NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2017: The Evolution of Metamorphosis in Scyphozoan Jellyfish

Helm Rebecca R, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

This is an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, under the program Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The fellow, Rebecca Helm, is conducting research and receiving training that is increasing the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The fellow is being mentored by two sponsoring scientists at two host institutions: Ann Tarrant (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), and Allen Collins (Smithsonian Institution). The fellow's research examines animal evolution and development, using jellyfish as a model system. Many animal species that change shape during development ('metamorphose') are economically important to humans, including jellyfish, which impact power plants, fisheries, tourism, and human health. For example, blooms of jellyfish can make coastal waters unsuitable for swimmers, and compete for food resources with economically important fish. For most of their lives, 'true jellyfish' (scyphozoans) look nothing like our image of a typical jellyfish. Scyphozoans are found year-round as 'polyps,' which look more like small sea anemones. When seasonal conditions are favorable, these polyps develop into many small juvenile jellyfish, with a shape more like a 'typical' jellyfish. The fellow is studying the environmental and chemical factors that trigger jellyfish to change shape, and the genes associated with these triggers. The goal of this research is to provide insights into the cellular mechanisms of jellyfish production as well as potential genetic tools for predicting jellyfish blooms. To understand scyphozoan metamorphosis, the fellow is using diverse methods, including pharmacological, histological, sequencing, and functional techniques. The fellow is using pharmacological agents to trigger or inhibit jellyfish metamorphosis and then identifying genes associated with these responses. Furthermore, the fellow is using functional molecular techniques to test the role of different genes in metamorphosis across different species. The resulting research will provide critical insights in the cellular mechanisms of jellyfish metamorphosis and the role that different compounds, including potential pollutants, may play in this process. In addition to providing the fellow with training in scientific techniques, the fellow is training and mentoring high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in STEM. The fellow is receiving mentorship training, and mentoring an undergraduate research student from an underrepresented group in STEM through the Woods Hole Partnership Education Program. The fellow is also collaborating with a middle school educator to lead a marine biology student group project related to the fellowship research. This project will be part of a middle school oceanography club, composed of 61% female students, 23% Hispanic students, and 24% Native American students, in the fellow?s hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona. Combined, these efforts provide students with an opportunity to access and participate in real science as it happens.