CAREER: Two phenotypes, one genome: genomic conflict as a research framework for professional development of science educators

University Of Virginia Main Campus, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

Genomic conflict occurs when different organisms must be produced from the same set of genes, akin to building different structures from the same set of blueprints. A common example is the production of males and females from the shared genome of a species. Conflict arises because genes that are evolutionarily favored in males are disfavored in females, and vice versa. If these conflicts are difficult to resolve, then they will have profound impacts on the evolution of most species. However, the basic question of how to produce two different organisms from the same set of genes transcends evolutionary biology because it involves every step along the way from the expression of genes to the hormones that regulate the development of each sex. This research will provide fundamental insights into the relationship between the genome and the phenotype, along with significant training of K-12 teachers in cutting-edge science. This project has three goals: (1) use new sequencing technology to measure the amount of genomic conflict in a wild population of a lizard in which males and females are so different that they are often mistaken for separate species, (2) test whether this conflict is mitigated by a recently discovered phenomenon in which females appear to adaptively bias the sex of their offspring, and (3) combine breeding experiments with the latest methods for simultaneously measuring the expression of thousands of individual genes to test whether sex differences in hormone levels can reduce genome-wide conflict. This research will support a new professional development program for high school science teachers from underserved schools, who will work alongside project personnel and a national network of collaborators in science and education.