NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Uncovering the molecular mechanisms that govern cnidarian-algal symbiosis using forward genetic screens

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The fellow will be studying the impacts of climate change on the cnidarian-algal symbiotic relationship (cnidarians include corals, jellyfish, and sea anemones). This symbiotic relationship is crucial to the stability of marine ecosystems. However, due to increased sea temperatures, many symbiotic cnidarians are dying rapidly. The proposed work will seek to understand how to preserve this relationship under the changing climate by studying the mechanisms behind this relationship at a cellular level. The knowledge gained through this fellowship will provide data that will assist in the conservation efforts of these animals, and help us to better understand this ecosystem. This award will not only allow for the training of a fellow from an underrepresented background, it will also allow the fellow to increase participation of students from underrepresented backgrounds by providing them with mentorship and training in a laboratory setting.

The research proposed by the fellow seeks to understand the cellular mechanisms underlying the cnidarian-algal symbiosis. The fellow will use a forward genetic strategy to probe the essential genes for establishing the coral-algal symbiosis. Symbiodiniaceae Breviolum minutum strain SSB01 is known to be able to form symbiosis with many cnidarians including corals, sea anemones and jellyfish. One such cnidarian that is used as a model system for researching questions related to this symbiosis is the jellyfish Cassiopea xamachana. For this research project a library of algal mutants of SSB01 will be generated and then evaluated for their ability to populate Cassiopea xamachana. C. xamachana polyps are easy to rear and grow in large numbers in a laboratory setting which will allow for high throughput analysis of the stability of the symbiosis with the algal mutants. Because working with corals can be problematic, the development of this model system on a cellular level may allow us to develop engineering strategies to counter devastating coral bleaching. Possible strategies might include targeted genetic modification or in-laboratory evolution of algae that are resistant to bleaching.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.