NSF PRFB FY23: Understanding the evolutionary importance and vectoring mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer within a parasitic plant system

Flynn, Peter J, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2023, 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. Symbiosis, which describes the interaction between two different organisms, is important to all life on Earth. Parasitism is one form of symbiosis. This project will look at a parasitic plant called the corpse flower, which relies on other plants to survive. It aims to study the relationship between this plant and the insects that pollinate them in their natural habitat. Because these relationships have evolved over millions of years, it is likely that smaller organisms like bacteria and viruses have also evolved with them over time. Bacteria and viruses may also contribute to the transfer of genes among plants, and maybe even between plants and the insects that pollinate them. This study will combine field work and studies of the genomes of bacteria and viruses to add to our understanding of how genes move between different organisms. Also, from this research, science activities will be designed for students to learn more about ecology. This project will include (1) a comprehensive multi-scale microbial survey of the various bacterial and viral communities across a parasitic plant system (Rafflesiaceae-Tetrastigma); (2) identification and characterization of horizontal gene transfer events within this parasitic plant system; (3) design of microbial interaction networks to assess the structural patterns of horizontal gene transfer within this parasite plant system; (4) development of a science workshop curriculum and outreach activities at various age levels for students to discover biology; and (5) encouragement of substantial independent scientific research experiences for undergraduate students. Moving forward, the findings from this project can better inform ecological models to predict how microbial transmission and horizontal gene transfer events will influence other symbiotic relationships between eukaryotic organisms. This system aims to describe the evolutionary innovation of horizontal genome transfer and its contribution to genomic assembly in microbes and eukaryote hosts and how this ultimately informs organismal phenotypes and governs ecological interactions. 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.