NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2020

Diner, Rachel E, San Diego CA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, 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. For many animals, it is unclear how stressful environments shape the microbial communities that live on and within them, and whether changes in these “microbiomes” make animals more vulnerable to disease. This study will use oysters to study the complex relationship between the environment, animal microbiomes, and animal health. Shellfish are important members of coastal ecosystems and a popular, sustainable human food source. The Fellow will examine microbiomes, including viruses, bacteria, and protists, of wild oysters that have been exposed to different environmental conditions, and will also assess oyster health. This information will be used to predict which environmental conditions might harm shellfish and how their microbiomes could potentially guard them. This study will help better understand and protect coastal ecosystems and improve shellfish aquaculture and harvesting practices. The Fellow will design hands-on classes that teach K-8 students from underrepresented groups about microbiomes and how they affect animals in a changing environment. The fellowship project will integrate experimental, computational, and conceptual approaches to investigate how environmental stressors influence shellfish microbiomes and associated host phenotypes. The project consists of three main objectives that will integrate host phenotypes with microbiome dynamics in the context of environmental change: (1) use next-generation sequencing to characterize tissue-specific oyster microbiomes exposed to a variety of environmental conditions at different sites, over time; (2) use computational approaches to determine the environmental drivers of microbiome community structure and function; and (3) conduct gene expression analyses using RNA-seq to examine relationships between oyster phenotypes, oyster microbiomes, and environmental stressors. These objectives will address the central hypothesis that environmental stress alters oyster microbiomes with associated impacts on oyster phenotypes. This study will establish a broadly applicable model system and develop tools for assessing impacts of environmental change and associated human and ecosystem implications on multifaceted animal-associated microbiomes. The Fellow will gain extensive training in teaching, research, and professional development from Dr. Jack Gilbert and his diverse lab group, allowing her to develop new technical skills and lines of research inquiry, facilitating her transition to an independent academic career. 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.