This action funds an NSF National Plant Genome Initiative Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2014. The fellowship supports a research and training plan in a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to Natalie J. Nannas is "Engineering a Synthetic Centromere for Artificial Chromosome Segregation in Maize" The host institution for the fellowship is the University of Georgia and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. R. Kelly Dawe.
Increasing world population demands new technologies for crop improvement and production. Introducing a few transgenes into agricultural plants have helped combat pests and increase yields, but traits necessary to meet future demands will likely require large sets of genes not easily introduced by current methods. Synthetic centromeres make artificial chromosomes a viable strategy for introducing whole genetic pathways without disrupting the native plant genome and efficiently segregating all traits together. Training objectives include plant genetics and genomics, and plant molecular and cellular biology. Broader impacts include increasing undergraduate minority participation in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through collaboration with the Peach State Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP). A workshop series will be created on finding summer research and funding opportunities, applying and interviewing for graduate school and medical school, and exploring STEM career options. Recruitment programming will be developed for the University of Georgia's Freshmen Orientation and Fall Activities Fair, including an advising seminar on offered science majors and recommended introductory courses. A tutoring, mentoring, and study group network will be established through LSAMP and will be available to support students in STEM courses. Undergraduate students interested in research will be encouraged to participate directly in this work; students will be trained and mentored while conducting their own independent projects related to the synthetic centromere.
Artificial chromosomes are an emerging strategy to stack transgenes, but due to epigenetic complications, these constructs lack reliable centromeres, DNA elements on which kinetochores assemble and direct accurate segregation of chromosomes through cell division. This project aims to engineer a "synthetic centromere" capable of autonomously segregating an artificial chromosome in the agriculturally important plant, maize. A synthetic centromere will be created by artificially localizing kinetochore proteins to a specific genetic location; kinetochore proteins will be fused with various DNA-binding proteins and expressed in lines that carry an array of binding sites. To assess the functionality of the synthetic centromere, a live imaging system will be developed to measure the currently unknown dynamics of chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis. The synthetic centromere will be compared to natural centromeres in its ability to assemble a kinetochore, attach microtubules, correct improper attachments and segregate a chromosome. The synthetic centromere will also be assessed for its ability to heritably mark the site of kinetochore assembly through multiple generations.
