Approximately 40% of the earth''s landmass is classified as arid or semi-arid, and this percentage is expected to increase as a result of global climate change and human activity. A direct approach to understanding how life on earth may adapt to these changes is to study desert organisms that already inhabit arid regions. This requires an integrated analysis of physiological, biochemical and genetic responses to the environment. An ideal system for study includes a desert insect, Drosophila mojavensis, and the host plants it uses to survive in the southwestern deserts of North America. The ecology and physiology of Drosophila mojavensis have been well studied, and it is the only desert animal whose entire genome has been sequenced. These factors make it uniquely suitable for the study of genetic adaptation of animals to arid habitats. This research will use modern techniques to study how environmental stresses (heat, lack of water, diet) affect the expression of all of the genes in Drosophila mojavensis under controlled laboratory conditions and in nature. This information will be integrated with physiological and biochemical studies to understand how these genes interact to allow this insect to survive extreme environmental conditions. The genes identified in these experiments will serve as candidates to predict how well other species can adapt to arid conditions within their lifespan and over generations.
This project has many broader impacts. Understanding how interacting genes respond to stressful desert environments will help us to predict the survival of beneficial insect species, such as crop pollinators, as climate changes in the future. This research includes collaboration between two laboratories and will provide integrated research training to undergraduates and graduate students, including underrepresented minorities, as well as outreach to K-12 teachers and students.
