Integrative Approaches to Environmental Physiology

This component united genomic sequencing, biocomputation techniques and modeling to examine the underlying causes and dynamics of the population genetics of arctic adaptation.

Investigators studied the specific genes related to Arctic and alpine adaptation in plants, fungi, insects, birds, and mammals. Representative projects included “Microbial Genome Sequencing as it Relates to the Metagenomics of Boreal Forest Fungi;” “Relationships Among Gene Lineages, Morphology, Geography and Fungal Associations in Corallorhizinae;” “Orchid-Fungal Interactions;” “Conflict in Gynodioecious Plants and the Cost of Male Fertility Restoration;” and "Megatransect Population Genetic Survey of the Andes and the Adaptive Hemoglobin Respiratory Proteins of South American Ducks.”

This component built on the UAF DNA Core lab by purchasing equipment for gene expression analysis. These included a Cell Harvester 39 Cell; a 250ml centrifuge; liquid nitrogen plant; a UV clean bench for pre-PCR amplification of degraded and ancient DNA; a minus-86 degree upright freezer for post PCRA free labs; a colony picker for screening microsatellite libraries to discover molecular markers; PCR libraries for species diversity and EST libraries; and a nanopure Diamond/UB water system.