NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2022: The genetic and molecular rules of trait expression

Falk, Jay J, Seattle WA

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. This research seeks to understand and identify the “rules” of male/female trait expression. Across the animal kingdom, the degree to which males and females differ from each other is profoundly variable. Despite this, the genetic and molecular processes by which these male/female differences are expressed remain largely mysterious. In this project, the fellow will study a fascinating species that is uniquely able to address these questions, the white-necked jacobin hummingbird (Florisuga mellivora). White-necked jacobin males have very different coloration from most females, yet 20% of females are male-like in coloration and are indistinguishable from males in the field. These differences are both expressed in the same species, allowing the fellow to detect the genetic factors underlying male/female difference while controlling for other factors. The project will take place in both the United States and Panama, aiming to build an international collaboration between scientists from diverse cultural backgrounds. By training the fellow in cutting-edge genomic and microscopy techniques, this fellowship will forge an integrative framework for understanding male/female diversity, coloration, and evolutionary biology. To identify the evolutionary rules of male/female dimorphism the project will use an investigative framework that spans genomic, developmental, and phenotypic levels of biological organization. First, the fellow will test whether the female polymorphism is linked to genetic variation by performing a genome-wide association study. Second, because gene expression and regulation are ultimately responsible for producing these phenotypes, transcriptomics will be used to identify genes associated with feather coloration. By collecting and analyzing feathers during their growth, the fellow will distinguish genes associated with color in male vs. female individuals. Third, organisms often use tiny structures invisible to the human eye to produce coloration, yet surprisingly little is known about the process by which genes regulate variation of these structures. The fellow will use electron microscopy techniques to identify the structures that vary across and within males and female feathers, thereby connecting genome to phenotype. Inspired by the white-necked jacobin, this project will also cultivate spaces to expand a welcoming place in science for people from a diversity of backgrounds. 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.