RII Track-2FEC: Genomic Ecology of Coastal Organisms (GECO)? A Systems-Based Research and Training Program in Genome-Phenome Relationships in the Wild

RII Track-2FEC：沿海生物基因组生态学 (GECO)？

• 批准号: 1826777
• 负责人: Adrienne Kovach
• 金额: $ 399.87万
• 依托单位: University of New Hampshire
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Cooperative Agreement
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-08-15 至 2024-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1826777&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RII; Track; 2FEC; Genomic; Ecology

Nontechnical DescriptionThis Research and Infrastructure Improvement Track-2 Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (RII Track-2 FEC) award harnesses complementary research expertise at the Universities of New Hampshire and Maine for an integrated study of genomes to phenomes in natural systems. The project team will develop a research and training program in the Genomic Ecology of Coastal Organisms (GECO) to advance understanding of the genetic bases of organismal responses to natural environments. The program integrates genomic technologies with field-based ecological and observational data of six species of tidal marsh birds inhabiting a harsh environmental gradient in a coastal ecosystem. The research will reveal insights into the genetic basis of adaptation at a genome-wide level and the links between genotype, phenotype and environment in the context of resulting organismal performance and fitness. These are key questions in evolutionary biology today, which can only be pursued through studies like this one of wild populations in dynamic, natural environments. The project will thereby advance understanding of long-standing questions in evolutionary biology as well as provide novel insight into genetic elements and mechanisms that underlie organismal resilience and adaptive capacity. The latter are important for predicting organismal responses to rapidly changing environments. To facilitate societal benefit, conservation implications of this project will be transferred directly to resource managers and other stakeholders. The project provides extensive training and mentoring opportunities for the team aimed at producing professionals adept at systems-level thinking at all biological scales. Educational activities include the development of a new graduate training certificate in ecological genomics and at the undergraduate-level, the development of active-learning modules aimed at addressing known conceptual difficulties in genetics, ecology, and evolution. Additional outreach programs will provide high school students from underrepresented low-income groups and rural areas with learning experiences focused on ecological adaptation and coastal ecosystems. Technical DescriptionOne of the largest gaps in our understanding of genome to phenome relationships is how these interactions are driven and constrained by environmental forces in free-living organisms. This collaborative project between the Universities of New Hampshire and Maine addresses this knowledge gap through a research and training program in the Genomic Ecology of Coastal Organisms (GECO), focused on advancing understanding of the genetic bases of organismal responses to natural environments. The systems-level approach of this program links genomic, transcriptomic, and phenotypic data to organismal performance and fitness, using six tidal marsh bird species undergoing parallel evolutionary processes in a dynamic coastal ecosystem. The research will advance understanding of long-standing questions in evolutionary biology about the genetic bases and genomic architecture of adaptation, the influence of phylogeny on parallel evolution, and the relative roles of phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaptation. It will also provide novel insight into genetic elements and mechanisms that underlie organismal resilience and adaptive capacity, as well as the extended effects of genome and phenome variation for ecological communities and ecosystems. The resulting insights are needed for predicting organismal responses to rapidly changing future environments, a critical and timely scientific goal with important societal benefits. Conservation implications of this research will be rapidly transferred to stakeholders from state, federal, and non-governmental organization with a focus on translating research into on-the-ground actions. The program provides training and mentoring for early career faculty, postdoctoral associates and numerous graduate and undergraduate students in ecological genomics. It creates a graduate certificate in Genome to Phenome Adaptation; active-learning, systems-level teaching modules for undergraduate genetics, ecology, and evolution courses; and STEM pedagogical training for post-docs and early career faculty. A Diversity Action Plan guides recruitment and retention of program members and STEM-based outreach programs will expose high school students from underrepresented low-income groups and rural areas to scientific tools and research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

