В UC Santa Cruz открылся Центр морской геномики для объединения биологии и океанологии

SANTA CRUZ — UC Santa Cruz, known worldwide for both genomics and marine science research, is now bridging the gap between the two disciplines with its new Center for Marine Genomics. The center, which launched July 1, will bring opportunities for education and collaboration, said UCSC professor and the center’s director, Joanna Kelley. UCSC is home to the Genomics Institute and the Institute of Marine Sciences, both of which produce well-respected research. But, Kelley said, the Genomics Institute has historically focused on biomedical applications and the human genome, while the Institute for Marine Sciences has focused on oceanography and ecology. “There hasn’t been a direct connection between (genomics and marine sciences) in the past,” Kelley said. “I was really excited to more formally bring the two together.” Kelley, who grew up in Santa Cruz, started at UCSC in January 2023. She studies the genomic basis of adaptation. Her lab studies animals living in extreme environments, including marine fish, to understand how populations adapt to new conditions. Ever since she started at UCSC, Kelley has been looking for a way to bring the school’s genomics and marine science researchers into the same space. Now, with the Center for Marine Genomics, that desire is coming to fruition. The center already has around 25 researchers across campus who have signed on, including ecology and evolutionary biologist Malin Pinsky, genomics researcher Karen Miga, ecologist Kristy Kroeker and oceanographer Kendra Turk-Kubo. Those plan to be a part of the center look forward to the educational opportunities it will provide students, and the chance to work with researchers from other disciplines. “I’m really hoping that students and researchers and faculty will come together in a way that they haven’t before to push new research forward,” Pinsky said. “We’re at a really exciting time in the science right now.” While the center launched July 1, work with students will begin this fall. Kelley has retreats planned for both researchers and students. The retreats will serve as an opportunity to learn what researchers and students want out of the center’s future workshops and research opportunities. As the center continues to grow, its work will evolve. For now, Kelley is hoping to host workshops that teach students and researchers how to use genomics technologies. One such technique is genome assembly, or the process of sequencing, annotating and understanding a genome obtained from a sample organism. The center could also teach population genomics, comparing genomes from different individuals of the same species to understand their genetic variation. Another technique the center could teach is how to make use of environmental DNA, or pieces of DNA present in the environment that has been shed from an organism. This DNA can give a fuller picture of an area’s ecology, or give clues on the whereabouts of particularly elusive animals. Environmental DNA analysis can be used alongside more traditional marine science data collection techniques, like research dives, Kelley said. Eventually, Kelley also hopes to obtain grants that will fund original research projects that come out of the unique partnerships the center will foster. By combining genomic analysis with marine ecology, the researchers will be able to understand how organisms are affected on a genetic level by things like climate change, marine heatwaves or this year’s powerful El Niño. The center has a physical space within the Institute of Marine Science. Eventually, Kelley said, the goal is to raise funds for lab equipment and put together a space that can be used by students and researchers. The marine genomics lab could, in the future, provide a way to scale up research. “It’s exciting,” Kelley said. “I feel very fortunate to be here and have the opportunity to bring these groups together.”