9702824 Ballard The aim of this innovative CAREER proposal is to integrate Dr. Ballard's research with a three-phase education, curation and study program that targets young women and minority groups from Chicago's inner city. The research is aimed at testing a central prediction of co-evolutionary theory that the interaction of a host and an endosymbiont should evolve from disease toward symbiosis. Specifically, the research will investigate ways in which naturally occurring Wolbachia pipientis, an alpha proteobacteria, influences genetic divergence in common Drosophila simulans fruit flies. Wolbachia typically causes a reduction in gene flow between uninfected females and infected males and among individuals infected with different strains of Wolbachia. The education program will build students' knowledge and interest in environmental biology and will culminate in students and teachers conducting a small project directly related to Dr. Ballard's research. In phase I, 7th and 8th grade students will be introduced--through a series of lectures, exhibit tours and a "behind-the-scenes" excursion--to The Field Museum. In phase II, teachers and students will be involved in discussions where they will learn about biodiversity and the role of museum collections. They will also participate in the construction of a species-level insect database, a priority of the research staff in The Field Museum's Division of Insects. In phase III, a subset of students/teachers will conduct a supervised study that investigates a specific aspect of co-evolution that directly contributes to Ballard's research. The three phase program will build self-confidence and will foster interest in science careers by providing direct and frequent interaction with research scientists.
