NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2015

Lima Thiago G, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2015, Broadening Participation. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow and a plan to broaden participation of groups under-represented in science. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Thiago Ghirello Aur Lima is "The genetics of reproductive isolation in a copepod species lacking chromosomes that specify male or female." The host institution for this fellowship is Scripps Institution of Oceanography-UCSD, and the sponsoring scientist is Ronald Burton. Studying the process by which new species are formed (speciation) explains how biological diversity has developed in nature. Studies of the genetic basis of speciation have focused on a few model systems, most which have chromosomes that specify male versus female (such as mammals and fruit flies). These studies have found that these chromosomes play an important role in the process of speciation, however, a large number of species in nature do not have such chromosomes, among them are many plants and reptiles, some fishes, crustaceans, insects and nematodes. By comparison, studying the process of speciation in species that lack chromosomes that specify male versus female may reveal novel biological patterns, previously unobserved in these model systems. The fellowship research uses the copepod Tigriopus californicus, a small crustacean that lacks male or female specifying chromosomes, to study the genetic basis of speciation. Different populations of this copepod are being hybridized in the laboratory, and the genome of the hybrids surveyed for regions that contribute to hybrid dysfunction. The premise is that these regions should harbor genes or genomic structures that contribute to speciation. The different hybrid crosses can be compared to determine if the same regions of the genome are contributing to hybrid dysfunction, and if certain chromosomes contribute disproportionately to this process in all crosses. The interactions within the hybrid's genome can also be assessed, in an effort to determine if certain parts of the genome play a special role in the process of speciation when a species does not have chromosomes that specify male versus female. Results promise to provide general principles of evolutionary biology, as it will allow for comparative studies between species with different male versus female determination mechanisms. Training objectives include broadening knowledge in genetic techniques, specifically in functional genetics. An educational component focuses on increasing the interest, knowledge and participation of underrepresented minorities in science by introducing K-12 students from underserved areas to current research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), by pairing SIO researchers with school teachers to create science lesson plans. These activities help students connect subjects they learn in the classroom with real world applications of these topics.