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

NSF PRFB FY23：了解寄生植物系统内水平基因转移的进化重要性和矢量机制

• 批准号: 2305877
• 负责人: Peter Flynn
• 金额: $ 24万
• 依托单位: Flynn, Peter J
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2024-04-01 至 2027-03-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2305877&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; PRFB; FY23; Understanding; evolutionary

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.

该行动为2023财年生物学的NSF博士后研究奖学金提供了资金，该研究综合研究调查了有关基因组，环境和表型之间相互作用的生活规则。奖学金支持对研究员的研究和培训，这些研究和培训将以创新的方式为生活规则做出贡献。共生描述了两种不同生物之间的相互作用，对地球上的所有生命都很重要。寄生虫是共生的一种形式。该项目将探讨一种称为尸体花的寄生植物，该植物依靠其他植物生存。它旨在研究这种植物与在自然栖息地中授粉的昆虫之间的关系。由于这些关系已经发展了数百万年，因此随着时间的流逝，细菌和病毒等较小的生物也随着它们的发展而演变。细菌和病毒也可能有助于基因在植物之间的转移，甚至可能在植物和对其授粉的昆虫之间转移。这项研究将结合现场工作和对细菌和病毒的基因组的研究，以增加我们对基因在不同生物之间如何移动的理解。此外，从这项研究中，科学活动将设计供学生了解有关生态学的更多信息。该项目将包括（1）对寄生植物系统（Rafflesiaceaceaceae-tetrastigma）的各种细菌和病毒群落进行全面的多尺度微生物调查； （2）在该寄生植物系统中的水平基因转移事件的识别和表征； （3）微生物相互作用网络的设计，以评估该寄生虫植物系统中水平基因转移的结构模式； （4）开发科学研讨会课程和在各个年龄级别的学生发现生物学的课程； （5）鼓励本科生实质性独立的科学研究经验。向前迈进，该项目的发现可以更好地为生态模型提供信息，以预测微生物传播和水平基因转移事件将如何影响真核生物之间的其他共生关系。该系统旨在描述水平基因组转移的进化创新及其对微生物和真核生物宿主中基因组组装的贡献，以及这最终如何为有机体表型提供信息并控制生态互动。这奖反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的智力效果和宽阔的范围来评估支持，并以评估值得评估。