Genomic Basis of Evolutionary Innovations (GEvol)

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Erich Bornberg-Bauer
• Subject Area: Evolution, Anthropology ; General Genetics and Functional Genome Biology ; Bioinformatics and Theoretical Biology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 503283318

New experimental and computational techniques provide exciting opportunities to study the evolutionary history of genomes and to reconstruct the emergence of new traits from an integrated, phylogenomic perspective, way beyond the limited perspective of model species. GEvol will exploit these opportunities by connecting researchers from complementary fields, including genomics, bioinformatics, evolutionary ecology, molecular evolution, developmental biology, taxonomy and genetics to unravel the dynamics and principles of genomic innovations of a large clade. Projects will study the dynamics of major genomic innovations in evolution which underlie, for example: gain and loss of sociality or mating systems; complex systems of communication, interaction, defence and immunity; developmental and morphological innovations and plasticity. Projects will employ multiple quantitative OMICs resources (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics and epigenomics) and study the roles of coding vs. regulatory changes, repeats, epigenetics,gene family evolution and structural genomic changes. Insects, being the most species rich class of higher eukaryotes, are a particularly promising study system because they are experimentally amenable, many excellent genomic and other OMIC resources are availableallowing comparative evolutionary genomics and bioinformatics to delineate past events and because insects have developed an incredible variety of morphologies, developmental programmes, phenotypic plasticity, communication and mating systems. Ca. 20–25groups shall work collaboratively under the umbrella structure of GEvol which includes workshops, training courses for young researchers and outreach activities. Currently we are expecting around 35 submissions representing a good cross-section of species from the whole insect tree. GEvol will thus propagate and catalyse the usage of novel and cutting edge computational and experimental techniques across groups, the wholeGerman research landscape and train a new generation of young scientists in the burgeoning field of gen-omics (and other OMICs). Ca. 20 young researchers will receive state-of-the-art technical and scientific training in a highly interdisciplinary setting. Gender balance is assured (currently ≥ 40% females) and will be maintained by active recruitment and invitations to further participations, for applicants to the project and for invitedspeakers at conferences and workshops. These workshops and training courses on scientific communication and experimental and functional genome analyses techniques will intensify the interdisciplinary interactions. They will have a disproportionate impact on academic training of the next generation of genomic researchers and computational biologists. These activities will be bolstered by early-career mentoring including advice sessions with a mentor and the opportunity for small grant applications for support by student helpers.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2349: Genomic Basis of Evolutionary Innovations (GEvol)