Acquisition of an Automated Genetic Analyzer For Research and Training in Systematics and Ecology.

宾夕法尼亚克拉里恩大学的罗杰·麦克弗森博士获得了一笔赠款，用于购买对几个重要研究项目至关重要的基因技术，以及培训生态学和分类学的本科生和硕士学生。购买的设备是带有基因测序的遗传分析仪、聚合酶链式反应(PCR)产品大小软件和定量软件。该系统允许克拉里昂大学的教职员工和学生研究人员进行基因测序活动，并使用遗传标记来确定小地理范围内高分辨率的个人和群体的遗传图谱或“基因指纹”。该仪器将支持由克拉里昂大学生态学教授领导的四个研究小组的努力。其中一个项目由项目主任R.麦克弗森领导，将使用遗传标记间接测量冷水鱼在不同程度破碎的流域中的扩散情况。这些间接的运动测量和更传统的直接测量将被用来检验关于冷水鱼类溪流间运动的假设。由安德鲁·特纳博士(Co-PD)领导的第二个研究小组将使用遗传分析来检查淡水蜗牛种群中基因流动和行为变异的关系。蜗牛种群在有捕食者的情况下改变栖息地用途的程度各不相同。对基因流动的研究将有助于更好地了解淡水蜗牛的局部适应。由查尔斯·威廉姆斯博士(Co-PD)领导的第三个小组将使用该仪器来研究长期浏览景观中木本植物的种群结构、基因流动和动态。由于频繁的觅食，许多植物物种的数量已经大大减少。然而，人们对关键林下植物的丧失如何影响森林功能和结构知之甚少。这个研究小组将使用遗传分析来了解这种关系。在史蒂文·哈里斯博士(Co-PD)的指导下，第四个研究小组将使用DNA序列变异来解决新热带尸蝇的遗传关系，这是一个高度多样化的无脊椎动物群体。它们的幼虫阶段是水生的，与蚂蚁和石蝇一起，生态学家经常利用它们作为溪流具有良好水质的指示器。在北美，这一群体的生物多样性是众所周知的，但在新热带地区，情况并非如此。哈里斯博士和他的学生在使用形态特征方面已经陷入了某种程度的僵局，但他们还没有把基因分析作为解决分类关系的手段。他们将比较基因序列，以研究这些重要河流生物的生物多样性。这些项目中的每一个都将使用最先进的基因技术来解决生态学和系统学中的基本问题。该奖项的广泛影响包括加强克拉里昂大学的研究基础设施。此外，这种仪器的出现将扩大系统学和生态学本科生和理科硕士学生的研究培训范围。它将允许学生与教师合作，亲身体验最新的基因技术，因为这些技术适用于环境生物学和系统学中的重要问题。随着使用这些技术的能力的扩大，将有更多的学生(包括女本科生和少数民族本科生)有机会获得宝贵的研究培训。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Roger McPherson at Clarion University of Pennsylvania to purchase genetic technology crucial to several important research projects and the training of undergraduate and Master's degree students in ecology and systematics. The equipment purchased is a Genetic Analyzer with gene sequencing, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) product sizing software, and quantitation software. This system allows faculty and student researchers at Clarion University to carry out gene sequencing activities and to use genetic markers that can determine the genetic profile, or "genetic fingerprint," of individuals and populations on a small geographic scale with a high degree of resolution. The instrumentation will support the efforts of four-research groups led by ecology faculty at Clarion University. One project, led by the Project Director, R. McPherson, will use genetic markers to indirectly measure the dispersal of coldwater fishes in watersheds having various degrees of fragmentation. These indirect measures of movement and more traditional direct measures will be used to test hypotheses of among stream movement of coldwater fishes. A second research group led by Dr. Andrew Turner (Co-PD) will use genetic analyses to examine the relationship of gene flow and behavioral variation among freshwater snail populations. Snail populations vary in the extent to which they shift habitat use in the presence of predators. Studies of gene flow will lead to a better understanding of local adaptation in freshwater snails. A third group directed by Dr. Charles Williams (Co-PD) would use the instrumentation to investigate population structure, gene flow, and dynamics of woody plants in a chronically browsed landscape. Many plant species have diminished greatly in abundance due to heavy browsing. However, little is known about how the loss of key understory plants has influenced forest function and structure. This research-group will be using genetic analyses to gain an understanding of this relationship. A fourth research-group under the guidance of Dr. Steven Harris (Co-PD) will use DNA sequence variation to resolve genetic relationships in Neotropical caddisflies, a highly diverse invertebrate group. Their larval stages are aquatic and along with the mayflies and stoneflies are often utilized by ecologists as indicators of streams possessing good water quality. In North America, the biodiversity of this group is fairly well known, but in the neotropics, such is not the case. Dr. Harris and his students have reached somewhat of an impasse using morphological characters, but have not yet looked at genetic analyses as a means of resolving taxonomic relationships. They will compare genetic sequences to study the biological diversity of these important stream organisms. Each of these projects will use state-of- the-art genetic technology to address fundamental questions in ecology and systematics. The broad implications of the award include the strengthening of the research infrastructure at Clarion University. Additionally, the presence of this instrumentation will expand the scope of the research training for undergraduate and Master of Science students in systematics and ecology. It will allow the students, collaborating with faculty, hands-on experience with the latest genetic techniques as these techniques apply to important issues in environmental biology and systematics. With the expansion of the capabilities in the use of these techniques a greater number of students (including female and minority undergraduates) will be afforded the opportunity to gain valuable research training.