Genomic Ecology of Global Change
- Researchers
- Problem
- Research
- Benefits
- Early Successes
Genomic Ecology of Global Change Video - Donald Ort (DivX Player Needed, download here)
Researchers
Faculty: Donald R. Ort (Theme Leader, Plant Biology USDA/ARS), May R. Berenbaum (Entomology), Hans J. Bohnert (Plant Biology), Evan H. DeLucia (Plant Biology), Andrew Leakey (Plant Biology), Stephen P. Long (Plant Biology)
Affiliates: Elizabeth A. Ainsworth (Plant Biology USDA/ARS), Gustavo Caetano-Anollés (Crop Sciences), Steven J. Clough (Crop Sciences USDA/ARS), Eric de Sturler (Computer Science), Nicki J. Engeseth (Food Science and Human Nutrition), Steven C. Huber (Plant Biology USDA/ARS), Ray R. Ming (Plant Biology), Stephen P. Moose (Crop Sciences), Torbert R. Rocheford (Crop Sciences), Mary A. Schuler (Cell and Developmental Biology), Lila O. Vodkin (Crop Sciences), Raymond E. Zielinski (Plant Biology)
Problem
How will ecosystems — complex ecological communities and their environments — respond to rapid changes in climate? Human activities are altering the composition of the atmosphere, affecting the Earth’s climate, and introducing invasive species. Naturally, such changes alter the capacity of native and agro-ecosystems to provide critical goods and services, including food, fiber, fuel, clean air, and fresh water.
Research
The Genomic Ecology of Global Change Research Theme is examining:
- How changes in networks of genes affect ecosystem metabolism when challenged by elements of global change, including elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide and ozone, increased drought, and altered interactions with insect herbivores and plant pathogens
- How information obtained from genomes and metabolomes may be used to predict the effect of environmental changes on ecosystem function
- How this information can be formulated into an overarching framework of mathematical modeling
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has the only facility in the world for studying the interacting effects of and rising levels of carbon dioxide and ozone with biotic and abiotic factors on plants under open-air conditions. IGB researchers are in a unique position to examine the effects of global atmospheric change on the transcriptome and metabolome of agro-ecosystems.
Benefits
Theme research will focus on agro-ecosystems with significant economic impact and could potentially lead to the development of biorational products for agricultural pest and disease management. Further benefits may include improved quality of ecosystem health, and a better understanding of the environmental implications of various energy supply options.
Early Successes
Working with a three-year, $2.98 million grant from the DOE Program in Ecosystem Research, theme research is off to a rapid start. Large-scale transciptome profiling of the multiple interactions cited above has now been conducted over two growing seasons producing a rich and novel data set. The emerging impact of this theme’s research is forecast by high visibility publications including a June 2006 article in Science revealing lower than expected crop yield stimulation by rising atmospheric carbon dioxide.
