48th Maine Biological and Medical Sciences Symposium (MBMSS)

2021 Keynote Speaker: Scott V. Edwards, Ph.D., Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Curator of Ornithology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Director of Graduate Studies, Harvard University

Scott V. Edwards

Wings, feathers, flight: the PhyloG2P approach to understanding bird biology

The genotype-to-phenotype (G2P) map is of ongoing interest in evolutionary biology. Whereas for a few model organisms, traditional methods such as genetic mapping have allowed great advances, the vast majority of biodiversity can’t embrace this paradigm. However, comparative genomics is now allowing us to map genes for traits using phylogenetic approaches (PhyloG2P; Smith et al. 2020 TREE). By taking advantages of phenotypically unique lineages or convergent evolution, PhyloG2P can provide surprisingly precise identification of coding and noncoding loci underlying evolutionarily labile traits. I illustrate this approach with two examples, the first of which focuses on whether the origin of feathers was driven primarily by gene sequence evolution or gene regulation, and the second of which asks a similar question for the convergent loss of flight in paleognathous birds, which include the ostrich, emu, kiwis and relatives. In both cases, regulatory evolution seems to have played an important role in the gain and loss of fundamental avian traits. Additional ‘omics approaches, such as ATAC-seq, help refine hypothesis of causal loci based on comparative analysis. Overall our results suggest a strong role for non-coding regulatory evolution in the origin of key adaptations of birds.

Abstract Submission Deadline: April 12, 2021

This year, an MTI Innovation Award will be given to authors of one outstanding poster whose research includes uniquely designed methods or protocols or development of a product with clinical or commercial applications and whether the innovation is in the pre-patent or patent application phase or if patent has already been awarded. The submitting author must indicate at registration that the poster will contain one or more of these elements and describe the innovation in order to be considered for the award.

If the concept is pre-patent application, be sure to disclose internally to your technology commercialization professionals to determine how to protect your idea in order to be able to patent it in the future