NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Deciphering the epigenetic signatures associated with invasive capacity in mixed seagrass communities

该行动资助2021财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的一项研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。拟议的研究解决了自然（遗传）或培育（环境）驱动生物入侵的重大争论，即引入的物种变得有害，威胁生物多样性和自然生态系统超出其正常范围的过程。众所周知，先天和后天共同作用产生生物性状。性状是由基因控制的，而这些基因的表达（或这些基因被激活的程度）会根据它们所处的环境而改变。并不是所有引进的物种都会成为入侵物种，这项研究将有助于了解环境变化如何与保护生物学的入侵联系在一起。本研究的结果将是确定哪些因素和生境特征改变基因表达并促进入侵成功。这一点尤其重要，因为入侵物种可能对当地生态系统构成全球性威胁，如支持多种生物（如鱼类、海龟、海牛和鸟类）的海草草甸；因此，它可以通过改变人们所依赖的生态系统服务对社会产生影响。该项目将为传统上被排斥的群体提供高质量的研究机会，并间接帮助恢复海草群落的管理。该研究员将利用野外工作和表观遗传技术来了解海草草甸中人为压力源的功能和变化，并确定表观遗传机制在生物入侵中所起的作用。该研究员将测试物种相互作用、表观遗传学和微生物群落是否诱导海草入侵的表观遗传特征的假设，并确定促进入侵表型的生理机制。为此，本工作将描述表观遗传修饰，微生物种群及其与能量网络（例如营养获取）的相互作用，以促进与适应相关的诱导竞争表型。在此过程中，该研究员将通过开发一项名为“SALTI：科学加速和学习技术包容性”的文化支持计划来扩大参与范围，在该计划中，NSF本科生及其家人将学习在南佛罗里达州开展海洋科学的实践方法。该计划将制作引人入胜的科学传播电影。通过促进家庭支持，从事科学工作的人的多样性将得到加强，他们和其他人可以更深入地了解其生态重要性，并感到有能力保护海洋环境。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The proposed research addresses the great debate of whether nature (genetics) or nurture (environment) drive biological invasions, i.e., the process where introduced species become harmful, threatening biodiversity and natural ecosystems outside their normal range. It is known that nature and nurture work in conjunction to produce biological traits. Traits are controlled by genes, and the expression of these genes (or how much these genes are turned on) will change depending on the environment that they are in. Not all introduced species become invasive, and this research will help understand how environmental changes are linked to invasions for conservation biology. The outcomes of this research will be to determine which factors and habitat characteristics modify gene expression and promote invasion success. This is particularly important as invasive species can be global threats to local ecosystems, like seagrass meadows, which support a wide variety of life (e.g. fish, sea turtles, manatees and birds); thus, it can have implications on society by altering ecosystem services that people depend on. This project will provide high quality research opportunities to traditionally excluded groups, and indirectly help management in recovery of seagrass communities. The fellow will use both field work and epigenetic technologies to understand the function and modifications of anthropogenic stressors in seagrass meadows and determine what role epigenetic mechanisms play in biological invasions. The fellow will test the hypotheses of whether species interactions, epigenetics, and microbial communities induce the epigenetic signatures of the seagrass invasion and determine the physiological mechanisms that promote an invasive phenotype. For that purpose, this work will characterize epigenetic modifications, microbial populations, and their interaction with energetic networks (e.g. nutrient acquisition) to promote induced competitive phenotypes linked to acclimatization. In doing so, the fellow will broaden participation by developing a culture-based support program called ‘SALTI: Science Acceleration and Learning Techniques Inclusivity’ week, where NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates students and their families learn hands-on approaches to conducting marine science in South Florida. The proposed program will produce engaging science-communication films. By facilitating family support, the diversity of people who are engaged in science will strengthen, and they and others can gain a deeper understanding of its ecological importance and feel empowered to protect the marine environment.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.