RUI: Ciliate Phylogeny Assessed by Mitochondrial Markers

RUI：通过线粒体标记评估纤毛虫系统发育

• 批准号: 0816828
• 负责人: Laura Katz
• 金额: $ 11.48万
• 依托单位: Smith College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2008-09-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0816828&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Ciliate; Phylogeny; Assessed; Mitochondrial

This award to Laura A. Katz, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Smith College, will support systematic (taxonomic) studies of protozoans in two classes of ciliates. The diverse class Colpodea includes many soil ciliates, whereas members of the class Spirotrichea are abundant in freshwater and marine ecosystems. Numerous taxonomic hypotheses have emerged from studies of the visible structures (morphology) of these ciliates. To date, only a singe nuclear gene has been analyzed to assess hypotheses based on morphology. This award will dramatically increase the amount of molecular data from these microbes and will allow further evaluation of taxonomic hypotheses. Specifically, the work will focus on the nuclear gene plus other genes isolated from ciliate mitochondrial genomes. The resulting data will further our understanding of the evolution of ciliates, diverse microorganisms that are important ecologically and are commonly used in other biological research.This award will support the training of students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. There will be a continued recruitment of students from traditionally underrepresented groups and first generation college students, in part through a program founded by the principal investigator: Achieving Excellence in Mathematics, Engineering and Science (AEMES). AEMES is designed to enable diverse undergraduates to excel in science early in their studies at Smith College. At least one graduate student will also be trained, both in scientific methods and in effective mentoring of undergraduates. For all participants, training will be in the theoretical and practical aspects of molecular systematic methods. Finally, K-12 efforts will continue to focus on outreach to schools, with hands-on laboratory instruction at the Smith College campus and presentations at local schools.

该奖项授予史密斯学院生物科学副教授Laura A. Katz，将在两类纤毛中支持原生动物的系统（分类）研究。多样化的colpodea包括许多土壤纤毛，而纯螺旋形的成员在淡水和海洋生态系统中很丰富。从这些纤毛的可见结构（形态）的研究中出现了许多分类假设。迄今为止，仅分析了一个新的核基因来评估基于形态学的假设。该奖项将大大增加这些微生物的分子数据量，并将允许对分类学假设进行进一步评估。具体而言，这项工作将集中于核基因以及从纤毛线粒体基因组分离的其他基因。由此产生的数据将进一步了解纤毛的演变，多种微生物在生态学上很重要，并且在其他生物学研究中通常使用。该奖项将支持在本科和研究生水平上对学生的培训。传统上代表性不足的群体和第一代大学生的学生将继续招募学生，部分是通过首席研究员建立的计划：在数学，工程和科学（AEMES）方面取得卓越的成就。 AEMES旨在使多元化的大学生能够在史密斯学院的研究初期在科学上表现出色。至少一名研究生也将接受科学方法和有效指导本科生的培训。对于所有参与者，培训将处于分子系统方法的理论和实际方面。最后，K-12的努力将继续关注与学校的宣传，并在史密斯学院校园内动手实验室指导和当地学校的演讲。