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Quantifying the roles that evolutionary forces play in shaping genomic and social divergence in natural populations of the cooperative bacterium Myxococcus xanthus

Obiettivo

Our understanding of microbial genetic diversity in nature and how it relates to phenotypic divergence is extremely limited, including for social traits like those exhibited by myxobacteria. Relying on next-generation sequencing, the project proposed here seeks to quantify the roles that the forces of evolution play in shaping genomic and social divergence in natural populations of the model cooperative myxobacterium, Myxoccocus xanthus. First, I will use a global and spatially hierarchical collection of natural isolates spanning large metric scales to grasp both total and spatially partitioned genetic diversity in M. xanthus. Second, I will analyze genetic substitution patterns among these natural isolates, and quantify signals of selection and drift under special consideration of a “gold-standard” mutation rate estimate directly inferred from whole genome sequences of a large collection of lab evolved strains of M. xanthus. Third, I will link previously published phenotypic patterns in closely related natural isolates to their whole genome data to infer their underlying molecular mechanisms, and candidate mutations will be tested directly through construction of isogenic clones in the lab. This proposal offers me the excellent opportunity to receive cutting-edge training at one of Europe’s elite universities and will increase my level of scientific maturity and independence. It will also contribute European excellence in applying cutting-edge technologies to conceptually important questions.

Invito a presentare proposte

FP7-PEOPLE-2012-IEF
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Coordinatore

EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH
Contributo UE
€ 192 622,20
Indirizzo
Raemistrasse 101
8092 Zuerich
Svizzera

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Regione
Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Zürich Zürich
Tipo di attività
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Contatto amministrativo
Gregory Velicer (Prof.)
Collegamenti
Costo totale
Nessun dato