NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: What you eat affects the enemies that eat you: Examining the relationship between diet and natural enemies

该行动为2019财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。这项研究探讨了动物的饮食是如何帮助它从其他动物的攻击中幸存下来的。研究员研究的是秋天的网虫，一种以不同树木的叶子为食的毛虫。秋天的网虫受到寄生昆虫的攻击，寄生昆虫将卵产在毛虫体内并将其作为宿主。毛毛虫的免疫系统可以帮助抵御这些寄生昆虫，但免疫系统的强度会受到毛毛虫饮食的影响。研究员在科罗拉多州进行了实验和实地调查，以了解不同的树木是否能提高秋季网虫对黄蜂攻击的免疫力。昆虫的生存，像许多动物一样，依赖于它们栖息地的植物。由于气候变化改变了许多植物群落，昆虫也可能受到影响。这项研究将增加对重大气候事件剧烈改变植物群落时植物-昆虫相互作用如何变化的理解。此外，该研究员还与丹佛城市地区代表性不足的少数族裔学生密切合作。学生将参与野生动物调查，提高对野生动物的认识。该研究员还将通过创建一个由少数族裔背景的生物学家组成的在线网络来促进指导和指导的机会，这些生物学家将为高中生提供建议。对于分布广泛的动物来说，食物和天敌的相对重要性可能因生态群落的位置和组成而异。该研究员将使用基因组学来识别和量化在科罗拉多州攻击秋季网虫的寄生昆虫的多样性。接下来，研究员将使用实验室实验来测量饮食与秋季网虫营养质量之间的关系。最后，研究员将操纵毛虫的饮食，以研究不同的树种如何影响毛虫对寄生虫的免疫防御能力。这项研究包括两种方法来增加城市公立学校中代表性不足的少数民族学生与自然的互动。首先，研究员将采用体验式学习模式，为中学生创造互动式校外学习机会。第二，该研究员将建立一个专业生物学家的在线网络，这些生物学家同意成为对生物学感兴趣的高中生的导师。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2019, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. This study examines how the diet of an animal can help it survive attacks from other animals. The Fellow studies the fall webworm, a caterpillar that eats the leaves of different trees. Fall webworms are attacked by parasitic insects that lay their eggs inside the caterpillar and use it as a host. The caterpillar's immune system can help defend against these parasitic insects, but the strength of the immune system can be affected by the caterpillar's diet. The Fellow uses experiments and field surveys in Colorado to understand whether different trees increase the immunity of the fall webworm against wasp attacks. The survival of insects, like many animals, is dependent on the plants in their habitat. As changes in climate transform many plant communities, insects are likely to be affected too. This study will increase understanding of how plant-insect interactions might change if major climatic events drastically modify plant communities. In addition, the Fellow works closely with youth from underrepresented minority students from urban areas in Denver. Students will participate in wildlife surveys, which increase awareness of wildlife. The fellow will also promote opportunities for mentorship and guidance by creating an online network of biologists from minority backgrounds who will advise high school students. For widely distributed animals, the relative importance of diet and natural enemies can vary depending on location and composition of ecological communities. The Fellow will use genomics to identify and quantify the diversity of parasitic insects attacking fall webworm across its range in Colorado. Next, the Fellow will use lab experiments to measure the relationship between diet and the nutrient quality of fall webworms. Finally, the Fellow will manipulate the caterpillar's diet to examine how different tree species impact the caterpillar's ability to launch immune defenses against parasitic insects. This research includes two approaches to increase interactions with nature among underrepresented minority students in urban public schools. First, the Fellow will use an experiential learning model to create interactive out-of-school learning opportunities for middle school students. Second, the Fellow will build an online network of professional biologists who agree to be mentors for high school students with interests in biology.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.