NSF NPGI Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2012

本行动资助2012财年国家植物基因组计划博士后研究奖学金。该奖学金支持在宿主实验室的研究和培训计划，使研究员专注于植物基因组学的研究，重点是数量遗传学，现代育种方法和生物信息学。Rachel S. Meyer奖学金的研究和培训计划的标题是“西非土著河流农业栖息地非洲水稻（Oryza Glaberrima）耐盐性选择”。该奖学金的主办机构是纽约大学，赞助科学家是Michael Purugganan博士。限制全球作物生产的一个主要因素是高盐度，它影响了全球50%的灌溉土地面积。从塞内加尔到利比里亚的大西洋沿岸地区的农民种植耐盐碱条件的本地作物。这个项目的重点是一种主要粮食作物：非洲稻（Oryza glaberrima Steud.）。水草由盐度梯度明显的河流灌溉。因此，为光斑草开发的农业系统意味着品种已经被安排与当地的盐水平相匹配。然而，农民也以独特的方式进行农业生产，包括在红树林沼泽中筑堤、翻覆土壤，有时还会淡化海水，这引发了几个关键问题。O. glaberrima的基因组是如何被修改以耐受盐度的？在盐碱化环境中，特定的农业实践在多大程度上影响了光盲蝽的种植能力？是地理特征还是文化习俗指导了这种作物的选择？为了解决这些问题，我们将对来自三个农业河流系统的100份种质资源的基因组进行调查，以建立glaberrima的SNP图谱，并确定区分咸水沿海和淡水内陆环境种质资源的DNA区域。将进行访谈，以收集有关土地条件、耕作技术和社区在这些河流沿岸种子贸易中的作用的信息。DNA序列数据将与采集地点的盐度、特定文化的农业做法和盐害试验相关联。研究结果将把人类创新的各个方面与农业生态学和作物选育联系起来，同时具体解决在高盐度地区开展农业实践所面临的挑战。培训目标包括全基因组和人口分析的数据管理，深入的农业生态分析，以及纽约大学与国际机构之间的交叉培训。更广泛的影响包括为美国学生提供能力建设和高级培训，以便他们从事植物改良和相关科学（如生理学、数量遗传学和计算生物学）的跨学科研究。外联活动包括在西非和其他国家举办培训讲习班，以加强利用所产生的基因组序列和利用农业生态数据来设计帮助农民的工具，以及提供K-12 DNA条形码指导。

This action funds a National Plant Genome Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2012. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow to focus their studies in plant genomics with an emphasis on quantitative genetics, modern breeding approaches, and bioinformatics. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Rachel S. Meyer is "Selection for Salt Tolerance in African Rice (Oryza Glaberrima) in Indigenous Riverine Agricultural Habitats of Western Africa". The host institution for the fellowship is New York University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Michael Purugganan. One major factor limiting worldwide crop production is high salinity, which affects 50% of global irrigated land area. Farmers in the Atlantic Coast region stretching from Senegal to Liberia plant indigenous crops that are tolerant to saline conditions. This project focuses on one such crop that is a major staple: African rice (Oryza glaberrima Steud.). O. glaberrima is irrigated by rivers with a conspicuous salinity gradient. Thus, the agricultural system developed for O. glaberrima implies that varieties have been arranged with matched fitness to local saline levels. However, farmers also practice agriculture in unique ways including dyking of mangrove swamps, soil overturning, and sometimes desalination, which spurs several critical questions. How has the O. glaberrima genome been modified to tolerate salinity? To what extent do specific agricultural practices play a role in the ability of O. glaberrima to be cultivated in saline environments? Is it geographic characteristics or cultural practices that guide selection for this crop? To address these questions, the genomes of 100 germplasm accessions from three agricultural river systems will be surveyed in order to build a SNP map for O. glaberrima and identify DNA regions that distinguish germplasm from saline coastal versus freshwater inland environments. Interviews will be conducted to gather information about land conditions, farming techniques, and community roles in seed trading along these rivers. DNA sequence data will be correlated with the salinity at collection locales, culturally specific agricultural practices, and salt injury tests. Results will connect aspects of human innovation to agroecology and selective crop breeding, while specifically addressing challenges faced by a need to practice agriculture on areas of high salinity. Training objectives include data management of entire genomes and population analyses, in-depth agroecological analysis, and cross-training between NYU and international institutions. Broader impacts include include capacity-building and advanced training for students from the United States to engage in interdisciplinary research in plant improvement and associated sciences such as physiology, quantitative genetics, and computational biology. Outreach activities include training workshops in West Africa and other countries to enhance utility of genome sequence generated and use of agroecological data to design tools to help farmers, and K-12 DNA barcoding mentoring.