University of Rochester
$5 Million Grant Awarded to Answer Biology's Biggest Secrets
Part of a new effort by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to understand
some of the most perplexing puzzles in biology is being spearheaded at the University
of Rochester. Jack Werren, professor of biology, is leading a group of researchers
at six different institutions who will investigate Wolbachia, bacteria
that are found in more than 20 percent of insect species. Wolbachia manipulate
insect reproduction and cellular biology, and could have major influences on
insect genetics and evolution. The five-year, $5 million effort will determine
how these bacteria alter cell biology and reproduction in their hosts, how they
move around between insect species, and how they have impacted the genome structure
of insects. These studies could provide new tools for insect control, as well
as fundamental insights about how animals co-exist with their bacterial parasites.
In 2001, Werren showed that by interfering with fertilization between wasps
infected with different Wolbachia, these bacteria may have altered the
regular course of the wasp's evolution, leading to the formation of two separate
species.
One of the hallmarks of NSF's new Frontier In Biology Research (FIBR) program
is its emphasis on cooperation among different arenas of research. Werren's
study will include Mitsunori Ogihara from the University's Department of Computer
Science, John Jaenike, professor of biology, and researchers from the University
of California, Riverside; University of California, Santa Cruz; the Smithsonian
Tropical Research Institute; the American Museum of National History; the Marine
Biological Laboratory; and the Institute for Genomic Research.
Other projects funded by the $30 million FIBR program include studies of how
multicellular organisms arise by using primitive multicellular slime molds.
Another, exploring how ecology and molecular genetics interact in the creation
of new species, will focus on Mimulus, a genus more commonly known as
monkey-flowers. One will examine the causes and consequences of genetic recombination
in reproduction--or, succinctly, "Why sex?"--by tracking the consequences
of sexual and asexual reproduction in Daphnia, tiny freshwater crustaceans also
known as water fleas. Each organism, be it Wolbachia, slime molds, monkey-flowers
or water fleas, has special features that make it uniquely suited for asking
a fundamental biological question. Each study takes a multidisciplinary approach
to its particular question.
"An important feature of biology in the 21st century is the opportunity
to set aside barriers and tackle some of the most important and fundamental
questions in biology," says Mary Clutter, NSF's assistant director for
biology. "FIBR is one of the ways we're supporting researchers who are
moving the frontiers forward and who are training a new generation of scientists
who will not be limited by disciplinary boundaries."
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