Dr. Kevin Kocot has been notified that an NSF proposal he submitted with Dr. Sarah Gerken (University of Alaska Anchorage) has been selected for funding. This award is for $757K with Dr. Kocot’s share being $413K. This three-year award started this August.

Details:

NSF. Collaborative Research: ANT LIA Cumacean -Omics to Measure Mode of Adaptation to Antarctica (COMMAA) (total amount: $757,226). Kocot share: $413,773. Co-PI: Dr. Sarah Gerken (University of Alaska Anchorage). Timeframe: 8/15/2022 to 07/31/2026  (36 months).

The overarching goal of this research is to use cumaceans as a model system to explore invertebrate animal adaptations to the rapidly changing Antarctic. To this end, we will leverage integrative taxonomy, functional, comparative and evolutionary genomics, and phylogenetic comparative methods to understand the true diversity of Cumacea (Arthropoda, Peracarida) in the Antarctic, identify genes and gene families experiencing expansions, selection, or significant differential expression, generate a broadly sampled and robust phylogenetic framework for Cumacea based on transcriptomes and genomes, and explore rates and timing of diversification in Antarctic cumaceans. The proposed work stands to significantly advance understanding of invertebrate adaptations to cold, stenothermic habitats as we are unaware of any study implementing such a multi-faceted -omics approach to address the question in any group of organisms. This work will also greatly advance understanding of the biology of Cumacea, a diverse and ecologically important taxon in the Antarctic.

Congratulations  Dr. Kocot!!!