NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (EAPSI) for FY 2013 in Japan

Kitchen Sheila A, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds Sheila Kitchen of Oregon State University to conduct a research project in Biology during the summer of 2013 at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and Tropical Biosphere Research Center of University of Ryukyus in Okinawa, Japan. The project title is "Impacts of Hyperthermal Stress on Coral Larvae Undergoing Symbiont Colonization." The host scientists are Drs. Nori Satoh and Saki Harii. Symbiotic corals form mutualistic associations with photosynthetic algae. These associations are threatened by global climate change where the partnerships collapse resulting in the loss of algae from the host, known as coral bleaching. We are beginning to identify the physiological and molecular consequences of bleaching events on host-symbiont associations in adults, but very few studies address the affects of temperature-induced stress during onset and establishment of symbiosis in coral larvae. This study extends work on hyperthermic stress of coral larvae through examination of elevated temperature exposed larvae health and survivorship, symbiont colonization success, and RNA-Seq transcript expression profiles. RNA-Seq analysis is an unbiased, high-throughput approach that surpasses preceding expression profiling technologies (e.g. microarrays or suppressive subtractive hybridization) in its ability to detect rare transcripts with more precision. The outcomes of this study further our understanding of the physical environment and biotic pressures that mediate pre-settlement events in corals and provides novel transcriptional patterns of the molecular coral stress response. Broader impacts of an EAPSI fellowship include providing the Fellow a first-hand research experience outside the U.S.; an introduction to the science, science policy, and scientific infrastructure of the respective location; and an orientation to the society, culture and language. These activities meet the NSF goal to educate for international collaborations early in the career of its scientists, engineers, and educators, thus ensuring a globally aware U.S. scientific workforce. Furthermore, upon completion of the summer program, the Fellow will mentor undergraduate students at Oregon State University in laboratory work quantifying symbiont colonization and performing quantitative PCR. Additionally, the transcriptional profile data collected in Japan will be made publicly available through a searchable online database with collaboration of researchers at OIST (http://marinegenomics.oist.jp/genomes/gallery). In Oregon, the Fellow will volunteer with the Science and Math Investigative Learning Experience program to develop hands-on science lesson plans focusing on global climate change and marine ecosystem disturbance to be incorporated in the curriculum of underrepresented and educationally underserved schools in fourteen school districts.