Polyploidy Integration
& Innovation Institute
Polyploidy research requires integration across organisms and scales of biological organization.
Polyploidy – or the possession of three or more complete sets of chromosomes within a cell – is emerging as a widespread feature of genomes, cells, and organisms. Although polyploidy was discovered over 100 years ago, our understanding of it really remains in its infancy. But polyploidy is everywhere!
Polyploidy is common in plants. But polyploidy isn’t just a ‘plant thing’ – it actually occurs across all major clades of eukaryotes, as represented in the upper left of this figure. And polyploidy also occurs in Bacteria and Archaea. Even vertebrates descend from a common ancestor that underwent 2 rounds of ancient polyploidy – so yes, we’re polyploid, too.
Unfortunately, the mechanisms and impact of polyploidy remain unclear, mostly because research efforts have been siloed. In fact, we are the first group to attempt this integration. Polyploidy is perfect for a Biology Integration Institute because the component fields span both the Tree of Life and levels of biological organization from the cell to the ecosystem.
A New Foundation
We will produce novel research about the roles, consequences, and innovations of polyploidy. But our integrated effort will yield much more than the sum of its parts: the new theory that emerges will be coupled with innovative interdisciplinary education, training, workforce development, and outreach.
PI3 will transform our understanding of polyploidy and lay a new foundation for community approaches to its study in the future.
PI3 will offer a wealth of training opportunities.
Undergraduate Education & Training:
Polyploidy Undergraduate Research Experience (PURE)Graduate Education & Training:
Training Opportunities in Polyploidy for Graduate Students (TOPS)Integration:
Group Research AND Interdisciplinary Experience (GRANDE)
We will engage scientists, middle and high school teachers, and the public in our outreach efforts. We will demystify polyploidy for STEM education using inquiry-based learning and public events that convey the roles of polyploidy in agriculture, human health, and biodiversity.
Our efforts will reach over 50,000 students and thousands more people of all ages as we achieve our audacious goal of making polyploidy a household word!
Despite progress, women and people of color remain underrepresented in STEM, and we are committed to changing this. Our collaborative team spans multiple axes of diversity (career stages, gender, race, ethnicity), and we will continue to diversify our team through collaborations and community engagement.
“Polyploidy is taking centre stage after a century on the sidelines.”
– Oliver Morrison, AgTechNavigator
Get in Touch
Have a question? Want to collaborate? Please let us know!