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

NSF PRFB 2023 财年：生物污损海洋无脊椎动物幼虫定居的局部适应基因组学

• 批准号: 2305737
• 负责人: Sydney Birch
• 金额: $ 24万
• 依托单位: Birch, Sydney
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-08-01 至 2026-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2305737&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; PRFB; FY; 2023; genomics

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.

这项行动资助了2023财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，综合研究调查了基因组，环境和表型之间的生命管理相互作用的规则。该研究金支持研究员的研究和培训，以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。海洋生态系统中的许多动物都有一个从幼虫阶段转变为少年的阶段。影响幼虫选择如何和在哪里定居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。本研究将利用刺胞动物Ectopleuracrocea、E.大黄鱼，一种常见于新英格兰海洋结构和码头的生物污损物种，以确定生物膜如何影响幼虫定居。该奖项将最终加深对幼虫定居和昂贵的生物污损在气候变化面前如何变化的理解，并将提供对导致当地适应的条件的见解。此外，该奖项将允许研究员学习新技术，获得指导本科研究人员的经验，并参与外展计划，以参与和支持北卡罗来纳州夏洛特的多元化社区。该研究员将研究生物膜中微生物群落的组成如何因位置而异，并影响幼虫定居，评估当地适应情况。这位研究员假设，不同的E.大黄鱼在当地适应了特定的生物膜，在那里，幼虫正在暗示与成虫相关的微生物。第一个目的是研究艾美耳球虫幼虫的附着反应。大黄鱼幼虫从不同的人口在缅因州海湾独特的生物膜通过执行相互移植幼虫定居实验在一个小组的地方。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E.大黄鱼和与不同种群的成年人有关的微生物。该研究员将这些结果与幼虫定居研究相关联，以深入了解基因型-表型相互作用。第三个目标将测试温度升高如何影响各地生物膜中的微生物群落，以及如何影响不同种群幼虫的定居。通过赞助科学家的指导，该研究员将获得群体遗传学和微生物学实验室和计算技能方面的培训。该研究员将参与并共同组织在夏洛特夏洛特的活动，以扩大参与STEM。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。