This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2004. The goal of the fellowship is to increase the participation of minority scientists at the postdoctoral level and to prepare them for positions of scientific leadership in academia and industry. To attain this goal, the fellowship provides opportunities for postdoctoral training and research of the highest quality to recent doctoral recipients. It is expected that Fellows supported through these fellowships will play important roles in training of the future workforce.
The research and training plan is entitled " Exploring the Functional Genomic Differences and Dynamics of aquatic Vibrio cholerae populations." Survival of epidemic Vibrio cholerae in the aquatic environment is being attributed to "VSP-1" and "VSP-2" gene islands that are thought to confer adaptive properties, enabling cells to withstand environmental stresses. It is unknown, however, if non-epidemic variants, which are found more often in the aquatic environment, share such genes. This research compares functional genomic analyses and ecological interactions of V. cholerae non-epidemic and epidemic strains as to illuminate how subtle genetic differences contribute to population composition and community-level processes within its aquatic environment. Microarrays are used to detect differences between genomes and to compare gene expression responses to factors that influence population dynamics, i.e., salinity stress and substrate availability.
Fashioning microarray techniques in such a way as to use them in an applied experimental manner are important tools in future exploration of ecological and evolutionary theory. The collaborative nature of this project is the beginning of the Fellow's professional involvement in multidisciplinary efforts. It will foster the organizational skills and ability to bridge disciplines needed for future endeavors.
