NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Quality over Quantity: Uncovering the genetic mechanisms linking egg quality to fitness.

这一行动资助了NSF 2021财年生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该研究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。物种的生存取决于后代能否活到成年，将他们的基因传递给下一代。目前的研究表明，来自母体的鸡蛋营养成分，如一些脂肪和蛋白质，可以影响后代的存活。最重要的是，研究表明，鸡蛋营养成分的改变会对生存产生深远的影响。然而，目前尚不清楚的是，负责鸡蛋含量和存活率的基因，以及鸡蛋大小、质量和后代存活率之间是否存在遗传关联。这项研究建议成功地确定蛋大小、蛋质量和后代之间的遗传关系。识别控制这些性状的基因对于理解关于鸡蛋质量的重要性及其对物种生存的影响的基本进化和生态学问题是重要的。此外，这项拟议研究的结果可以作为基石，更好地了解人类相关的生殖困难。这项研究的更广泛的影响倡议将为代表不足的本科生提供开展科学研究和参加其他与科学有关的研讨会和会议的机会。制定这一倡议是为了解决STEM领域目前人数偏少的问题。参与者将接触到各种培训机会，同时与这位黑人女科学家一起获得技术经验和指导。这项研究将QTL作图与经典遗传学以及进化和重新测序方法相结合，允许全面发现影响复杂鸡蛋特征的基因，这些基因对健康至关重要。这项研究将检验这样一种假设，即对调节卵子含量的基因组基因座有各种和很大的影响，并且卵子含量、大小和后代存活率具有正线性遗传关系。该项目的博士后级别倡议是为了建立第一个大学范围内的黑人博士后组织--STEM中的黑人支持黑人组织(BSBS)。该组织的成员学者将与当地社区建立牢固的关系，建立网络平台，并创建导师/被辅导者管道，以提供社会支持和可能的研究合作。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, 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. Species survival depends upon offspring surviving to adulthood, to pass their genes unto the next generation. Current research demonstrates maternally derived egg nutritive content such as some fats and proteins, can impact offspring survival. Most importantly, studies show survival is profoundly influenced by altered egg nutritive content. What remains unclear however, are the genes responsible for egg content and survivorship, and whether there is a genetic correlation between egg size and quality and offspring viability. This research proposes to successfully identify the genetic relationship between egg size, egg quality, and offspring. Identifying genes that control these traits is important for understanding fundamental evolutionary and ecological questions regarding the importance of egg quality and its influence on species survival. Furthermore, findings from this proposed study can be used as building blocks to better understand human related reproductive difficulties. This research’s broader impact initiative would provide underrepresented undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct scientific research and participate in other science related workshops and meetings. This initiative was developed to address current low numbers of underrepresented individuals in STEM fields. Participants will be exposed to a variety of training opportunities, while acquiring technical experience and mentorship alongside the fellow, a Black, female scientist.This study combines QTL mapping with classical genetics and evolutionary and re-sequencing approaches, allowing for the comprehensive discovery of genes influencing complex egg traits critical for fitness. This research will test the hypothesis that there are various and large effects on genomic loci that regulate egg content, and that egg content, size, and offspring viability have a positive linear genetic relationship. The postdoctoral level initiative attached to the project is developed to establish the first university-wide Black postdoctoral organization, Blacks Supporting Blacks in STEM (BSBS). Member scholars of this organization will build a robust relationship with local communities, establish networking platforms, and create mentor/mentee pipelines to provide social support and possible research collaborations.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.