The National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology awarded a $569,812 Project Grant to the University of Missouri System to study the genetic mechanisms underlying repeated evolution of adaptations to extreme cave environments in certain species of fish. The research will employ cutting-edge sequencing and comparative genomics techniques to identify genetic variations associated with cave-adapted traits in three species of cavefish and their surface relatives. Functional genomic testing using CRISPR-Cas9 will also be conducted to validate the impact of identified genetic changes on the observed phenotypes. This 4-year research project, part of the NSF's Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), will provide insights into how organisms can adapt to thrive in extreme environments like caves, which could inform strategies to withstand changing environmental conditions. The work also includes opportunities for international collaboration and training the next generation of scientists.
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