You’re Hired! Now What?
Mohamed A. F. Noor
APPENDIX 5
Laboratory Projects List
A list of my lab’s projects is compiled and distributed once per semester and discussed at a “Research Updates” lab
meeting (see Chapter 3). Prefixes like “*NIH*” identify funded projects and the project’s source of support. Initials
in parentheses indicate who in the lab was working on the project. Many other abbreviations are present (e.g.,
MSH1, ps); these would be familiar within the laboratory, such as for cultures, species, reagents, etc. Overall, these
handouts provide a means for everyone in the team to see (or be reminded of) all the projects happening and potential ties between them.
NOOR LAB PROJECTS FALL 2009
1.
*NIH1* Genetics of hybrid sterility in D. p. bogotana / D. persimilis
a.
Localize homozygous sterility factor on chromosome 2 (SMB)
b.
Determine whether ps allele at loci above also confers sterility (SRM)
c.
See if other lines of D. persimilis have same sterility QTL effects (SRM)
Stocks MSH1993, MSH3, MSH1, SCI done.
d.
Refine location of hybrid sterility factor on 4 th chromosome (SMB)
SMB generated 30 recombinant sublines, testing sterility
2.
*NIH2* Recombination rate vs nucleotide diversity, divergence, codon bias (SEM)
a.
New whole-genome sequences
Flagstaff14 & Flagstaff16 sequences obtained. D. miranda soon. Other lines being inbred for sequencing.
b.
Generating 2 new linkage maps- First will be Flagstaff 14/Flagstaff 16
1500 progeny frozen, some lost during prep so will need replacement
c.
3.
Generate very fine maps using large-scale cross of Flagstaff 14/Flagstaff 16
*NSF* Introgression and recombination estimates in D. pseudoobscura, D. persimilis, and hybrids (LSS)
a.
Illumina bead assay of fine-scale recombination in D. persimilis
Have data, analysis ongoing
b.
Estimate recombination in hybrids within inversion on XR
~5500 flies surveyed, no clear recombinants. Going to 10,000- crosses set
c.
Test isolation models at loci within and outside inversion on XR
LSS will do soon.
4.
*LSS NSF DDIG* Test male-mediated effects on patterns of crossing over (LSS)
a.
Variation among strains in male-mediated effects
LSS surveying various crosses to Zimbabwe melanogaster
b.
Effects of temperature/ hormones
First test-run completed- looks promising-will focus on Juvenile Hormone
5.
Examination of “sex-ratio” D. persimilis on association of drive and sterility (SRM)
a.
Characterization of drive in SRper strain
b.
See if drive and hybrid sterility co-localize
Crossing SRper males to Flagstaff1993 females- will backcross
6.
Development of Megaselia scalaris as new model for various studies
a.
Analysis of sparse 454 genome sequence data (DAR)
Completed- manuscript published
b.
Generation of illumina sequences from males and females separately
Will sequence soon (SEM)
c.
7.
Possibly associate codon bias with sequence-based rec estimate (SEM)
Test of recombinational effect of and patterns of evolution in putative Drosophila BRCA2 homolog (SMB)
a.
Recombinants generated... on hold.
b.
Examining variation within D. yakuba, which has seemingly new allele size.
c.
Cloning D. pseudoobscura alleles to get full sequence of repetitive regions.
8.
*NSF RET* Drosophila selective sweep in high school (MH, Riverside High)
9.
Evaluate feasibility of D. pseudoobscura knockout + transgenics via zinc-finger nucleases (low priority,
SMB)
Anticipated paper submissions in very near future, and papers recently submitted or accepted (titles, authors, and
author orders tentative until acceptance)
Kandul, N. P., and M. A. F. Noor. 2009. Large introns promote alternative splicing and gene evolution. In review.
Larracuente, A. M., M. A. F. Noor, and A. G. Clark. 2009. Translocation of Y-linked genes to the dot chromosome
in Drosophila pseudoobscura. In review.
McDermott, S. R., and M. A. F. Noor. The role of meiotic drive in hybrid male sterility. provisionally accepted at
Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. B.
Noor, M. A. F., and S. M. Bennett. 2009. Islands of speciation or mirages in the desert? Examining the role of restricted recombination in maintaining species. In revision at Heredity.
New manuscripts to be generated
LSS: Project 3a
SRM: Projects 1b/1c