NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: : Investigating how neopolyploidy affects the core microbiome and how the extended phenotype can facilitate ecological establishment

Anneberg, Thomas, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, 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. Polyploidy, or whole-genome duplication, has frequently acted as a mechanism of generating new species. However, first-generation polyploids, or neopolyploids, are expected to suffer from a high risk of local extinction shortly after they arise due to competition with their diploid parents for limited space and resources. Despite the expectation that neopolyploids should go locally extinct shortly after they arise, we see a disproportionately high number of established polyploids in nature. This research will address this apparent gap in knowledge by investigating what factors can drive the establishment of neopolyploid populations. The project will specifically characterize how environmental resource supply and microbial interactions affect the ability of neopolyploids to persist in the presence of their diploid parents and become established. The goal of this research is to understand the ecological drivers of neopolyploid establishment by testing two hypotheses: that neopolyploid establishment is 1) dependent on the external environment, and 2) is facilitated by the extended phenotype: neopolyploid genotypes and their microbiomes. The approach to testing these hypotheses is to first characterize how neopolyploidy affects the microbiome community and shapes host phenotypes. Second, to predict the outcome of competition between diploids and their neopolyploid descendants and whether it differs given the extended phenotype, multigenerational competition experiments will be combined with modern coexistence theory. The expected outcomes of this research are to understand 1) how neotetraploidy affects the microbiome composition and diversity and 2) how the microbiome affects the competitive ability of neotetraploids against their diploid ancestors, and 3) whether these patterns vary with the genotype of a lineage or across environmental resource gradients. The fellow will use diploid and synthetic neotetraploid duckweeds, which is a uniquely well-suited system for this research since they have rapid generation times and are compact enough to allow high replication across various environmental conditions. Additionally, this research will incorporate the mentorship of high school and undergraduate students from under-represented groups to carry out independent research projects, as well as facilitating outreach activities with local intercity classrooms on ecological principles. " 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.