RII Track-2 FEC: Using Natural Variation to Educate, Innovate, and Lead (UNVEIL): A Collaborative Research Network to Advance Genome-to-Phenome Connections in the Wild

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Non-technical descriptionUnderstanding how organisms function in complex environments and how they acclimate and adapt to environmental challenges, remains a central problem in biology. This Research Infrastructure Improvement Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (RII Track-2 FEC) award capitalizes on complementary research strengths at the University of Montana (UM) and the University of Nebraska - Lincoln (UNL) to address fundamental scientific questions that are relevant to adaptation fitness and conservation of wild populations. The project team members will form a network ?Using Natural Variation to Educate, Innovate, and Lead (UNVEIL)? to work collaboratively on three core research projects. These projects use newly developed genomic technologies to understand the genetic basis of traits that influence the survival of wild animals and plants in changing environments. This interdisciplinary research will not only advance the understanding of how organisms cope with environmental challenges, but will also generate fundamental knowledge about how complex traits arise from variation in genomes. Such general insights have major implications that extend to conservation biology, agriculture, and medicine. To help ensure that the research advances have real-world utility, the UNVEIL network members will work closely with other stakeholders to develop guidelines for the application of genomic information to conservation. The project brings together an interdisciplinary group of philosophers, geneticists, wildlife biologists, and natural resource managers to develop guidelines for when and how genomic interventions should be used. The UNVEIL network will also provide an ideal environment for the development of early career faculty and for training postdoctoral fellows and students in cutting-edge science and the ethical complexities of using genomic insights in conservation. Technical DescriptionNewly developed systems genetics approaches to understand the links between genotype and phenotype have rarely been applied to natural populations in the context of environmental gradients. This project seeks to meet this challenge by harnessing systems genetics to advance the understanding of the genetic basis of fitness-related traits in natural populations. The focus will be on three distinct species: the snowshoe hare for its seasonal color molts; deer mice for its hypoxia response to altitude changes; and Yellowstone monkeyflowers for its survival on hot soils. These scientific research activities are paired with an ethics project explicitly considering whether, when, and how to translate genomic knowledge into conservation interventions. The project engages early-career faculty in research, education, and outreach activities and mentors them for leading positions as they progress in their careers. In addition, the project will provide independent research opportunities to postdoctoral fellows and interdisciplinary training to graduate students and empower the next generation of genome scientists to apply genomic insights to conservation challenges. Recruitment of postdoctoral fellows and graduate and undergraduate students will focus on increasing the participation of underrepresented minority groups. Annual symposia, workshops, exchange visits, and other training opportunities will be coordinated by faculty members at UM and UNL together with other network members from state and federal organizations. Stakeholder communications will be facilitated by video products created by media arts students and scientists working together in translating the research results and scientific concepts for general audiences.