NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2022: Evolution of Innate Predator Avoidance Behavior in Flies

该行动资助了2022财年的NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，即调查基因组，环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则的综合研究。该研究金支持研究员的研究和培训，以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。这个人将研究昆虫的嗅觉。昆虫依靠嗅觉生存和繁殖。超过四分之三的动物是昆虫，其中包括重要的传粉者和破坏性的农业害虫。因此，重要的是要了解昆虫的嗅觉是如何工作的，以及它是如何随着世代而变化的。该研究员将研究基因的变化如何导致昆虫对气味的反应发生变化，特别是对与捕食者和寄生虫有关的威胁性气味的反应。一个相应的更广泛的影响计划将优先考虑导师，科学的公共传播，以及对外部研究人员和教育工作者有用的资源的生产。该研究员将接受尖端研究方法的培训，并将与亚利桑那大学、美国农业部和其他地方的研究人员开展合作。该研究员将研究昆虫嗅觉系统在先天捕食者回避行为进化过程中表型变化的起源。果蝇提供了一个独特的机会，研究先天回避行为的进化使用先进的实验室方法。苍蝇依靠嗅觉躲避威胁。在美国亚利桑那州的索诺兰沙漠，嗜仙人掌的苍蝇与许多其他利用坏死仙人掌组织的昆虫物种相互作用，包括捕食性螨。该研究员将描述苍蝇嗅觉途径驱动先天行为反应捕食螨，并将研究在先天嗅觉回避电路的分子进化模式。该研究员将测试解释捕食者回避行为表型变异起源的假设，包括气味受体基因复制导致选择性中性威胁高估错误的假设。这项工作将吸引本科研究人员，他们将学习功能遗传学和计算生物学的方法。该研究员将接受行为分析、分析化学、电生理学、功能遗传学和比较基因组学方面的新培训。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力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 2022, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. The fellow will study the insect sense of smell. Insects rely on their sense of smell to survive and reproduce. More than three quarters of all animals are insects, and among these are important pollinators as well as damaging agricultural pests. Therefore, it is important to understand how the insect sense of smell works, as well as how it changes over the generations. The fellow will investigate how changes in genes lead to changes in insect responses to smells, especially responses to threatening smells associated with predators and parasites. A corresponding broader impacts program will prioritize mentorship, public communication of science, and production of resources useful to outside researchers and educators. The fellow will be trained in cutting edge research methods and will develop collaborations with researchers at the University of Arizona, the USDA, and elsewhere. The fellow will investigate the origin of phenotypic change in the insect olfactory system during the evolution of innate predator avoidance behavior. Drosophila flies offer a unique opportunity to study the evolution of innate avoidance behavior using advanced laboratory methods. Flies rely on olfaction as they avoid threats. In the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, USA, cactophilic flies interact with many other insect species that utilize necrotic cactus tissue, including predatory mites. The fellow will characterize fly olfactory pathways driving innate behavioral responses to predatory mites and will examine patterns of molecular evolution in innate olfactory avoidance circuits. The fellow will test hypotheses explaining the origin of phenotypic variation in predator avoidance behavior, including the hypothesis that odorant receptor gene duplication causes selectively neutral threat overestimation errors. This work will engage undergraduate researchers, who will learn methods in functional genetics and computational biology. The fellow will receive new training in behavioral analysis, analytical chemistry, electrophysiology, functional genetics, and comparative genomics.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.