NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Effects of Temporal Variation on Genomic Architecture and Phenotype in a Classic Hybrid Zone

Firneno, Thomas J, Arlington TX

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2022, 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. The research component of this fellowship investigates the repeatability and predictability of evolutionary processes across whole genomes in hybrid zones. Hybrid zones offer a unique opportunity to examine how selection acts on various axes in natural populations. Through an integrative genotype-phenotype approach, this research will inspire new avenues of research in speciation, hybridization, and evolutionary biology; it will also hopefully answer a decades-old question: How predictable are evolutionary outcomes? Through this project, the Fellow will provide (1) critical training and mentoring to undergraduates (both in the laboratory and through the development of a course-based undergraduate research experience); (2) meaningful outreach opportunities to increase public engagement with, and appreciation for, nature and science; and (3) an opportunity for individuals underrepresented in STEM disciplines, including LGBTQ+ researchers, to present research findings and discuss their professional journeys. The objective of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that selection on recombinant genomes is repeatable over different temporal scales. To do so, the proposed research integrates field-based collections, natural history, classic and cutting-edge genomic methods, genotype-phenotype associations, and computational biology. The Fellow will use historic and contemporary sampling, as well as replicate sampling across the hybrid zone that came in contact at different times between North American field crickets in order to understand variation in selection on genomic and phenotypic variables across temporal scales. Key scientific outcomes will include (1) the integration of the genomic and phenotypic patterns of temporal variation in selection and (2) a test of the repeatability of selection on recombinant genomes. More broadly, the Fellow will broadly engage academic students and the public in science, critical thinking, and an appreciation for nature; this includes increasing the visibility and involvement of LGBTQ+ researchers and others who are underrepresented in STEM fields. The Fellow will also receive critical new scientific training that will add skill sets in genomic, molecular, and computational laboratory techniques. 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.