The Microevolution of Craniofacial Development in Threespine Stickleback

生物学家通过研究模式生物中的诱导突变，在理解简单性状的遗传基础方面取得了很大进展。然而，大多数性状是复杂的，它们的发展是由许多受环境条件影响的基因指导的。Cresko实验室将研究三棘鱼的自然种群，以了解复杂的头部和颌骨特征变异的发育遗传基础。这些结构在个体、种群和物种之间差异巨大。尽管存在这种多样性，但头部和下颌结构的发育是通过保守的遗传相互作用发生的，并且将证明在其他脊椎动物（如人类）中类似结构的适当发育方面具有高度的信息性。这项研究将更好地了解复杂性状的遗传基础，无论是对棘鱼重要的性状，还是折磨数千万人的最常见的人类疾病。Cresko博士的小组对小学生和本科生的培训都有杰出的影响。他们也是研究界资源的积极贡献者。

Biologists have made great progress in understanding the genetic basis of simple traits, from the study of induced mutations in model organisms. However, most traits are complex, and their development is directed by many genes that are influenced by environmental conditions. The Cresko laboratory will examine natural populations of threespine stickleback fish to understand the developmental genetic basis of variation in complex head and jaw traits. These structures vary tremendously among individuals, populations and species. Despite this diversity, the development of head and jaw structures occurs through conserved genetic interactions and will prove highly informative about the proper development of similar structures in other vertebrates such as humans. This research will provide a much better understanding of the genetic basis of complex traits, be they characters important for stickleback, or the most common types of human diseases that afflict tens of millions of people. Dr. Cresko's group has an outstanding of outreach to elementary students and also of undergraduate training. They are also active contributors to the resources of the research community.