NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2020: From genomes to geographic distributions: testing the eco-evolutionary mechanisms of species range limits

2020 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：从基因组到地理分布：测试物种范围限制的生态进化机制

• 批准号: 2010892
• 负责人: John Benning
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Benning, John W
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2010892&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. One of the central questions of ecology and evolutionary biology is what limits species’ distributions — given the power of natural selection to produce adaptations to novel environments, why does every species occupy only a small portion of the Earth’s habitat? Related to this, what enables invasive species to rapidly expand their range while many native species have been in the same place for hundreds of generations? The ability of a species to expand its range will be determined by how quickly the environment changes across space and time, and the genetics underlying adaptation to new environments. This research will use experiments, genomics, and modeling to uncover the factors that promote and hinder adaptation of populations expanding across the landscape, while training undergraduates in key research methods and supporting informal, public science education. When the factors limiting species’ distributions are known, it will be possible to better manage invasive species, and more accurately predict how species’ ranges will shift in a changing climate. This project will use a complementary suite of approaches to elucidate the eco-evolutionary dynamics that promote and hinder adaptation across ecological gradients. First, the fellow will use experimental evolution of the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) to test the potentially interactive effects of gradient shape, dispersal potential, and temporal environmental variation on range expansion and adaptation to novel environments. The research will then use population genomic data from this experiment to understand the genetic changes underlying adaptation during range expansion, the genetic mechanisms preventing adaptation at stable range limits, and how gradient type, dispersal, and temporal variation influence range dynamics through population genetic effects. Finally, a novel individual-based simulation model will be built, parameterized with the experimental data, and extends recent range limit models by including temporal variation in selective environments. The fellow will recruit undergraduate students through the Wyoming Research Scholars Program, focusing on groups underrepresented in STEM fields, and mentor these students through the proposed research and support of individual projects. Outside the university, the fellow will bring engaging biology lessons to informal, public venues. Upon completion of this fellowship the fellow will have extensive, complementary experience in a range of theoretical, empirical, and genomics approaches.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.

该行动资助 2020 财年 NSF 生物学博士后研究奖学金，旨在调查基因组、环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则的综合研究。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训，以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。生态学和进化生物学的核心问题之一是是什么限制了物种的分布——考虑到自然选择的力量能够产生对新环境的适应，为什么每个物种只占据地球栖息地的一小部分？与此相关的是，是什么使得入侵物种能够迅速扩大其范围，而许多本地物种已经在同一个地方生活了数百代？一个物种扩大其活动范围的能力将取决于环境在空间和时间上的变化速度以及适应新环境的遗传学。这项研究将利用实验、基因组学和建模来揭示促进和阻碍整个地区人口适应的因素，同时培训本科生关键研究方法并支持非正式的公共科学教育。当了解限制物种分布的因素后，就可以更好地管理入侵物种，并更准确地预测物种分布范围在气候变化中将如何变化。该项目将使用一套互补的方法来阐明促进和阻碍跨生态梯度适应的生态进化动力学。首先，该研究员将利用红粉甲虫（赤拟谷盗）的实验进化来测试梯度形状、扩散潜力和时间环境变化对范围扩展和适应新环境的潜在相互作用影响。然后，该研究将利用该实验中的种群基因组数据来了解范围扩张过程中适应的遗传变化、在稳定范围限制下阻止适应的遗传机制，以及梯度类型、扩散和时间变化如何通过种群遗传效应影响范围动态。最后，将建立一个新颖的基于个体的模拟模型，用实验数据进行参数化，并通过包括选择性环境中的时间变化来扩展最近的范围限制模型。该研究员将通过怀俄明州研究学者计划招募本科生，重点关注 STEM 领域代表性不足的群体，并通过拟议的研究和支持个别项目来指导这些学生。在大学之外，该研究员将把引人入胜的生物学课程带到非正式的公共场所。完成该奖学金后，该研究员将在一系列理论、实证和基因组学方法方面拥有广泛的、互补的经验。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。