NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: Coevolutionary genomics of a dual-purpose marine symbiosis

这一行动为NSF 2019财年生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大了生物学领域代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持一项针对该研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。动物和它们生活的微生物(微生物共生体)之间的共同进化往往会导致新的分子等变化，从而保护宿主有机体。如果微生物共生体从父母传给后代，当环境保持不变时，这通常是一个优势。相比之下，经常经历变化的海洋生态系统可能会为从环境中获得微生物共生体的生物提供优势。该项目将分析一种名为等足目的海洋甲壳类动物与名为蓝藻的微生物之间的相互作用。这项研究将使用这个海洋共生的模型系统来测试关于生物如何共同进化的进化理论。该研究员将同时开发一个桥梁项目，重点是为代表不足的社区大学生提供海洋科学研究机会，从而为学生提供本国机构无法提供的培训。在这样做的过程中，该项目将提供种群基因组学、元基因组学和科学潜水方面的培训。珊瑚礁栖息的等足类动物(SATIA)培养两用蓝藻--这些共生体是等足类动物的主要食物来源，并提供防御捕食的能力。防御是通过显眼的警告颜色和捕食性鱼类不喜欢的化合物来实现的。理论预测，这些共生体应该是一个多样化的、未分化的微生物组合，这与“无所不在”的假说是一致的。然而，Santia孵化他们的后代，这应该有利于垂直传播和共同多样化。这项研究将使用微生物群落图谱来确定共生体的益处是来自微生物物种的联盟还是来自单一的专门谱系。共生体的传播将通过比较等足类地理种群结构与共生体遗传种群和群落结构的空间格局来确定。等足目和共生体的共同分歧将使用比较植物基因组学来检验，其中等足目-共生体系统缺乏防御化合物和色素。该研究员将创建一个“海洋科学路径(MSP)”项目，该项目将作为“多样性项目”的支线，该项目是一个研究密集型国际夏季项目，旨在通过提供一条通往博士项目的途径来增加海洋科学的多样性。MSP将从社区学院招募代表不足的学生进行研究，并参加一个期刊俱乐部，TDP校友的博士生将在其中讨论科学和进入研究生院的途径。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。

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. Coevolution between animals and the microorganisms they live with (microbial symbionts) often results in changes such as novel molecules, that can protect the host organism. If the microbial symbionts are passed from parent to offspring it is usually an advantage when the environment stays the same. In contrast, marine ecosystems, which often experience change, may provide an advantage to organisms that acquire their microbial symbionts from the environment. This project will analyze the interaction of a marine crustacean called an isopod with microbes called cyanobacteria. The research will use this model system of marine symbioses to test evolutionary theories about how organisms coevolve. The fellow will simultaneously develop a bridge program focused on providing marine science research opportunities to underrepresented community college students, thus giving students training unavailable at their home institutions. In doing so, the project will provide training in population genomics, meta-genomics, and scientific diving.Reef-dwelling isopods (Santia) cultivate dual-purpose, cyanobacteria - these symbionts are the isopod's primary food source and provide defense from predation. Defense is conferred via conspicuous warning coloration and compounds that are unpalatable to predatory fishes. Theory predicts these symbionts should be a diverse and undifferentiated microbial assemblage, consistent with the 'Everything is Everywhere' hypothesis. However, Santia brood their young, which should favor vertical transmission and co-diversification. This research will use microbial community profiling to determine whether symbiont benefits derive from a consortium of microbial species or a single specialized lineage. Symbiont transmission will be determined by comparing isopod geographic population structure against spatial patterns of symbiont genetic population and community structure. Isopod and symbiont co-divergence will be examined using comparative phylo-genomics with an isopod-symbiont system lacking defensive compounds and pigment. The fellow will create a 'Marine Science Pathways (MSP)' program that will act as a feeder to 'The Diversity Project' a research-intensive international summer program focused on increasing diversity in marine science by providing a pathway to PhD programs. MSP will recruit underrepresented students from community colleges to conduct research and participate in a journal club where PhD students who are TDP alumni will discuss science and paths to graduate school.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.