NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2012

种群基因组学方法模拟物种间的插入-缺失进化基因组不同的主要方式之一是它们都有插入或缺失的DNA片段。这些物种被称为Indels，它们构成了物种内和物种间的一类重要的变异。如果物种是远亲，它们的基因组可能包含许多Indels，这可能会使同一段DNA变得无法辨认。但由于同一物种成员的基因组非常相似，存在的Indels更容易识别。许多个体的基因组将在同一物种中进行比较，以发现种群中的Indels。对作用于这些不同大小和基因组不同部分的Indels的自然选择强度的估计将被用来开发一个进化过程的数学模型，该模型解释了Indels的大小和基因组背景。该模型将有助于更好地理解Indels在不同物种基因组进化中的重要作用。培训目标包括加强基因组分析、概率建模和计算机编程方面的技能。该项目连接了人口基因组学和统计学领域，并将促进不同领域的研究人员之间的合作，同时直接让本科生参与科学研究。

A Population Genomic Approach to Modeling Insertion-Deletion Evolution Between SpeciesOne of the key ways in which genomes differ is that they have segments of DNA that have been inserted or deleted. These are known as indels, and they comprise an important class of variation both within and among species. If species are distantly related their genomes may contain many indels, potentially making the same stretch of DNA unrecognizable. But because the genomes of members of the same species are very similar, indels present are easier to identify. Genomes of many individuals will be compared in the same species to discover indels in the population. Estimates of the strength of natural selection acting on these indels of different sizes and in different parts of the genome will be used to develop a mathematical model of the evolutionary process that accounts for the size and genomic context of indels. This model will help to better understand the important role that indels play in the genomic evolution of different species.Training objectives include the strengthening of skills in genomic analysis, probabilistic modeling, and computer programming. This project bridges the fields of population genomics and statistics and will foster collaborations between researchers in different areas while directly involving undergraduate students in scientific research.