NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Evolution of Drosophila wing spot: mechanisms of phenotypic divergence

Bayala, Erick Xavier, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2022, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The Fellow aims to understand how animal pigmentation patterns are generated in nature—from the colored scales in butterfly wings to the stripes on the fur of mammals. This research in animal coloration will provide more information about the genes regulating pigmentation patterns. In this project, an insect, Drosophila, one of the most genetically tractable systems for understanding animal pigmentation, will be used to analyze how specific genes generate color patterns and how the genes themselves are controlled and organized into functional processes. The broader impacts of this project include creating a Hispanic and Latino open online forum for Postdoctoral researchers and early Faculty across multiple Institutions in the Midwest. This will fill a gap by providing a supportive community for recruitment and retention to counter the “leaky pipeline” and enhance representation in STEM. This Project will use melanin patterns on fly wings from the genus Drosophila as a system for understanding how pigment patterns develop and evolve. Some of the better-understood genes involved in fly wing pigmentation include yellow (controls black melanin) and ebony (promotes a yellow pigment). Recently, genetic mapping has shown that the primary switch between the presence and absence of a male-specific wing spot in some fly species is not controlled by either of these genes but instead appears to be controlled by a gene called optomotor-blind (omb). Given that this transcription factor controls pigmentation in other parts of the fly body, the Fellow aims to elucidate when and where this gene is expressed in wings. The fellow will also determine whether omb is sufficient to guide the formation of the melanic spot or if other components are required. This project will support the scientific development of the Fellow by providing opportunities for developing new experimental skills in a genetic model system, which complements previous work in non-models, supporting the Fellow’s aspirations to become a Professor. The Fellow will also create online resources to promote professional development of other scientists from underrepresented groups. 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.