NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Form and Function of a water specialist orb weaver: From Molecules to Biomechanics

这一行动资助了NSF 2022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的群体的参与。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。蜘蛛使用不同类型的丝构建网，具有不同的功能，包括用于拦截和阻止猎物的坚固而坚韧的拖网丝，粘在猎物上的可重复使用的胶水，以及将丝固定在基质上的耐用附着盘。尽管人们对这些特性非常感兴趣，但蜘蛛丝的性能，特别是在蜘蛛网结构的背景下，在少数物种中得到了很好的研究。在具有挑战性的栖息地中的非典型网有助于揭示自然选择如何为不同的应用而改变丝绸。该项目将推进丝绸结构、力学和进化生态学之间的功能联系的知识，并将扩大丝绸的可能应用范围，从单线到线网，以及甚至可以粘在水面上的胶水。这项研究还将为该研究员的独立研究生涯做好准备，从代表性较低的群体中招收本科生，并将使蜘蛛丝研究向公众广泛开放。对于小动物来说，空气-水界面的生命是一个根本性的挑战。Wendilgarda Clara蜘蛛使用一种不寻常的、缩小的、水平的球网固定在溪流的水面上来捕捉漂浮的猎物。在水界面狩猎可能需要进化固定在水中的附着盘的独特结构和化学物质，以及进化新的蛋白质，以便能够使用单股丝网捕获猎物。该项目的目标是：(1)确定Wengilgarda蛛网是如何通过丝素化学、管口形态和行为附着在水中的；(2)了解在猎物捕获过程中丝质材料特性和丝网形状是如何相互作用的；以及(3)表征Wendilgarda丝网蛋白的结构和进化。这项工作整合了尖端的分子和生物力学工具，将丝绸的性能从蛋白质到自然界中的整个网络联系起来。该项目通过招募马萨诸塞州和俄亥俄州当地大学的本科生以及波多黎各公立学校的本科生和高中生来扩大参与范围。现场工作、项目进展和结果将通过社交媒体传播，也将促进生物材料的发展，因为附着盘丝绸在开发能够粘在水面上的坚固、坚固的超强胶方面具有巨大的潜力。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 2022, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. Spiders build webs using different silk types with distinct functionalities, including strong and tough dragline silk to intercept and stop prey, reusable glue that sticks to prey, and durable attachment disks that anchor silk to substrates. Despite great interest in these properties, spider silk performance, especially in the context of web architecture, is well-studied in few species. Atypical webs in challenging habitats help to reveal how natural selection has modified silks for different applications. This project will advance knowledge of the functional links between silk structure, mechanics and evolutionary ecology, and will expand the range of possible silk applications from single threads to thread networks, as well as glues that could even stick to water surfaces. This study will also prepare the fellow for an independent research career, recruit undergraduate students from underrepresented groups, and will make spider silk research widely accessible to public audiences. Life at the air-water interface is a fundamental challenge for small animals. The spider Wendilgarda clara uses an unusual, reduced, horizontal orb web anchored to the water surface of streams to catch floating prey. Hunting at the water interface potentially requires the evolution of unique architecture and chemistry for attachment discs anchoring to water and the evolution of novel proteins to enable prey capture using single strands of silk in webs. The objectives of this project are: (1) to determine how Wengilgarda webs attach to water through silk chemistry, spigot morphology, and behavior; (2) to understand how silk material properties and web shape interact during prey capture; and (3) to characterize the structure and evolution of Wendilgarda web silk proteins. The work integrates cutting-edge molecular and biomechanics tools to link silk performance from proteins to whole webs in nature. The project broadens participation by recruiting undergraduates from local universities in Massachusetts and Ohio, as well as undergraduate and high school students from public schools in Puerto Rico. Field work, project progress and results will be disseminated by social media and will also promote biomaterial development, since attachment disc silk shows great potential for developing strong, robust superglues that could stick to water surfaces.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.