NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2013

Kevin M. Kocot博士获得的博士后研究奖学金由美国国家科学基金会生物科学理事会和国际科学与工程办公室共同支持。在为期24个月的奖学金期间，Kocot博士将在澳大利亚布里斯班昆士兰大学Bernard Degnan博士的赞助下进行一个名为“acliferan软体动物的生物矿化进化”的项目。生物矿化是生物体分泌矿化结构（如骨骼或外壳）的过程。本研究的目的是利用基因组学方法研究一组进化上重要的软体动物的生物矿化过程。利用高通量DNA测序技术，对单盘虫（硬核覆盖的蠕虫状软体动物）和石鳖（具有8个壳板的蛞蝓状软体动物）的基因组进行调查，并鉴定与生物矿化有关的基因。这些基因在参与生物矿化的各种类型细胞中的“开启”（表达）的位置和时间将使用原位杂交进行研究和可视化。此外，纳入矿化结构的非矿物化合物将使用质谱法进行鉴定。此外，本研究的第二个目标是促进对澳大利亚placophoran软体动物多样性的知识匮乏，包括对未命名物种的正式描述。软体动物是第二大物种丰富的动物群体，包括许多经济、生态和生物医学上重要的分类群。软体动物的巨大成功可以归因于，至少部分归因于它们分泌钙化结构的能力，这些钙化结构为它们提供了物理支持和防御。由于它们的美丽、迷人和多样性，蜗牛和双壳类等软体动物生产的生物矿化结构（特别是贝壳和珍珠）长期以来一直受到人类的重视。这项工作的重点是不太为人所知的棘孔动物（棘孔动物和石鳖），因为最近的遗传研究表明，它们构成了一个进化上重要的群体，与所有其他软体动物不同。此外，最近的古生物学研究表明，针孔虫保留了在其他软体动物中被修改或丢失的祖先特征。由于软体动物是最早出现在化石记录中的动物群体之一，这项工作将对理解早期动物进化具有重要意义。此外，这项工作还将为珍珠牡蛎和鲍鱼等经济上重要的软体动物的研究提供信息。Kocot博士将在这项研究中培训来自不同背景的本科生。他将继续积极地为《生命百科全书》（The Encyclopedia of Life）管理无脊椎动物，并积极地为我的领域的维基百科文章做出贡献。此外，他将继续通过MentorNet为本科生和早期职业研究生提供指导。该奖项为美国科学家提供了一个与外国科学家合作的独特机会，并利用国外独特的设施、专业知识和实验条件。

This Postdoctoral Research Fellowship award to Dr. Kevin M. Kocot is supported by both the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Office of International Science and Engineering at the National Science Foundation. During the 24-month fellowship, Dr. Kocot will work on a project titled, "Evolution of Biomineralization in Aculiferan Molluscs" under the sponsorship of Dr. Bernard Degnan at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia.Biomineralization is the process by which organisms secrete mineralized structures such as skeletons or shells. The goal of this research is to study the process of biomineralization in a group of evolutionarily important molluscs using a genomic approach. High-throughput DNA sequencing will be employed to survey the genomes of aplacophorans (sclerite-covered, worm-shaped molluscs) and chitons (slug-like molluscs with 8 shell plates) and identify genes involved in biomineralization. Where and when these genes are 'turned on' (expressed) in the various types of cells involved in biomineralization will be investigated and visualized using in situ hybridization. Also, non-mineral compounds incorporated into mineralized structures will be identified using mass spectroscopy. Additionally, a secondary goal of this research is to contribute to the paucity of knowledge on the diversity of Australian aplacophoran molluscs including formal description of unnamed species.Mollusca is the second most species-rich group of animals and includes manyeconomically, ecologically, and biomedically important taxa. The great success of molluscs can be attributed, at least in part, to their ability to secrete calcified structures that provide them with physical support and defense. Because of their beauty, intrigue, and diversity, biomineralized structures (especially shells and pearls) produced by molluscs such as snails and bivalves have long been valued by humans. This work focuses on the less familiar aculiferans (aplacophorans and chitons) because recent genetic studies have shown that they comprise an evolutionary important group, distinct from all other molluscs. Additionally, recent paleontological studies indicate that aculiferans have retained ancestral characteristics that have been modified or lost in other molluscs. As molluscs are one of the first animal groups to appear in the fossil record, this work will have important implications for understanding of early animal evolution in general. In addition, this work will inform studies on economically important molluscs such as pearl oysters and abalone. Dr. Kocot will train undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds on this research. He will continue to be an active curator of invertebrates for The Encyclopedia of Life and an active contributor to Wikipedia articles in my field. In addition, he will continue to serve as a mentor to undergraduate and early-career graduate students through MentorNet.This award provides a unique opportunity for a US scientist to collaborate with foreign scientists, and utilize the unique facilities, expertise and experimental conditions available abroad.