Bilateral BBSRC-FAPESP: A genome wide view of the evolutionary processes shaping genetic variation in natural populations

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Explaining why so much natural genetic variation exists in fitness related traits is a fundamental problem in evolutionary genetics. Many competing explanations have been proposed, but cleanly distinguishing between them experimentally has been challenging. For example, we find surprisingly high genetic variation in key fitness related social behaviour traits across a huge diversity of taxa, despite a general expectation that variation will be removed by selection. To understand the processes shaping such variation we will employ a novel combination of approaches to dissect the genetics and evolution of social and non-social traits using the social amoeba D. discoideum (Dd). The Dd system provides a uniquely powerful model to dissect the processes shaping genetic diversity in a natural microbial population, while providing critical insights into how the genomes of more complex species are shaped by evolution. Specifically, we will employ a powerful integration of computational, genomic and experimental approaches to: 1) identify and characterize genes that produce natural diversity in social and non-social traits, 2) experimentally validate the causal role of natural genetic variants using cutting edge molecular techniques, 3) test whether the same genes affect both social and non-social traits, suggesting that they are constrained and their joint evolution is shaped by pleiotropy, and 4) determine the evolutionary processes that have shaped variation in this system. Together, these objectives will lead to fundamental advances in our understanding of the types of variation underlying phenotypic diversity in natural populations and the evolutionary processes shaping that variation. It will also provide significant long-term benefits to the research community through the establishment of a core reference panel, opening entirely new avenues of investigation into the genetic basis of any trait, and thus ensuring the legacy of this project.

1. Beneficiaries:
Academic community: This project targets a central question in evolutionary genetics: the evolution and maintenance of variation within natural populations. The academic community of geneticists and evolutionary biologists will be primary beneficiaries. However, the interdisciplinary nature of the work means it will build unifying concepts, drawing together developmental biology, evolutionary biology and genetics. Furthermore, this work will provide a rich dataset and important resource that can be used in future work by researchers across research areas. These researchers can use these same strains in other studies, taking advantage of the genomic and phenotypic data we will have produced and made public, and increasing the long-term impact of this study.

Enhancing International Collaboration: Our Pathways to Impact will strengthen UK science by strengthening collaborative links with the Brazilian partners in São Paulo. This link will enhance the connection between UK funded science through RCUK and the state of São Paulo through FAPESP. FAPESP has worked together with our British institutions to foster collaborations, including the seed funding that launched the collaboration between Wolf and de Brito, The addition of more groups to this collaboration will increase its value..

General Public: The evolution and maintenance of variation within natural populations fascinates the general public. Moreover, our study focus, cooperation and cheating, captures the attention of the general public. Our work has been highlighted by the popular media and used extensively in outreach programmes in the past, and we expect that understanding the evolutionary processes shaping these sorts of behaviours in natural populations should continue to generate interest with this wider audience.

2. Implementation:
Dissemination: To reach the academic beneficiaries we will submit our results to high impact journals and ensure they are made open access. We will also to work with our local media offices to maximize exposure in the popular press and continue our regular attendance at national and international scientific meetings and workshops

Research training: We will train the PDRAs and technician in cutting edge molecular genetic and quantitative skills such as maximum likelihood mixed modelling, computer simulation, analytical modelling and data manipulation. The technician will be trained in experimental design and management of large projects.

Advanced training resources:
A) Evolutionary computational genetics course: We will generate impact and added value through educational resources in evolutionary population genetics. To achieve this goal, we will deliver a three day short course at the University of Bath targeted at evolutionary biologists. The course will include computer lab components focused on analysis and simulation approaches. We will also deliver an expanded version of this course to contribute to the development of the academic community in Brazil, where research in evolutionary population and quantitative genetics is an emerging discipline. This will maximize the value of the RCUK-FAPESP joint funding by providing direct impact in both research communities. Our long term goal is to establish this course in the state of São Paulo, providing high calibre training to arguably the largest concentration of evolutionary geneticists in a developing economy.

B) Online resources: To maintain the long-term impact of these educational resources, we will package them as an online course, with the content coordinated with video and printable resources.

Community outreach: We will work with the University of Bath, University of Manchester, and Federal University of São Carlos to provide outputs to the general media. To improve our outreach the PDRAs will participate in the Royal Society Communication Skills and Media Skills Training courses (which are combined into a two day residential course).