Evolutionary genetics of speciation and adaptation in Caenorhabditis nematodes

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How do species adapt to different climatic regimes? What are the genes involved, and what are the mechanisms that operate at the molecular level to confer a match between an organism's traits and its environment? What genetic properties induce incompatible reproduction between groups of individuals to create and maintain distinct species? How general are common "rules" of such speciation, and what genetic properties underlie their evolution? These are some of the fundamental questions about the origins of biodiversity that this research seeks to answer. We aim to discern the genetic mechanisms that lead to adaptation and natural variability in traits like thermosensory behaviour and fertility that, in turn, can create and maintain species boundaries. To do so, we exploit the virtues of a model organism, the tiny nematode roundworm Caenorhabditis. These animals are superbly tractable in the lab, growing into adults in just 3 days and having a vast collection of experimental tools unavailable to most species. Our approach combines classic genetic breeding and manipulative experiments with cutting-edge technologies, including next-generation sequencing and genotyping, to rapidly map DNA sequence changes that affect important traits. We will apply these approaches to pre-existing experimental libraries of animals whose genomes are mosaics of distinct parentage and we will construct powerful new experimental tools. By conducting real-time experimental evolution in the laboratory, coupled with genome sequencing, we will decipher exactly how evolutionary processes actually manifest in genomes. This research will train highly-qualified personnel across the diverse range of experiences from undergraduate, to MSc and PhD, to postdoctoral, with skills applicable to jobs in life-science industries, biomedical sciences, government, and academia. The results of this research are anticipated to contribute broadly to our understanding of evolutionary responses of species to climate change and to the formation of biodiversity, as well as to fundamental genetic mechanisms important in animal development.