A. Here we propose a fresh framework for developing organismal biology.
[DEFINITIONAL; HOW ORGANISMS RESOLVE CHALLENGES &
OPPORTUNITIES]
• Joel, Lou, Michael, Scott, Molly
•
▼ The framework builds on the enormous technological advances that have
come through a combination of the 'omics and micro/nano-engineering
• 'OMICS: high throughput collection of data -- typically about molecular
variables
• Micro/nano-engineering – fabrication of miniaturized devices used here
for data collection and organismal manipulation.
▼ These technologies enable new approaches to old questions such as:
• transcriptomics to examine whether similar environment – adaptation
relations are accompanied by comparable transcriptional signals
• Can we define the genomic basis of adpatational costs and tradeoffs
• ___________
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what potential for developing a unifying theoretical framework for
organismal biology?
A general theory for whole organism for integrated model choice for designing
these data
A general theory of whole organism integrated physiology and behavior can
incorporate two aspects of multi-level data:
(i) model choice for combining these data and deceasing what state variables are
necessary to capture the phenomena of interest at whole organism scale; and
(ii) characterize the adaptive nature of whole organism response specifying what
control variables are critical to assess organism dynamic response to challenges
on multiple time scales.
Can we describe how within organism variation in development, metabolism,
physiology and morphology are integrated to produce whole organism response
to environment.
The organism the central unit for integrating biology – focus on the phenotype –
organism must be understood in terms of the environment from the perspective
of evolution, development and function.
Genotype – phenotype relations are contextually dependent
Evolution is the central guiding principal organismal biology.
Variation in phenotype is a key theme
CHALLENGE: Bring the environment into the lab, instead of the animal into the
lab – WHY THIS MUST OCCUR? WHAT IT OFFERS? e.g., the study of
genomicly engineered animals in relevant environments.
Can we describe how within org variation in metabolism, physiology, anatomy,
morphology are integrated to produce whole organism response to the
environment.
Use of transcriptomics to define tissue-specific responses and how these
responses contribute to the whole animal response to a specific
environmental signal
Use transcriptomics to define species-differences in signal – adaptation
relations: define transcriptional pathways to specific forms of adaptations
across species.
These comments need not be considered only in terms of transcriptomics, but
rather to any “’omic” approaches
Genetic engineering of crop plants and insect pests: suggests that genetics
modifications targeting single genes/traits affects multiple traits…understand
whole organisms to do this better. Does not work because traits work cooperatively…(correlated traits).
Functional integration
Elelim: horned horned beetles trading-off horned size for eye development
(the transcriptional basis of trade-offs).
The ability of organismal biologists to define and study adpatational costs.
List examples where organismal biology highlights a trade-offs, adaptational
costs, pleiotropy,
The study of variation implies that the study must arrive at the whole
organism.
How do various systems functionally interact to produce a defined
outcome
The integration of systems and organismal biology: Permits allows
researchers to examine a signal – response transduction and translational
to whole organisms responses.
The study of adaptational costs/tradeoffs at the levels of mechanism
allows us to understand constraints on adaptation… comparative
Sub-theme: how exposure to early life adversity limits the capacity
for plasticity in later life; organismal biology provides a framework to
examine this happens.
Example of where organismal biology has contributed to clinical
med: fetal origins of health – importance of thrifty phenotype
hypothesis.
,
It has long been known by leading whole organismal biologists (e..g, Molly
Cummings) complex phenotypes do not have a simple genetic basis: this
provides opportunities as ‘omics technology with organismal biology-infored
approaches provide the basis for studies of this issue.
As a corollary, the study of gene networks and their operation must be
understood at the level of the integrated system – within the context of the whole
organism and whole organism responses to relevant environmental conditions.
BUT….to systems biologists this will appear to diffuse and lacking in precision…
HOWEVER…. Advances in sensor technology…real time measurement of
phenotypes….permits opportunites to characterize complex phenotypes in
diverse environments over time (real time measurement – energy expenditure,
social structure affects phyisology/behaviour, integration of traits, defensive
responses over a broad set of challenges over time,