Student Scholars & Faculty Mentors
Projects funded by our internal grants program. Search the table to find students or faculty mentors that share in your interests, and could help you achieve your goals in research, creative activity, or service.
Exploring adaptation and gene flow between Arabidopsis lyrata populations growing on serpentine and non-serpentine soils.
Name: Procopio,
Advisor: Maja Klosinska
Department: ESCI
Award: Student Research Grant
Abstract: Arabidopsis lyrata, a close relative of the model plant A. thaliana, is often used in studies of plant ecology and evolution. Arabidopsis lyrata grows on rocky substrates, including on nutrient-poor serpentine high in heavy metals. We study local adaptation and evolution of this species by examining gene flow between A. lyrata populations growing on more hospitable, non-serpentine soils and those on serpentine barrens which exist as habitat “islands” along the Pennsylvania/Maryland state line. Gene flow between populations is being investigated through the comparison of alleles of selected microsatellite loci. Our preliminary data show serpentine soil populations exchange genetic material mainly with other serpentine soil populations, though there is also some input from their non-serpentine neighbors. In addition to microsatellite loci, we set out to examine a conserved chloroplast locus, trnL/trnL-F, which is used in species identity determination but shows some sequence variation.