This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
Population genetics provides powerful, well-tested theory for the fate of existing versions of genes in a population during evolution. In contrast, no strong quantitative framework exists to predict how new versions of genes arise and take over due to natural selection. Questions critical to understanding the basis of adaptation such as how often beneficial mutations occur, the relative balance of small vs. large beneficial mutations, and why adaptation to new environments almost always slows down rapidly with time remain unanswered. This proposal synthesizes recently developed population genetic theory, a novel, newly-developed marker system for tracking subpopulation dynamics, and cutting-edge techniques for high-throughput culturing, whole-genome sequencing, and assaying frequencies of different versions of genes to address a fundamental question - what is the raw material available for adaptation? - in a manner not possible previously.
A deeper understanding of adaptation is critical to predict how populations and communities will respond to rapid natural or anthropogenic changes, including climate change, ocean acidification, the harsh environments used in biotechnological processes, or emerging diseases. The research incorporates diverse educational and training activities such as an Evolution in Action undergraduate course, high school outreach laboratories, teacher training, and the development of videos for museum exhibits.
