EAGER: Rapid Enrichment, Sequencing, and Assembly of Targeted Genomic DNA

智力优势：基因是生物信息的基本单位。大多数基因是DNA的离散片段，通过作为RNA生产的模板来“表达”（这一过程被称为转录）；随后对RNA的解码（一个被称为翻译的过程）导致在细胞中产生具有特定功能的蛋白质。基因表达的控制对所有生物都至关重要；转录起始的调控是控制基因表达的关键步骤。转录基因两侧的DNA区域通常包含称为顺式调控元件（CREs）的短序列。cre与蛋白质结合，蛋白质反过来控制邻近基因的转录起始；这种结合通常需要在cre中定义DNA序列。重要的cre在进化过程中保持恒定的序列，而周围的其他DNA则不受约束，在序列上漂移。因此，鉴定重要cre的一种有效方法是对来自多个相关物种的转录基因两侧的DNA序列进行比对。这种方法的一个主要技术瓶颈是确定侧翼DNA序列本身。该项目旨在开发一种快速灵活的方法来快速确定多个物种中感兴趣的基因周围的DNA序列。更广泛的影响：该项目涉及一名女博士生的培训，因此，解决了在科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）领域扩大女性参与的需求。该方法本身具有催化发现关键基因的多个cre的潜力。由此产生的对基因调控的理解可能反过来对生物科学的许多领域以及生物技术的潜在实际应用产生积极影响。

Intellectual Merit: Genes are the fundamental unit of biological information. Most genes are discrete segments of DNA which are "expressed" by being used as the templates for RNA production (a process known as transcription); subsequent decoding of the RNA (a process known as translation) results in the production of a protein with a defined function in the cell. Control of gene expression is critical for all organisms; regulation of the initiation of transcription is a critical step at which gene expression is controlled. Regions of DNA flanking transcribed genes often contain short sequences termed cis-regulatory elements (CREs). CREs are bound by proteins which in turn control initiation of transcription from the neighboring gene; this binding typically requires defined DNA sequences within the CREs. CREs which are important maintain a constant sequence over evolutionary time, while the other DNA surrounding them is unconstrained and drifts in sequence. Thus, a powerful method to identify important CREs is to align DNA sequences flanking transcribed genes from multiple, related species. A major technical bottleneck of this approach is determining the flanking DNA sequences themselves. This project seeks to develop a rapid and flexible method to quickly determine the DNA sequence surrounding a gene of interest in multiple species.Broader Impacts: This project involves the training of a female Ph.D. student, and as such, addresses the need to broaden inclusion of women in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The methodology itself has the potential to catalyze the discovery of multiple CREs for critical genes. The resulting understanding of gene regulation may in turn have positive impacts in many areas of the biological sciences, as well as potential practical applications in biotechnology.