NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2015

这一行动为2015财年NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金--使用生物收藏进行研究--提供资金。该奖学金支持该研究员的研究和培训计划，以采取变革性的方法来应对生物学领域的重大挑战，以高度创新的方式利用生物收藏。这次瑞切尔湾联谊会的研究计划的标题是“通过DNA分析阐明黄莺的种群历史和迁徙模式”。该奖学金的主办机构是加州大学洛杉矶分校，赞助科学家是托马斯·史密斯博士。这项研究使用尖端的DNA测序技术来阐明黄莺的迁徙模式，并测量种群规模和结构随时间的变化。了解遗传多样性在空间和时间上的分布有助于解释动物的运动和进化能力，这两个因素都是物种保护的重要考虑因素。这项研究利用了通过基因组测序获得的丰富信息和广泛的生物收集提供的深度。黄莺经历了种群数量的下降，可能是由于栖息地的碎片化和破坏。使用从加州大学洛杉矶分校热带研究中心收藏的大量羽毛中提取的DNA可以测量候鸟的连通性，尽管这对于预测当地干扰的更广泛影响很重要，但很难使用传统的非遗传方法进行测量。此外，使用洛杉矶县自然历史博物馆和加州大学伯克利分校脊椎动物博物馆的博物馆标本，正在测量种群结构和遗传多样性随时间的变化，从而能够直接测量栖息地破坏和开发的进化后果，并为保护决策提供信息。培训目标包括获得新兴基因组技术的新技能，以及使用收藏样本来增加通过对现有种群采样所不具备的时间深度。教育外展包括对本科生研究人员的培训，以及通过奥杜邦协会和类似团体的公共外展。最后，该项目本身具有深远的保护意义。了解遗传多样性的分布以及它如何随着栖息地的丧失和碎片化而变化，有助于制定管理计划，例如通过保护具有进化重要性的世系的栖息地或保护孤立种群之间的野生动物走廊。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2015, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow to take transformative approaches to grand challenges in biology that employ biological collections in highly innovative ways. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Rachael Bay is "Elucidating population history and migration patterns of yellow warblers through DNA analysis." The host institution for this fellowship is the University of California Los Angeles, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Thomas Smith. The fellowship research uses cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology to elucidate migration patterns of the yellow warbler and measure changes in population size and structure over time. Understanding the distribution of genetic diversity across space and time helps explain animal movement and evolutionary capacity, both important considerations in species conservation. The research capitalizes on the wealth of information available through genomic sequencing and the depth provided by extensive biological collections. The yellow warbler has experienced population declines, likely due to habitat fragmentation and destruction. Using DNA extracted from an extensive feather collection housed at the Center for Tropical Research at UCLA permits measurement of migratory connectivity which, although important for predicting the broader impacts of local disturbance, is difficult to measure using traditional non-genetic methods. In addition, using museum specimens from the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at the University of California at Berkeley, changes in population structure and genetic diversity over time are being measured, allowing direct measurement of the evolutionary consequences of habitat destruction and development and informaing conservation decisions.Training goals include gaining new skills in emerging genomic techniques and the use of collections samples to add a temporal depth not available through sampling existing populations. Educational outreach involves training for undergraduate researchers as well public outreach through the Audubon Society and similar groups. Finally, the project itself has far-reaching conservation implications. Understanding the distribution of genetic diversity and how it has changed along with habitat loss and fragmentation helps inform management plans, for example by conserving habitat for evolutionarily important lineages or preserving wildlife corridors between isolated populations.