非技术描述这个研究和基础设施改进Track-2专注于EPSCoR协作(RII Track-2 FEC)奖利用了新汉普郡大学和缅因州大学的互补研究专业知识，对自然系统中的基因组到表型组进行了综合研究。该项目团队将开发海岸生物基因组生态学(GECO)方面的研究和培训计划，以促进对生物对自然环境反应的遗传基础的了解。该计划将基因组技术与六种潮汐沼泽鸟类的野外生态和观测数据相结合，这些鸟类生活在沿海生态系统的严酷环境梯度中。这项研究将在全基因组水平上揭示适应的遗传基础，以及在由此产生的生物表现和适应性的背景下，基因型、表型和环境之间的联系。这些都是当今进化生物学中的关键问题，只有通过对动态自然环境中的野生种群进行研究才能解决这些问题。因此，该项目将促进对进化生物学中长期存在的问题的理解，并为支撑生物复原力和适应能力的遗传要素和机制提供新的见解。后者对于预测生物体对快速变化的环境的反应很重要。为了促进社会效益，该项目的保护影响将直接转移到资源经理和其他利益攸关方。该项目为团队提供了广泛的培训和指导机会，旨在培养擅长在所有生物规模上进行系统级思考的专业人员。教育活动包括开发新的生态基因组学研究生培训证书和本科水平，开发旨在解决遗传学、生态学和进化论中已知的概念困难的主动学习模块。其他外展计划将为来自代表不足的低收入群体和农村地区的高中生提供侧重于生态适应和沿海生态系统的学习经验。技术描述在我们对基因组与表现组关系的理解中，最大的差距之一是这些相互作用是如何在自由生活的有机体中受到环境力量的驱动和制约的。新汉普郡大学和缅因州大学之间的这个合作项目通过海岸生物基因组生态学(GECO)的研究和培训计划来解决这一知识差距，重点是促进对生物对自然环境反应的遗传基础的理解。该计划的系统级方法将基因组、转录组和表型数据与生物性能和适应性联系起来，使用在动态沿海生态系统中经历平行进化过程的六种潮汐沼泽鸟类。这项研究将促进对进化生物学中长期存在的问题的理解，这些问题包括适应的遗传基础和基因组结构，系统发育对并行进化的影响，以及表型可塑性和遗传适应的相对作用。它还将为生物体的复原力和适应能力背后的遗传要素和机制，以及基因组和表现组变异对生态群落和生态系统的扩展影响提供新的见解。由此产生的洞察力对于预测生物体对快速变化的未来环境的反应是必要的，这是一个具有重要社会效益的关键和及时的科学目标。这项研究的保护影响将迅速转移到州、联邦和非政府组织的利益相关者手中，重点是将研究转化为实地行动。该计划为早期职业教师、博士后助理以及众多生态基因组学研究生和本科生提供培训和指导。它为本科生的遗传学、生态学和进化论课程创建了一个研究生证书，包括基因组到现象组的适应；为本科生遗传学、生态学和进化论课程提供的主动学习、系统级教学模块；以及为博士后和早期职业教师提供的STEM教学培训。多样性行动计划指导计划成员的招募和保留，基于STEM的外展计划将使来自代表不足的低收入群体和农村地区的高中生接触到科学工具和研究。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Divergent selection and drift shape the genomes of two avian sister species spanning a saline–freshwater ecotone

• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5804
• 发表时间: 2018-06
• 期刊: Ecology and Evolution
• 影响因子: 2.6
• 作者: J. Walsh;Gemma V. Clucas;M. MacManes;W. K. Thomas;Adrienne I. Kovach

The Importance of Eco-evolutionary Potential in the Anthropocene

人类世生态进化潜力的重要性

• DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab010
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: BioScience
• 影响因子: 10.1
• 作者: Wood, Zachary T;Palkovacs, Eric P;Olsen, Brian J;Kinnison, Michael T
• 通讯作者: Kinnison, Michael T

A test of a corollary of Allen's rule suggests a role for population density

对艾伦规则推论的检验表明人口密度的作用

• DOI: 10.1111/jav.02116
• 发表时间: 2019
• 期刊: Journal of Avian Biology
• 影响因子: 1.7
• 作者: Olsen, Brian J.;Froehly, Jennifer L.;Borowske, Alyssa C.;Elphick, Chris S.;Field, Christopher R.;Kocek, Alison R.;Kovach, Adrienne I.;Longenecker, Rebecca A.;Shriver, W. Gregory;Walsh, Jennifer
• 通讯作者: Walsh, Jennifer

Genomic data reveal the biogeographical and demographic history of Ammospiza sparrows in northeast tidal marshes

基因组数据揭示了东北潮汐沼泽中 Ammospiza 麻雀的生物地理和人口历史

• DOI: 10.1111/jbi.14208
• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: Journal of Biogeography
• 影响因子: 3.9
• 作者: Walsh, Jennifer;Kovach, Adrienne I.;Benham, Phred M.;Clucas, Gemma V.;Winder, Virginia L.;Lovette, Irby J.
• 通讯作者: Lovette, Irby J.

Habitat openness and edge avoidance predict Saltmarsh Sparrow abundance better than habitat area

栖息地开放度和边缘回避对盐沼麻雀丰度的预测效果优于栖息地区域

• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Ornithological applications
• 影响因子: 2.4
• 作者: Marshall, Hallie