NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: The role of genotype by social environment interactions on evolutionary trap susceptibility in groups of fruit flies

该行动资助2021财年NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，研究基因组，环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则的综合研究。该奖学金支持将以创新方式对生活规则领域作出贡献的研究员的研究和培训。环境变化的速度超过了大多数物种的适应能力。由于行为反应是动物对环境变化最直接的反应之一，因此行为失误对许多物种的生存尤其有害。进化陷阱是一种常见的行为陷阱，当动物根据过时或误导性的信息做出决定时，就会发生这种情况。然而，对进化陷阱的研究忽略了物种经历潜在陷阱的社会环境，从而忽略了大多数动物生活的一个关键方面。这项研究将通过研究个体社会行为和社会群体组成的差异如何影响动物是否落入陷阱，以及这如何导致社会特征的快速进化，来解决这一知识差距。虽然在实验室中使用果蝇可以对行为和遗传学进行严格的检查，但这项研究将具有广泛的意义，因为所研究的动力学在动物王国中很常见。此外，该项目将支持旨在增加不同科学背景的学生和研究人员的参与和保留的活动。这项研究将使用一种已知在社会行为上有遗传变异的普通果蝇——黑腹果蝇。在人类主导的环境中，果蝇遇到了一个常见的进化陷阱：苹果醋陷阱。该项目的第一个目标是量化个体对与陷阱相关的社会线索的吸引力的遗传变异。第二个目的是利用群体行为分析和社会网络分析来衡量间接遗传效应和新兴群体特征对陷阱吸引的作用。最后，第三个目标是确定陷阱如何导致社会行为和其他相关特征的进化，使用人工进化实验配对rna测序来确定基因表达的变化。该项目将行为学研究工具（如最先进的跟踪软件、社会网络理论）的最新进展与定量遗传学和基因组学（如下一代测序）相结合，并为研究员提供这些实践方面的培训，具有极大的潜力，可以增加进化陷阱和社会行为领域的研究。此外，该研究员将建立一个博士后同伴指导小组，与保护生物学学会和莱斯大学STEM参与办公室一起开发外展材料，并指导本科生研究人员开发自己的独立项目。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 2021, 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. Environmental change is happening faster than most species can adapt. Since behavioral responses are one of the most immediate reactions an animal can have toward changes in their environment, behavioral missteps can be especially harmful for the survival of many species. Evolutionary traps are a common type of behavioral pitfall, which happens when animals make decisions based on outdated or misleading information. However, the study of evolutionary traps is missing a critical aspect of most animals’ lives by ignoring the social setting in which species experience potential traps. This research will address this knowledge gap by studying how differences in both individual social behavior and social group composition influences whether animals fall for traps, and how this could lead to the rapid evolution of social traits. While the use of fruit flies in the lab enables rigorous examination of behavior and genetics, this research will have widespread implications because the dynamics studied are common across the animal kingdom. In addition, this project will support activities intended to increase the participation and retention of students and researchers from diverse backgrounds in the sciences.This research will use a population of Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, with known genetic variation in social behaviors. Fruit flies encounter a common evolutionary trap in human-dominated landscapes: the apple cider vinegar trap. The first aim of the project is to quantify genetic variation in individual attraction to social cues associated with traps. The second aim is to measure the role of indirect genetic effects and emergent group traits on attraction to traps using group behavioral assays and social network analysis. Lastly, the third aim is to identify how traps could cause the evolution of social behaviors and other correlated traits using an artificial evolution experiment paired with RNA-sequencing to identify changes in gene expression. This project has great potential to add to the fields of evolutionary traps and social behavior by integrating the latest advances in behavioral research tools (i.e., state-of-the-art tracking software, social network theory) with quantitative genetics and genomics (i.e., next-generation sequencing), and providing training in these practices to the fellow. In addition, the fellow will establish a postdoctoral peer mentorship group, develop outreach materials with the Society for Conservation Biology and the Rice University Office of STEM Engagement, and mentor undergraduate researchers developing their own independent projects.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.