Integrating Genotype and Phenotype (IGP)
[approved April, 2006]

The first complete genome of an organism was published in 1995. Today the genomes of hundreds of organisms have been sequenced; the number now grows by one a week, and the rate of growth is accelerating. The first phase of the genomic revolution is all but over, and now the focus is changing from seeking DNA sequence information to seeking to understand how it works. The challenge for life science research is to functionally integrate newly emerging fields of science that seek to elucidate the genetic architecture of life.

The veins of this fruit fly wing have been measured using automated image analysis. The capability to automatically measure phenotypes is an important complement to genomic information. This automated system is used by cluster proposer Houle.

Maize (corn) is a model system that has been used for decades to study the
inheritance and expression of genetic traits (image from H.W. Bass).

Biologists have long catalogued the readily observable features or phenotypes of organisms. Molecular genetics then provided a mechanism for explaining how elements of the underlying genotype are decoded and translated from DNA sequences into proteins that carry out basic cellular functions. Until recently, however, our understanding of the relationship between genotype and phenotype has been limited to small-scale analyses of single genes or groups of genes. Genomics and the very recent realization that epigenetic gene regulation is pervasive together promise to revolutionize our understanding of the relationship between genotype and phenotype. For example, an emerging paradigm from comparative genomics posits that much of the biological diversity on the planet has been produced through the remodeling of developmental programs, yet the mechanisms underlying the control and choreography of this remodeling remain poorly understood. Our new understanding of genomes and regulation suggest the time is ripe to truly unravel how developmental programs function and evolve. The Integrating Genotype and Phenotype (IGP) cluster will position Florida State University as a leader in this area.

Closeup View of Box C/D RNA Interaction with L7Ae (image from laboratory of Dr. Hong Li)

The cluster will integrate comparative genomics, genome regulation, epigenetics, quantitative genetics, and evolutionary biology to further our understanding of the forces that affect biological variation in the phenotype. The cluster, comprising eight new faculty, will integrate these emerging fields into FSU’s existing biological research and teaching programs. Advancing our knowledge of the genotype-phenotype map has direct implications for understanding disease, interaction with the environment, and aging. Although the goal of the IGP cluster is basic research, there is potential for the transfer of knowledge generated by the IGP cluster to applied research in microbial, plant, and human sciences.

IGP Lead Faculty

David Houle, Associate Professor of Biology Science. Professor Houle is an evolutionary geneticist who studies the limits to evolution in fruit flies.

Hank W. Bass, Associate Professor of Biological Science. Professor Bass is a molecular geneticist who studies the structure and function of the maize genome

Gavin J. P. Naylor, Associate Professor of Biological Science and the School of Computational Science. Professor Naylor conducts research on the origins of biological diversity, in particular in sharks and rays.