DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Transposable element dynamics across reproductive modes and ploidy levels in natural populations

该项目研究了一种重要的突变（转座因子）如何受到生殖模式和细胞中染色体组数量的影响。转座因子（通常称为“跳跃基因”）是在基因组中自我复制的DNA序列。它们可以促进基因组扩增，是快速适应性进化的来源。此外，转座因子存在于所有生物中，并可能在进化中发挥核心作用，但染色体数目（或其他因素）如何影响转座因子的积累和进化尚不清楚。该项目解决了这些基本问题，并与所有对基因组结构感兴趣的科学家有关。研究人员还参与了“带路项目”，为高中生开发基因组和分子进化课程。本研究以新西兰淡水蜗牛Potamopygus anitopodarum为研究对象，采用池测序的方法，探讨繁殖方式和倍性水平对转座因子进化动态的影响。这种蜗牛物种非常适合该项目，因为在其他方面相似的共存蜗牛在生殖模式和倍性方面有所不同。全基因组测序池的个人是一个具有成本效益的手段，解决人口基因组问题，使这种新的测试的全基因组的影响，生殖模式和倍性的转座因子的进化动力学。

This project investigates how an important kind of mutation (transposable elements) is impacted by reproductive mode and the number of chromosome sets in a cell. Transposable elements (often called "jumping genes") are sequences of DNA that self-replicate across genomes. They can contribute to genome expansion and are a source for rapid adaptive evolution. In addition, transposable elements are found in all organisms and likely play central roles in evolution, but how chromosome number (or other factors) influences the accumulation and evolution of transposable elements is unclear. This project addresses these fundamental questions and is relevant to all scientists interested in genome structure. Researchers are also involved in Project Lead the Way to develop genomic and molecular evolution lessons for high school students. A pool-sequencing approach will be applied to a New Zealand freshwater snail, Potamopygus anitopodarum, to test the effects of reproductive mode and ploidy level on transposable elements' evolutionary dynamics. This snail species is ideally suited for the project because otherwise similar coexisting snails vary in reproductive mode and ploidy. Whole-genome sequencing of pools of individuals is a cost-effective means for addressing population genomic questions and enables this novel test of genome-wide effects of reproductive mode and ploidy on the evolutionary dynamics of transposable elements.