RII Track-2 FEC: Genomics Underlying Toxin Tolerance (GUTT): Identifying Molecular Innovations that Predict Phenotypes of Toxin Tolerance in Wild Vertebrate Herbivores

Non-Technical Description

Plants and the animals that eat them are in a constant battle for survival that results in evolutionary change. Plants evolve to produce new toxic chemicals while herbivores, and their associated microbial communities, change such that they become more tolerant to plant toxins. The understanding of plant toxins and herbivore tolerance is important for conservation biologists that manage native herbivores and plants, for the ranching and agricultural community that rely on plants to feed livestock and chemicals to defend crops from pests, and the medical community that relies on plant-derived chemicals to manage human health. A better understanding of these important plant-herbivore systems will require the expertise of many scientists with different specializations that must cooperate across state boundaries. This project will leverage, build, and integrate research and education strengths across Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming to identify the Genomes Underlying Toxin Tolerance (GUTT) in vertebrate herbivores. The GUTT team will integrate a range of expertise to identify how variation in toxin tolerance influences populations of wild mammalian and avian herbivores. The team will work with high school teachers and use Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences in introductory biology, chemistry, and math courses to train, inspire, recruit, and retain a diverse workforce capable of applying genetic understanding of toxin tolerance in animals and microbes to conservation, agriculture and human health. The project will also connect GUTT participants with local agency and industry partners to diversify career and funding opportunities for faculty and students. The research and educational activities will increase the capacity for Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming faculty, students, and community partners to more effectively manage toxic plants and the animals and microbes that interact with these plants.

Technical Description

This project identifies the Genomes Underlying Toxin Tolerance (GUTT) by establishing the links between molecular and physiological mechanisms of toxin tolerance that predict demographic consequences in vertebrate herbivores. The researchers use metabolomics, transcriptomics, metagenomics, and molecular modeling to identify molecular interactions between herbivore and gut microbial genomes and toxic chemicals ingested by herbivores. The team will use in vivo and in vitro experiments to quantify physiological mechanisms of toxin tolerance and physiological consequences of toxin exposure. Participants will also work on manipulating molecular and physiological mechanisms of toxin tolerance to develop, validate, and iteratively refine models that predict how toxin exposure influences herbivore demography. The research will result in: 1) An unprecedented, detailed view of concerted herbivore and microbial response to, and modification of, toxins in the herbivore gut that influence demographic rates of native vertebrate herbivores; 2) Discovery and archiving of chemical, genetic, and microbial diversity from unique interactions created in the guts of mammalian and avian herbivores consuming diverse plant chemicals; and 3) Workforce development programs that create and sustain a culture of inclusion for marginalized groups across all career stages who can innovate and lead new frontiers in integrated research and educational practices. High school outreach programs and interactions with predominantly undergraduate institutions will be used to inspire the next generation of scientists. Rentention of these students will be ensured through Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences throughout the undergraduate curriculum where students use genetic and chemical data to discover novel mechanisms and consequences of toxin tolerance. Overall, the Idaho, Nevada, and Wyoming EPSCoR RII Track-2 GUTT team will foster novel collaborations and contribute to society by predicting and managing how wild, agricultural, and human systems respond molecularly, physiologically, and demographically to chemicals in plants.

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.