NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Adaptation along a thermal gradient in the holopelagic ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi

2021 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金：全背栉水母 Mnemiopsis leidyi 沿热梯度的适应

• 批准号: 2109712
• 负责人: Remi Ketchum
• 金额: $ 13.8万
• 依托单位: Ketchum, Remi N
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-02-01 至 2024-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2109712&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

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. Temperature affects all biological processes, yet the current understanding of how thermal environment impacts populations, organisms, and genetic responses is largely dominated by land and freshwater species. While studies in marine systems are growing in number, there are few studies investigating how marine systems adapt to temperatures in what are called holopelagic animals (animals that live their entire life in the water column). Studying organisms with biological traits distinct from classically studied organisms has great potential to broaden our understanding not only of these organisms, but of fundamental and broad evolutionary processes in general. This knowledge gap will be addressed by studying populations of the holopelagic ctenophore, Mnemiopsis leidyi from distinct thermal environments along its native range of the Atlantic coast of the United States. Investigating the mechanisms species employ to respond to contemporary thermal gradients will provide insights into their capacity to survive the rising temperatures associated with climate change. This project will increase participation in the sciences through mentoring and outreach to groups under-represented in science.This research will use an integrative approach to expand our understanding of how thermal environment drives differentiation in M. leidyi. First, whole-genome sequencing of M. leidyi populations along the Atlantic coast will be performed in order to characterize how thermal environment affects population dynamics in holopelagic animals. Second, experimental thermal assays from populations along this large latitudinal gradient will provide insights into geographic patterns of resilience to thermal stress and shed light on the interaction between temperature, development, and holopelagic dispersal. Finally, outlier analysis on the whole-genome sequencing data will elucidate how genotypic differentiation arises in the face of ongoing gene flow and how species with life history traits that necessitate exposure to a wide range of temperatures adapt. Importantly, the fellow will receive training in bioinformatics, embryo culturing techniques, developing inclusive research programs, and becoming a more effective science communicator.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。温度影响所有的生物过程，但目前对热环境如何影响种群、生物和遗传反应的理解主要是由陆地和淡水物种主导的。虽然对海洋系统的研究越来越多，但很少有研究调查海洋系统如何适应所谓的全海动物（一生都生活在水柱中的动物）的温度。研究具有不同于传统研究的生物特征的生物，不仅能拓宽我们对这些生物的理解，还能拓宽我们对基本的、广泛的进化过程的理解。这一知识缺口将通过研究美国大西洋沿岸不同热环境下的全覆盖栉水母，雷氏记忆藻来解决。研究物种应对当代温度梯度的机制将有助于了解它们在与气候变化相关的气温上升中生存的能力。该项目将通过对科学界代表性不足的群体进行指导和外联，增加人们对科学的参与。本研究将采用一种综合的方法来扩大我们对热环境如何驱动M. leidyi分化的理解。首先，将对大西洋沿岸的M. leidyi种群进行全基因组测序，以表征热环境如何影响全海动物的种群动态。其次，沿着这个大的纬度梯度对种群进行的实验性热分析将提供对热应力恢复力的地理模式的见解，并阐明温度、发育和整体扩散之间的相互作用。最后，对全基因组测序数据的异常值分析将阐明基因型分化是如何在持续的基因流中产生的，以及具有生活史特征的物种是如何适应大范围温度的。重要的是，该研究员将接受生物信息学、胚胎培养技术、开发包容性研究项目的培训，并成为更有效的科学传播者。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。