Genetic basis of climate adaptation and rapid evolution in plants
Moisés Expósito-Alonso, Professor
Integrative Biology
Applications for Fall 2024 are closed for this project.
The global climate is changing at an unprecedented rate due to human activities, threatening global biodiversity and food security. A fundamental question in evolutionary biology is: What enables or limits species to rapidly evolve and adapt to changing climates? In this project, we will use natural ecotypes of Arabidopsis to 1) Investigate the relationship among genetic variation, phenotypic expression, and the rate of adaptation to extreme environments and 2) Characterize specific adaptive genes involved and elucidate their functional roles in adaptation processes.
Role: Task 1: Develop and implement a high-throughput workflow to screen and quantify novel plant phenotypes under extreme environmental conditions.
Task 2: Isolate genomic DNA and conduct bioinformatic analyses to identify candidate genes associated with adaptive traits.
Task 3: Participate actively in team meetings to present findings and ensure meticulous documentation of experimental procedures and results.
Learning outcome: Students will gain hands-on experience with experimental techniques, including monitoring plant growth, measuring phenotypes through imaging analysis, performing DNA extraction, and conducting bioinformatic analyses to identify adaptive genes. Additionally, students will develop independence and gain valuable experience in hypothesis-driven research.
Qualifications: 1. Strong interest in plant genetics, evolutionary biology, and climate adaptation. (required)
2. Commitment and dedication to learning and pursuing research (required)
3. Willingness to perform hands-on experiments and exhibit patience and critical thinking throughout the research process. (required)
4. Comfortable with programming languages including R and Bash. (desirable but not essential)
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Xing Wu, Post-Doc
Hours: to be negotiated
Related website: https://www.moilab.science/home
Biological & Health Sciences