Project Grant 2336342

The National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) awarded a $901,045 Project Grant to the Reed Institute, doing business as Reed College, with an award date of August 1, 2024 and an ultimate completion date of July 31, 2028. This grant will fund research entitled "RUI: ON THE ORIGIN OF GENETIC VARIATION: INVESTIGATING THE CAUSES OF VARIATION IN MUTATION RATES AND SPECTRA." The research aims to advance the understanding of how genetic variation is generated, which is fundamental to the maintenance and generation of biodiversity and has implications for human health and adaptation to a changing environment. The project will focus on quantifying variation in mutation rates and types across different scales using the microcrustacean genus Daphnia as a model organism. Key factors to be experimentally evaluated include generation time, developmental trajectories, transcription rates, and recombination frequencies. The research findings are expected to provide broader impacts through training and networking opportunities for young scientists across multiple institutions and career stages.