NSF Postdoc Fellowship in Biology FY 2017: Convergent evolution of biotic pollination in wind-pollinated angiosperm linages: functional and genomic exploration of a rare transition

这是美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金，隶属于生物馆藏研究项目。这位名叫艾略特·加德纳（Elliot Gardner）的研究员正在进行研究，并接受以创新方式利用生物标本的培训，他的导师是两家主办机构的两位赞助科学家：莫顿植物园的安德鲁·希普（Andrew Hipp）和康奈尔大学的罗伯特·拉古索（Robert Raguso）。该研究员的研究项目通过实地考察、博物馆藏品的DNA测序和花香的化学分析来研究植物，特别是橡树、桑树和棕榈科动物授粉的趋同进化。从风传粉到动物传粉的转变被认为是罕见的，但可能代表了开花植物进化的重要模式。虽然关系不密切，但这些不同的植物科都进化出了相似的密集的小花尖刺，这些小花利用气味吸引小昆虫授粉，而这些昆虫经常把花作为产卵地点。他的研究挑战了一些关于动物传粉进化的假设，为未来研究传粉过渡和更普遍的趋同进化提供了重要的基础。该项目正在增进我们对多种热带树木（包括重要但未得到充分利用的作物）生物学的了解，并促进与发展中国家科学家的国际合作。该研究员致力于公共教育和推广项目，并为高中生和本科生提供研究机会。该项目将在三个不同的谱系中产生从风传粉到昆虫传粉的聚合过渡的多维图像。来自野外研究、植物标本和化学（气相色谱-质谱）分析的数据将支持祖先状态重建和系统发育比较分析，以揭示与过渡相关的模式。对整个萜类合成酶基因家族（与花香产生有关）进行定向测序，将揭示与传粉过渡相关的基因复制和丢失以及选择的分子特征。使用植物标本馆标本可以在目标分支内进行密集采样，突出了博物馆收藏的潜力，用于目标下一代测序。该项目将为数百个分类群建立性状数据库和基因组资源，并阐明三个重要支系的系统发育关系。结果将提供一个显著的趋同进化模式的见解，并可能阐明生物传粉在古代谱系的出现，如苏铁，其芳香的球果类似于这里描述的趋同模式。这位研究员正在教授一门高级系统遗传学课程的一部分，并通过主办机构向公众和年轻学生进行宣传。

This is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, under the program Research Using Biological Collections. The fellow, Elliot Gardner, is conducting research and receiving training that utilizes biological collections in innovative ways, and is being mentored by two sponsoring scientists at two host institutions: Andrew Hipp at The Morton Arboretum and Robert Raguso at Cornell University. The fellow's research project uses field studies, DNA sequencing of museum collections, and chemical analysis of floral scent to investigate convergent evolution of animal pollination of plants, specifically the oak, mulberry, and palm families. Transitions from wind to animal pollination are considered rare but likely represent an important pattern of flowering plant evolution. Although not closely related, these diverse plant families have all evolved similar dense spikes of tiny flowers that use scent to attract small insect pollinators, and these insects often use the flowers as brood sites. The fellow's research challenges some assumptions about the evolution of animal pollination, providing an important foundation for future studies on pollination transitions and, more generally, convergent evolution. The project is improving our understanding of the biology of diverse tropical trees - including important but underutilized crops - and promoting international cooperation with researchers in developing countries. The fellow is contributing to public education and outreach programs, as well as research opportunities for high-school and undergraduate students.This project will produce a multidimensional picture of convergent transitions from wind to insect pollination in three divergent lineages. Data from field studies, herbarium specimens, and chemical (GC-MS) analysis of floral scent will support ancestral state reconstructions and phylogenetic comparative analyses to reveal patterns associated with transitions. Targeted sequencing of the entire terpene synthase gene family - involved in floral scent production - will reveal gene duplication and loss as well as molecular signatures of selection associated with pollination transitions. Using herbarium specimens will enable dense sampling within the target clades, highlighting the potential of museum collections for targeted next-generation sequencing. The project will generate a trait data base and genomic resources for hundreds of taxa, and clarify phylogenetic relationships in three important clades. Results will provide insight into a remarkable pattern of convergent evolution, and may shed light on the emergence of biotic pollination in ancient lineages such as cycads, whose fragrant cones resemble the convergent pattern described here. The fellow is teaching a portion of an advanced phylogenetics course, and engaging in outreach to the public and younger students through the host institution.