FIBR Planning: Why are so many Plants Polyploid?

智力价值：这个项目集中在一个主要的，在生物学上没有答案的问题：为什么这么多的植物多倍体？ 多倍体在植物中的普遍性和在动物中的罕见性代表了这两个王国之间的基本基因组差异。 代表两个主要被子植物分支（双子叶植物：拟南芥和单子叶植物：水稻）的基因组序列，以及来自其他类群的新信息，提供了新的机会来研究多倍体的进化意义及其在被子植物中的丰度。 关于多倍体在进化中的作用的一个预期的新的综合，预计将普遍相关的被子植物和古代多倍体在其他王国，如真菌和动物。该规划项目的目标是组建一个多学科团队，并制定一个全面的研究计划。正在通过一系列小型会议和随后的讲习班来实现这些目标。 这些会议将使与会者能够探索计算方法，推断特定多倍化事件的古老性;将计算推断与古植物学和古气候学数据联系起来的可行性;以及湿实验室方法，以测试关于植物家族树中一系列分类群中多倍化的新假设。 更广泛的影响：该规划项目包括制定计划，以便有机会参与预科和研究生阶段的尖端综合生物学研究机会。这将与旨在有效地使代表性不足的群体参与该项目的强有力的外联方案相结合。 此外，还将制定计划，通过在网上传播对不同客户有价值的可交付成果，加强研究和教育基础设施。 这些材料是通过与参与机构的独特方案建立伙伴关系以及在这些方案之间建立联系而编写的。 例如，通过UGA项目参与者的NSF GK-12计划将积极促进新的研究为基础的教育材料的开发和实施。 项目参与者与10名GK-12研究生和一个相关的全州高中教师网络一起，正在探索隐喻的例子和对话，通过这些例子和对话来描绘关键的科学概念。 材料将被开发用于广泛传播，以提高公众对科学的理解，直接和通过博物馆（如佛罗里达州自然历史博物馆，其中三名参与者），自然中心，和类似的机构。

Intellectual merit: This project focuses on a major, unanswered question in biology: Why are so many plants polyploid? The prevalence of polyploidy in plants and its rarity in animals represent a fundamental genomic distinction between these kingdoms. Genomic sequences for representatives of each of two major angiosperm branches (dicots: Arabidopsis and monocots: Oryza), together with new information from other taxa, provide new opportunities to examine the evolutionary significance of polyploidy and its abundance in angiosperms. An anticipated new synthesis about the role of polyploidy in evolution is expected to be generally relevant both to angiosperms and ancient polyploids in other kingdoms such as fungi and animals. Goals in this planning project are the assembly of a multidisciplinary team and the development of a comprehensive research plan. These goals are being pursued through a series of smaller meetings followed by a workshop. These meetings will enable participants to explore computational methods for inferring the antiquity of specific polyploidization events; the feasibility of linking resulting computational inferences to paleobotanical and paleoclimatological data; and wet-lab approaches to test new hypotheses about polyploidization in an array of taxa across the plant family tree. Broader impacts: This planning project includes the development of plans for opportunities to participate in cutting-edge integrative biology research opportunities at both pre- and postgraduate levels. This will be coupled with ongoing ties to strong outreach programs designed to effectively engage under-represented groups in the project. Additionally, plans will be developed for enhancing the research and education infrastructure by Web-based dissemination of deliverables valuable to a diverse clientele. Such materials are being developed through partnerships with unique programs at the participating institutions and by forging links among these programs. For example, through an NSF GK-12 program at UGA project participants will contribute actively to the development and implementation of new research-based educational materials. Together with ten GK-12 graduate students and an associated statewide network of high-school teachers, project participants are exploring metaphorical examples and dialogue by which to portray key scientific concepts. Materials will be developed for broad dissemination to enhance public understanding of science, both directly and via museums (such as the FL Museum of Natural History, with which three participants are associated), nature centers, and similar institutions.