NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2017: The Evolution of Metamorphosis in Scyphozoan Jellyfish

2017 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：舟水母变态的进化

• 批准号: 1711680
• 负责人: Rebecca Helm
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Helm Rebecca R
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2017-09-01 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1711680&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

This is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, under the program Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The fellow, Rebecca Helm, is conducting research and receiving training that is increasing the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The fellow is being mentored by two sponsoring scientists at two host institutions: Ann Tarrant (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), and Allen Collins (Smithsonian Institution). The fellow's research examines animal evolution and development, using jellyfish as a model system. Many animal species that change shape during development ('metamorphose') are economically important to humans, including jellyfish, which impact power plants, fisheries, tourism, and human health. For example, blooms of jellyfish can make coastal waters unsuitable for swimmers, and compete for food resources with economically important fish. For most of their lives, 'true jellyfish' (scyphozoans) look nothing like our image of a typical jellyfish. Scyphozoans are found year-round as 'polyps,' which look more like small sea anemones. When seasonal conditions are favorable, these polyps develop into many small juvenile jellyfish, with a shape more like a 'typical' jellyfish. The fellow is studying the environmental and chemical factors that trigger jellyfish to change shape, and the genes associated with these triggers. The goal of this research is to provide insights into the cellular mechanisms of jellyfish production as well as potential genetic tools for predicting jellyfish blooms. To understand scyphozoan metamorphosis, the fellow is using diverse methods, including pharmacological, histological, sequencing, and functional techniques. The fellow is using pharmacological agents to trigger or inhibit jellyfish metamorphosis and then identifying genes associated with these responses. Furthermore, the fellow is using functional molecular techniques to test the role of different genes in metamorphosis across different species. The resulting research will provide critical insights in the cellular mechanisms of jellyfish metamorphosis and the role that different compounds, including potential pollutants, may play in this process. In addition to providing the fellow with training in scientific techniques, the fellow is training and mentoring high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in STEM. The fellow is receiving mentorship training, and mentoring an undergraduate research student from an underrepresented group in STEM through the Woods Hole Partnership Education Program. The fellow is also collaborating with a middle school educator to lead a marine biology student group project related to the fellowship research. This project will be part of a middle school oceanography club, composed of 61% female students, 23% Hispanic students, and 24% Native American students, in the fellow?s hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona. Combined, these efforts provide students with an opportunity to access and participate in real science as it happens.

这是美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金，隶属于“扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与”项目。这位名叫丽贝卡·赫尔姆（Rebecca Helm）的研究员正在进行研究并接受培训，以增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究员由两家主办机构的两位赞助科学家指导：安·塔兰特（伍兹霍尔海洋研究所）和艾伦·柯林斯（史密森学会）。这位研究员的研究考察了动物的进化和发展，以水母为模型系统。许多在发育过程中改变形状的动物物种（“变形”）对人类具有重要的经济意义，包括水母，它们影响着发电厂、渔业、旅游业和人类健康。例如，水母的大量繁殖会使沿海水域不适合游泳者，并与经济上重要的鱼类争夺食物资源。在它们生命的大部分时间里，“真正的水母”（水母）看起来与我们对典型水母的印象完全不同。珊瑚虫全年都有，看起来更像小海葵。当季节条件有利时，这些珊瑚虫发育成许多小的幼年水母，形状更像“典型”水母。这位研究员正在研究引发水母改变形状的环境和化学因素，以及与这些因素相关的基因。这项研究的目的是深入了解水母生产的细胞机制，以及预测水母繁殖的潜在遗传工具。为了了解孢子虫的变态，研究员正在使用多种方法，包括药理学、组织学、测序和功能技术。这位研究员正在使用药物来触发或抑制水母的变态，然后识别与这些反应相关的基因。此外，该研究员正在使用功能分子技术来测试不同基因在不同物种的变态过程中的作用。由此产生的研究将为水母变态的细胞机制以及包括潜在污染物在内的不同化合物在这一过程中可能发挥的作用提供关键的见解。除了为研究员提供科学技术培训外，该研究员还培训和指导来自STEM中代表性不足群体的高中生和本科生。该研究员正在接受导师培训，并通过伍兹霍尔伙伴关系教育计划指导一名来自STEM领域代表性不足群体的本科研究生。该研究员还与一名中学教育工作者合作，领导一个与奖学金研究相关的海洋生物学学生小组项目。该项目将成为一所中学海洋学俱乐部的一部分，该俱乐部由61%的女生，23%的西班牙裔学生和24%的美洲原住民学生组成。他的家乡是亚利桑那州的弗拉格斯塔夫。综合起来，这些努力为学生提供了一个接触和参与真正科学的机会。