题是寻找暑期研究和资助机会、申请和面试研究生院和医学院，以及探索STEM职业选择。将为佐治亚大学的新生迎新和秋季活动博览会制定招生方案，包括开设理科专业的咨询研讨会和推荐的入门课程。将通过LSAMP建立一个辅导、指导和学习小组网络，并将为STEM课程的学生提供支持。对研究感兴趣的本科生将被鼓励直接参与这项工作；学生将在进行自己的与合成着丝粒相关的独立项目的同时接受培训和指导。人工染色体是一种新兴的叠加转基因的策略，但由于表观遗传并发症，这些结构缺乏可靠的着丝粒，动粒在其上组装的DNA元件，并通过细胞分裂指导染色体的准确分离。该项目旨在设计一种“合成着丝粒”，能够在农业上重要的植物玉米中自动分离人工染色体。通过人为地将动粒核心蛋白定位到特定的遗传位置，将产生一个人造着丝粒；动粒蛋白质将与各种DNA结合蛋白融合，并在携带一系列结合位点的线路中表达。为了评估合成着丝粒的功能，将开发一种实时成像系统来测量目前未知的有丝分裂和减数分裂中染色体分离的动态。人工着丝粒在组装着丝粒、连接微管、纠正不正确的连接和分离染色体方面将与自然着丝粒进行比较。还将评估合成着丝粒的能力，以遗传地标记多代人的着丝粒组装位置。

This action funds an NSF National Plant Genome Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2014. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Natalie J. Nannas is "Engineering a Synthetic Centromere for Artificial Chromosome Segregation in Maize" The host institution for the fellowship is the University of Georgia and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. R. Kelly Dawe.Increasing world population demands new technologies for crop improvement and production. Introducing a few transgenes into agricultural plants have helped combat pests and increase yields, but traits necessary to meet future demands will likely require large sets of genes not easily introduced by current methods. Synthetic centromeres make artificial chromosomes a viable strategy for introducing whole genetic pathways without disrupting the native plant genome and efficiently segregating all traits together. Training objectives include plant genetics and genomics, and plant molecular and cellular biology. Broader impacts include increasing undergraduate minority participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through collaboration with the Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). A workshop series will be created on finding summer research and funding opportunities, applying and interviewing for graduate school and medical school, and exploring STEM career options. Recruitment programming will be developed for the University of Georgia's Freshmen Orientation and Fall Activities Fair, including an advising seminar on offered science majors and recommended introductory courses. A tutoring, mentoring, and study group network will be established through LSAMP and will be available to support students in STEM courses. Undergraduate students interested in research will be encouraged to participate directly in this work; students will be trained and mentored while conducting their own independent projects related to the synthetic centromere.Artificial chromosomes are an emerging strategy to stack transgenes, but due to epigenetic complications, these constructs lack reliable centromeres, DNA elements on which kinetochores assemble and direct accurate segregation of chromosomes through cell division. This project aims to engineer a "synthetic centromere" capable of autonomously segregating an artificial chromosome in the agriculturally important plant, maize. A synthetic centromere will be created by artificially localizing kinetochore proteins to a specific genetic location; kinetochore proteins will be fused with various DNA-binding proteins and expressed in lines that carry an array of binding sites. To assess the functionality of the synthetic centromere, a live imaging system will be developed to measure the currently unknown dynamics of chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis. The synthetic centromere will be compared to natural centromeres in its ability to assemble a kinetochore, attach microtubules, correct improper attachments and segregate a chromosome. The synthetic centromere will also be assessed for its ability to heritably mark the site of kinetochore assembly through multiple generations.