NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Elucidating genomic, transcriptomic, and phenotypic consequences of genetic rescue in wild populations

这一行动为NSF 2021财年生物学博士后研究奖学金提供了资金，综合研究调查了支配基因组、环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训，这些研究员将以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。该项目利用遗传信息来改善濒危物种的保护。支持濒危物种的一个常见战略是将个体从大种群转移到小的近亲繁殖种群，这被称为“人类辅助迁徙”。这种交换减少了近亲交配，并经常改善接受群体的健康。然而，改善的确切原因却鲜为人知。Mitchell‘s Satyr蝴蝶(MSB)是一种极度濒危的蝴蝶，也是正在考虑进行人工迁徙的许多物种之一。Mitchell的Satyr曾经在美国有很大的范围，但现在仅限于密歇根州的少数种群和密西西比州更大但联系不上的种群。该项目将确定改善接受人口(密歇根州)后代健康的潜在遗传过程，以便为选择辅助移徙人口的决策提供信息。这种新的方法将广泛适用于保护其他濒临灭绝的物种，这些物种的种群互不相连，否则可能面临灭绝。这位研究员还将领导一个为期两天的本科生研讨会，以增加在野外生物学领域历史上代表性不足的群体的参与和纳入。研讨会包括寻找和应用研究机会，现场技术实践培训，以及专业网络建设，以增加学生从事研究的信心。模型系统的研究表明，近亲交配的个体对压力更敏感，由于近亲交配而导致的遗传变异减少的基因更有可能在压力环境中表达不适应，导致适应性降低。本项目通过以下方式研究辅助迁徙(基因流)缓解野生种群近交-应激关系的机制和程度：(1)通过对所有现有种群的全基因组测序，量化MSB范围内的基因组变异和近交；(2)评估密歇根、密西西比州和异交个体的临界热极大值，从而将耐热表型与基因组变异(1)和转录反应联系起来；(3)量化密歇根、密西西比和异交个体在热胁迫期间的基因表达，以确定受近交-应激关系影响最大的基因和分子途径，以及那些可能被异交拯救的基因和分子途径。该研究员将接受全基因组生物信息学培训，接受手稿准备方面的指导，并将与保护经理建立合作关系。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 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. This project leverages genetic information to improve the conservation of endangered species. A common strategy to support endangered species is moving individuals from large populations to small, inbred populations, known as “human-assisted migration”. This exchange reduces inbreeding, and often improves the health of recipient populations. However, the exact causes of improvement are poorly understood. Mitchell’s Satyr Butterfly (MSB) is a critically endangered butterfly, and one of many species for which human-assisted migration is being considered. Mitchell’s Satyr once had a large range in the US, but is now restricted to a few small populations Michigan and larger, but disconnected populations in Mississippi. This project will identify the underlying genetic processes that improve offspring health in recipient populations (Michigan) to inform decisions about the choice of populations for assisted-migration. This novel approach will be broadly applicable to conserving other endangered species with disconnected populations that might otherwise face extinction. The fellow will also lead a two-day workshop for undergraduates to increase involvement and inclusion of groups historically underrepresented in field biology. The workshop includes finding and applying to research opportunities, hands-on training in field techniques, and professional network building to increase the students’ confidence in pursuing research.Research in model systems suggests that inbred individuals are more sensitive to stress, and that genes with reduced genetic variation due to inbreeding are more likely to be expressed mal-adaptively in stressful environments, leading to decreased fitness. This project investigates the mechanism and extent by which assisted migration (gene flow) mitigates this inbreeding-stress relationship in wild populations by (1) Quantifying genomic variation and inbreeding across the range of MSB through whole-genome sequencing of all extant populations; (2) Assessing critical-thermal maxima in Michigan, Mississippi, and outcrossed individuals, thus linking heat-tolerance phenotype to genomic variation (1), and transcriptional response; and (3) Quantifying gene expression during heat stress in Michigan, Mississippi and outcrossed individuals to identify the genes and molecular pathways most impacted by the inbreeding-stress relationship, and those potentially rescued by outcrossing. The fellow will receive training in whole-genome bioinformatics, receive mentorship in manuscript preparation, and will build collaborative relationships with conservation managers.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.