NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2016

博士后研究员：Dominic A. Evangelista提案编号：1608559This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2016，Research Using Biological Collections.该研究金支持研究员的研究和培训计划，以采取变革性方法应对生物学的重大挑战，以高度创新的方式利用生物学收藏。 本奖学金的研究计划的标题为多米尼克A。Evangelista是“Blaberoid蟑螂的进化和多样化。“该研究金的主要主办机构是法国巴黎的国家自然历史博物馆（MNHN），赞助科学家是Frederic Legendre（MNHN的）和Akito Kawahara（佛罗里达自然历史博物馆的共同赞助者）。 基金是与NSF的国际科学与工程办公室（OISE）合作提供的。了解生物多样性的变化是如何由生物和非生物因素驱动的是进化生物学的一个主要目标。这个项目探讨了系统发育多样性作为一个模型谱系的蟑螂（超家庭Blaberoidea），一组是无处不在的，多样的，经济上的重要性。Blaberoid蟑螂是高度多样化的（3600种），没有经过测试的假设是什么驱使他们的多样化。研究员正在探索三种范式作为多样性驱动因素：1）生殖器形态的巨大变化，防止血统的杂交; 2）新的父母照顾策略的演变; 3）新的地理范围的入侵。 本研究所要解决的问题包括：（1）布拉贝总科的发生发展是怎样的？(2)在系统发育树的什么位置，什么时候在进化的时间里，斑潜总科的多样性率主要增加了？以及（3）哪些进化事件（如上述三种范式）最能预测多样性的增加？第一个目标是通过系统发育重建，使用彻底的分类单元采样，下一代测序和基因组测序方法来实现。研究员正在利用系统发育树这一研究的主要成果，查明多样化率有所提高的各个点。研究员正在接受下一代系统发育方法的高级培训，并参与几个更广泛的影响，包括：（1）指导学生，（2）向年轻人提供科学宣传，（3）产生具有社会影响的智力产品。该研究员正在培训本科生和研究生掌握最先进的技术，包括Illumina测序、文库制备、靶向富集和系统发育方法。作为一名在国外旅行的美国科学家，该研究员正在利用这个机会，在一个他有着新颖文化视角的社区开展科学外联活动。具体来说，他正在当地小学做许多外展活动，包括昆虫展示展览，与活宠物蟑螂的互动，以及适合年龄的研究讲座。这些活动的目标是让学生接触昆虫生物多样性，展示科学作为一个可以实现的职业，并交流研究成果。这个项目涉及昆虫，在一般人群中引起强烈反应。通过广泛宣传研究结果，研究员正在向公众介绍蟑螂的惊人生物多样性，并对这些有趣的昆虫给予更多积极的关注。

Postdoctoral Fellow: Dominic A. EvangelistaProposal Number: 1608559This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2016, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow to take transformative approaches to grand challenges in biology that employ biological collections in highly innovative ways. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Dominic A. Evangelista is "Evolution and diversification of Blaberoid cockroaches." The primary host institution for this fellowship is Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN) of Paris, France and the sponsoring scientists are Frederic Legendre (of the MNHN) and Akito Kawahara (co-sponsoring at Florida Museum of Natural History). Funding is provided in partnership with NSF's Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE).Understanding how shifts in biodiversity are driven by biotic and abiotic factors is a major goal of evolutionary biology. This project explores phylogenetic diversification using as a model lineage the cockroaches (the super-family Blaberoidea), a group that is ubiquitous, diverse, and economically important. Blaberoid cockroaches are highly diverse (3600 species) and there are no tested hypotheses for what drove their diversification. The Fellow is exploring three paradigms as diversity drivers: 1) Large changes in genital morphology that prevent interbreeding of lineages; 2) evolution of novel parental care strategies; and 3) invasion of new biogeographical ranges. The questions addressed by this research include: (1) What is the phylogeny of Blaberoidea?; (2) Where on the phylogenetic tree, and when in evolutionary time, did the major increases in diversification rates occur in Blaberoidea?; and (3) Which evolutionary events (as in the three paradigms above) best predict increases in diversity? The first goal is being achieved through phylogenetic reconstruction using thorough taxon sampling, next-gen sequencing and phylogenomic methods. Using the phylogenetic tree, a major product of this research, the Fellow is identifying points where there have been increases in diversification rates. Shifts in these rates are then being used in the context of trait changes to understand how traits may have driven diversification in Blaberoidea.The Fellow is receiving advanced training in next-generation phylogenetic methods and engaging in several broader impacts including: (1) mentoring students, (2) providing science outreach to young people, and (3) generating intellectual products with a societal impact. The Fellow is training undergraduate and graduate students in state-of-the-art techniques including Illumina sequencing, library prep, targeted enrichment and phylogenetic methodology. As an American scientist travelling abroad, the Fellow is taking advantage of the opportunity to do science outreach in a community where he has a novel cultural perspective. Specifically, he is doing numerous outreach events at local grade schools, including insect display exhibitions, interactions with live pet cockroaches, and an age-appropriate research talk. The goals of these events are to expose students to insect biodiversity, show science as an achievable career, and communicate research findings. This project involves insects that illicit strong reactions among the general population. By broadly publicizing the research findings, the Fellow is teaching the general public about the amazing biodiversity of cockroaches and providing more positive attention to these interesting insects.