This National Science Foundation (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074) Project Grant, awarded to Trustees of Tufts College (doing business as Tufts University), will provide $763,751 to systematically analyze the role of selection, population processes, and genetic architecture for the build up of distinct barriers to gene exchange in the European corn borer moth system.
The key products and services to be delivered under this 3-year grant include: 1) Genome resequencing from across the moth's distribution range to explore the history of species spread and potential for co-occurrence of distinct reproductive barriers; 2) Population cage experiments and fitness assessments to determine if prezygotic isolation traits also contribute to postzygotic isolation; 3) Genomic comparisons of population pairs differing by independent or coincident barriers to detect evidence that associations between barriers are favored by selection; and 4) Use of CRISPR/Cas9 technology to investigate pleiotropic reproductive isolation. This research aims to advance the understanding of speciation while also contributing to applications in agricultural sustainability, environmental health, and educational outreach.
Generated 1/28/25, 8:56 AM