Connecting phenotype to genotype in evolved prokaryotic populations
Abstract
Microbes commonly experience starvation and exist within communities. Community interactions and starvation are important evolutionary forces that influence the emergence and distribution of microbial traits. We are currently interrogating the evolutionary effects of these forces by examining evolved genome sequences, global gene expression, and global protein in a project funded by a DoD Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative. We are using this rich sequence, gene expression, and protein level information to refine current theory in evolutionary biology from a genomics perspective. Inferring the phenotypic effects from evolved mutations is another matter, as it is oftentimes difficult to use global datasets to predict even the most basic of microbial traits, such as growth. This proposal requests equipment to bridge this gap by analyzing microbial traits on a large scale Ð essentially high-throughput phenotyping to extract an additional breadth of knowledge from our high-throughput ÔomicsÕ data. Specifically we are requesting spectro-fluorometric plate readers, which allow for growth, enzymatic kinetics, and other cellular traits in up to 384 independent bacterial cultures to be simultaneously monitored using multi-well plates under either aerobic, microaerobic, or anaerobic conditions. We are also requesting a portable flow cytometer to sample and quantify bacterial cells and metabolically distinct subpopulations within communities, within in a matter of seconds. The flow cytometer will also allow us to measure the fitness and competitive ability of different evolved strains. The resulting information on evolved microbial traits will provide novel phenotypic insights into genomic changes in evolved populations, with the potential to assign physiologically important roles to specific sequences across diverse bacterial phyla and environmental conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 16, 2018
- Source ID
- W911NF1710159
Entities
People
- James B McKinlay
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Indiana University
- United States Army