Postdoctoral Fellowship: PRFB: Investigating the evolutionary dynamics of recombination landscapes and adaptive trait architectures across varying degrees of gene flow

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2024, 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. During the production of sperm and egg cells, a process called recombination occurs where genetic material is swapped between the two sets of DNA inherited from each parent.

This results in each sperm or egg having a unique mix of the parents' genes, explaining why siblings from the same parents can be different. Recombination is important for evolution and plays a significant role in how organisms respond to environmental change. For example, recombination allows organisms to form new combinations of helpful genes or to remove harmful mutations that arise.

Thanks to advances in technology, detailed studies on recombination have recently become possible. This research uses the latest genetic tools and builds on existing knowledge about evolution from studies on the Atlantic silverside fish. The goal is to understand how the rate of recombination differs between males and females and across various environments.

Additionally, the Fellow will mentor undergraduate students in independent research projects and organize support groups for academics.

This research will investigate the evolutionary dynamics of recombination landscapes and adaptive trait architectures across varying degrees of gene flow by leveraging genomic tools, common garden experiments, and forward-time evolutionary simulations. Key outcomes will include (1) multiple linkage maps to examine recombination rate as an individual-level phenotype, (2) a genome-wide association study to examine divergent trait architectures and (3) simulations of the evolutionary scenarios shaping differences in recombination rate between sexes and populations.

To achieve these outcomes, Atlantic silversides will be collected from multiple locally adapted populations across varying degrees of gene flow, crosses will be generated, and the resulting offspring will be reared in constant conditions in the laboratory. Genetic and phenotypic data will be collected for linkage and trait mapping. The Fellow will additionally work to expand access and training to early career researchers by providing impactful research opportunities for undergraduate students and fostering community through organizing peer support groups for students in STEM.

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.