NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2010

这一行动为2010财年NSF少数民族博士后研究奖学金提供了资金。该奖学金支持在东道主实验室为该研究员制定的研究和培训计划，该研究员还提出了扩大生物学参与度的计划。克里斯蒂娜·莱登-雷蒂格的这项研究和培训计划的标题是“入侵麻雀的生态表观遗传学”。这项研究的主办机构是南佛罗里达大学，赞助科学家是林恩·马丁博士。从历史上看，人们认为生物体行为的指令包含在其基因组中。然而，基因只有在表达时才会影响生物体的行为。现在已经知道，一个化学开关网络--统称为“表观基因组”--控制着基因表达或沉默的时间。此外，这些化学开关可以被有机体的环境改变。例如，一个充满压力的环境可以产生稳定的表观遗传变化，使个人在遇到未来的压力源时变得不那么恐惧，更具攻击性。这种行为的快速改变可能会使某些物种扩大它们的活动范围，成为害虫，因为表观遗传学在产生无畏、攻击性行为的过程中缩短了基因突变。这个项目正在使用普通的家雀来研究表观遗传学在生物入侵中的作用。虽然家雀已经在地球上的大部分地区定居，但它目前正在入侵肯尼亚中部。为了验证表观遗传修饰有助于物种迅速扩展到新栖息地的假设，正在对肯尼亚的家雀种群进行这些化学开关的特征和比较。培训目标包括将研究表观遗传修饰的新技术应用到与生态相关的环境中。这项工作的科学影响是广泛的，因为表观遗传修饰在进化和发育生物学中是相关的，在保护研究中发挥着重要作用。此外，当这项研究的结果通过保护组织在当地传播时，以及通过与肯尼亚国家博物馆的参与在国外传播时，可以防止未来的入侵。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2010. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Cristina Ledon-Rettig is "Ecological Epigenetics in Invasive House Sparrow." The host institution for this research is the University of South Florida and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Lynn Martin.Historically it was thought that the instructions for an organism's behavior are contained in its genome. However, genes only influence an organism's behavior when they are expressed. It is now known that a network of chemical switches - collectively known as the "epigenome" - governs when genes are expressed or silenced. Further, these chemical switches can be modified by an organism's environment. For instance, a stressful environmental can generate stable epigenetic changes that "program" individuals to be less fearful and more aggressive when they encounter future stressors. This rapid modification of behavior may enable certain species to expand their ranges and become pests because epigenetics shortcuts genetic mutation in generating fearless, aggressive behaviors. This project is using the common house sparrow to investigate the role of epigenetics in biological invasions. While the house sparrow has colonized most of the planet, it is currently invading central Kenya. To test the hypothesis that epigenetic modifications facilitate the rapid expansion of a species into novel habitats, these chemical switches are being characterized and compared among house sparrow populations in Kenya. Training objectives include applying new technologies for investigating epigenetic modification to an ecologically relevant setting. The scientific impact of this work is broad, as epigenetic modification is pertinent in evolutionary and developmental biology and plays an important role in conservation studies. In addition, the results from this research prevent future invasions when it is communicated locally through conservation groups, and abroad through involvement with the National Museum of Kenya.