NSF PRFB FY 2023: The genomics of local adaptation of larval settlement in a biofouling marine invertebrate

该行动资助了美国国家科学基金会2023财年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。海洋生态系统中的许多动物都有一个幼虫阶段，然后变成幼崽。影响幼虫选择定居方式和地点的因素在很大程度上是未知的。由藻类、细菌和其他微生物组成的生物膜产生各种化学信号，幼虫可以用它们的感觉系统检测到这些信号，从而做出定居决定。这项研究将使用刺胞动物Ectopleura crocea， e.c rocea，一种新英格兰海洋结构和码头常见的生物污垢物种，来确定生物膜如何影响幼虫的定居。该奖项将最终加深对幼虫定居和昂贵的生物污染如何在气候变化面前发生变化的理解，并将为导致当地适应的条件提供见解。此外，该奖项将允许研究员学习新技术，获得指导本科生研究人员的经验，并参与外展计划，与北卡罗来纳州夏洛特市的多元化社区进行接触和支持。该研究员将研究生物膜中微生物群落的组成如何因地点而异，并影响幼虫的定居，评估当地适应性。这名研究员假设，不同的crocea种群在当地适应了特定的生物膜，在那里，幼虫会在成虫相关的微生物上形成线索。第一个目的是研究缅因湾不同种群的crocea幼虫对独特生物膜的幼虫沉降反应，通过在多个地区进行互惠移植幼虫沉降实验。它将表征生物膜中微生物的组成和功能。第二个目标是研究croea的基因组种群结构以及与不同种群的成虫相关的微生物。该研究员将把这些结果与幼虫定居研究联系起来，以深入了解基因型-表型相互作用。第三个目标是测试温度升高如何影响不同地区生物膜中的微生物群落，以及这如何影响来自不同种群的幼虫的定居。通过赞助科学家的指导，研究员将获得群体遗传学和微生物学的实验室和计算技能培训。该研究员将参加并共同组织北卡罗来纳大学夏洛特分校的活动，以扩大对STEM的参与。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 2023, 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. Many animals in marine ecosystems have a larval stage that transforms into a juvenile. The factors that impact how and where larvae choose to settle are largely unknown. Biofilms composed of algae, bacteria, and other microbes produce various chemical cues that larvae may detect with their sensory system to make settlement decisions. This research will use the cnidarian Ectopleura crocea, E. crocea, a biofouling species common to New England marine structures and docks, to determine how biofilms impact larval settlement. This award will ultimately deepen the understanding of how larval settlement and costly biofouling may change in the face of climate change and will provide insights into conditions that lead to local adaptation. Additionally, this award will allow the fellow to learn new techniques, gain experience mentoring undergraduate researchers, and participate in outreach programs to engage with and support the diverse community in Charlotte, North Carolina. The fellow will study how the composition of microbial communities in biofilm differs by location and influences larval settlement, assessing local adaptation. The fellow hypothesizes that distinct populations of E. crocea are locally adapted to specific biofilms, where larvae are cueing in on adult-associated microbes. The first aim will investigate the larval settlement response of E. crocea larvae from different populations in the Gulf of Maine to unique biofilms by performing reciprocal transplant larval settlement experiments across a panel of localities. It will characterize the composition and function of the microbes in the biofilm. The second aim will examine the genomic population structure of E. crocea and the microbes associated with adults from different populations. The fellow will correlate these results to the larval settlement study to gain insight into genotype-phenotype interactions. The third aim will test how increased temperatures impact microbial communities in biofilm across localities and how that impacts the settlement of larvae from different populations. Through the mentorship of the sponsoring scientist, the fellow will gain training in laboratory and computational skills in population genetics and microbiology. The fellow will participate in and co-organize activities at UNC Charlotte to broaden participation in STEM.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.