NSF PRFB FY23: Understanding the evolutionary importance and vectoring mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer within a parasitic plant system

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。共生，描述了两种不同生物之间的相互作用，对地球上的所有生命都很重要。寄生是共生的一种形式。这个项目将研究一种叫做尸花的寄生植物，它依靠其他植物生存。它的目的是研究这种植物和在自然栖息地为它们授粉的昆虫之间的关系。由于这些关系已经进化了数百万年，因此细菌和病毒等较小的生物体也可能随着时间的推移而进化。细菌和病毒也可能有助于植物之间的基因转移，甚至可能是植物和授粉昆虫之间的基因转移。这项研究将结合联合收割机的实地工作和对细菌和病毒基因组的研究，以增加我们对基因如何在不同生物体之间移动的理解。此外，本研究亦会为学生设计科学活动，让他们加深对生态学的认识，包括：（1）对寄生植物系统中的各种细菌和病毒群落进行全面的多尺度微生物调查（2）鉴定和表征这种寄生植物系统内的水平基因转移事件;（3）设计微生物相互作用网络，以评估寄生植物系统内基因水平转移的结构模式;（4）发展科学工作坊课程及不同年龄学生的外展活动，让学生认识生物学;（5）鼓励本科生进行实质性的独立科学研究。展望未来，该项目的发现可以更好地为生态模型提供信息，以预测微生物传播和水平基因转移事件将如何影响真核生物之间的其他共生关系。该系统旨在描述水平基因组转移的进化创新及其对微生物和真核生物宿主基因组组装的贡献，以及这最终如何告知生物表型并管理生态相互作用。该奖项反映了NSF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评审标准进行评估，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. Symbiosis, which describes the interaction between two different organisms, is important to all life on Earth. Parasitism is one form of symbiosis. This project will look at a parasitic plant called the corpse flower, which relies on other plants to survive. It aims to study the relationship between this plant and the insects that pollinate them in their natural habitat. Because these relationships have evolved over millions of years, it is likely that smaller organisms like bacteria and viruses have also evolved with them over time. Bacteria and viruses may also contribute to the transfer of genes among plants, and maybe even between plants and the insects that pollinate them. This study will combine field work and studies of the genomes of bacteria and viruses to add to our understanding of how genes move between different organisms. Also, from this research, science activities will be designed for students to learn more about ecology.This project will include (1) a comprehensive multi-scale microbial survey of the various bacterial and viral communities across a parasitic plant system (Rafflesiaceae-Tetrastigma); (2) identification and characterization of horizontal gene transfer events within this parasitic plant system; (3) design of microbial interaction networks to assess the structural patterns of horizontal gene transfer within this parasite plant system; (4) development of a science workshop curriculum and outreach activities at various age levels for students to discover biology; and (5) encouragement of substantial independent scientific research experiences for undergraduate students. Moving forward, the findings from this project can better inform ecological models to predict how microbial transmission and horizontal gene transfer events will influence other symbiotic relationships between eukaryotic organisms. This system aims to describe the evolutionary innovation of horizontal genome transfer and its contribution to genomic assembly in microbes and eukaryote hosts and how this ultimately informs organismal phenotypes and governs ecological interactions.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.