Grants and Contracts Details
Description
PROJECT SUMMARY
Environmental and developmental variation play large roles in shaping phenotypes, yet our understanding of how phenotypic plasticity evolves and is mediated through gene regulatory networks (GRNs) is limited. This knowledge gap hinders our ability to predict how novel or changing environments will affect phenotypes, as well as the evolutionary consequences of these changes. To better understand how both adaptive and aberrant phenotypes emerge from GRN architecture, we need tractable models which vary in a phenotype of interest. The proposed research takes an integrative approach to address the gene regulatory mechanisms underlying social behavior in a group of bees with extensive variation in sociality within and between species. This natural variation in a phenotype of interest enables us to study the mechanistic basis of plasticity across both developmental and evolutionary timescales. My proposed research combines leading-edge functional genomics with computational biology and behavioral profiling to identify gene regulatory plasticity and the consequences of this plasticity in the evolution and development of social behavior. I approach these questions from multiple angles, including assessment of natural phenotypic variation, laboratory manipulations to uncover the effects of environmental conditions on social behavior, and massively parallel reporter assays to measure the activity of gene regulatory elements in carefully controlled cellular environments. Previous work has identified shared molecular mechanisms regulating social behavior across organisms as divergent as bees, mice, and humans. Therefore, this work has the potential to expand knowledge about the mechanisms underlying social behavior in animals broadly, beyond the group of bees studied. In addition, this work will provide fundamental insights into how GRN architecture is modified during the evolution of novel traits, a critical piece for understanding the interplay between phenotypic plasticity and the emergence of adaptive traits.
Status | Active |
---|---|
Effective start/end date | 1/6/25 → 12/31/29 |
Funding
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences: $365,000.00
Fingerprint
Explore the research topics touched on by this project. These labels are generated based on the underlying awards/grants. Together they form a unique fingerprint.