On every set of genes in every individual (the genotype), the environment exerts its influence to shape observable traits (or phenotypes); this is phenotypic plasticity. Recently, the field of phenotypic plasticity has been split into two subfields: the first is a focus for evolutionary biologists whose goal is to understand how phenotypic plasticity evolved over time, and the other is a focus for physiologists whose goal is to identify the physiological mechanisms underlying the gene-environment interaction. This symposium has three goals aimed at bridging these two subfields. First, the meeting will bring together researchers from the two subfields who otherwise do not cross paths to discuss how their respective theoretical framework can be tested experimentally and how empirical data from one group can give insights to the other. This will help advance our understanding of the costs, benefits, and limitations of phenotypic plasticity and to identify future direction of this field. The second goal is to foster interaction and future collaboration between researchers from the two subfields to bring new approaches and define new directions. The third goal is to encourage participation from early career scientists (e.g., undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral researchers) and scientists from underrepresented groups to provide them with an opportunity to receive feedback from senior scientists and identify future mentors. The sequence of talks, alternating between evolutionary biologists and physiologists, and inclusion of designated time for questions and discussion are designed to further cross-disciplinary interactions. Abstracts from all the talks and posters will be publicly available, and papers from the symposium talks will be published in the Integrative and Comparative Biology journal to ensure the dissemination of the symposium.
On every set of genes in every individual (the genotype), the environment exerts its influence to shape observable traits (or phenotypes); this is phenotypic plasticity. Recently, the field of phenotypic plasticity has been split into two subfields: evolutionary biologists aim to understand how phenotypic plasticity evolved over time, while physiologists aim to identify the mechanisms underlying the gene-environment interaction. Work on phenotypic plasticity from the evolutionary standpoint is important for predicting how species will cope with human impacts on the environment, while the physiological perspective helps us understand how genetic predispositions and environmental factors underlie disease (e.g., the thrifty phenotype hypothesis). The goals and anticipated outcomes of the funded symposium were three-fold. The first was to bring together researchers from the two subfields who otherwise do not cross paths to discuss how our approaches to researching phenotypic plasticity can be improved. The second goal was to foster future collaboration between researchers from the two subfields to bring new approaches and define new directions, thereby applying the framework of phenotypic plasticity to new problems. Finally, the third goal was to encourage participation from early career scientists (e.g., students and postdoctoral researchers) and scientists from underrepresented groups, and provide them with an opportunity to receive feedback from senior scientists and identify future mentors. In January of 2014, 10 symposia talks were presented and 11 talks and 5 posters were given in complementary sessions. In addition, we held an open discussion session and an evening social event which provided an opportunity for researchers from both subfields and all career stages to interact, connect, and further discuss research questions and approaches. Approximately 150 people attended the symposium talks and complementary oral session. Three of the 10 symposium speakers were postdoctoral fellows, which provided an excellent career advancement opportunity. Four of the speakers in the complementary oral session were graduate students and 1 was a postdoctoral fellow. Four out of the 5 posters were presented by graduate students. Over 70 people participated in the social event, with approximately half of the attendees being early career scientists. The core issues addressed by the symposium, such as resolving definitions for commonly used terms and comparing experimental approaches used among subfields, will improve the quality of research being conducted on the topic of phenotypic plasticity. Eight papers and 26 abstracts were published in the journal, Integrative and Comparative Biology as a result of the symposium and complementary sessions, which will improve the quality of basic science even more broadly than could be achieved by a conference alone. Importantly, improving our approach to studying the basic science of phenotypic plasticity, as was achieved by the funded symposium, will translate to improved understanding of diverse issues in applied science ranging from issues of conservation to human health. For example, phenotypic plasticity underlies our understanding of how species respond to global climate change, which interventions are essential to healthy child development, and how diet and genetics together underlie risks for diseases such as diabetes and schizophrenia. Supporting the theoretical understanding and rigorous research approaches that are the core of basic science builds our capacity to address new challenges and develop interventions in a changing world.
