Integrative and Comparative Biology 2009C. Schwenk, D.K. Padilla, G.S. Bakken, R.J. Full

Organisms are the level ofintegration of biologicalfunction and development

And are integrators of environmental factorsand feedbacks

Organisms are the level ofcreative biodiversity

Since the time of Darwin -recognized as theunits on which naturalselection acts driving evolutionand adaptation

Our list of grand challenges not uniqueand not the only questionsof importance

Focus on Organismal Biology

Distilled from dialog and discussion withmany colleagues in and out of SICB

True collaborative effort

Each grand challenge transcends any singlearea of study - but will depend uponknowledge within most traditionalareas of study

Need integrative and interdisciplanary approaches, thinking and informationnot only within biology, but alsowith other fields

Will require new information, dialogacross traditional disciplines and possible new disciplines

Understanding the organism’s role in organism-environment linkages

Organism-environment feedbacks

Organismal responses to environmental changes including climatic change

Mechanisms of organismal resilience / fragility

Responses at different time scales: behavior, acclimation, plasticity,

adaptation

Understanding how organisms walk the tightrope between stability and change

Paradox of evolutionary integration/stability and adaptation/evolvability

Modular organization and overlapping domains

Inter-modular linkages, robustness and adaptive flexibility

Systems-level behavior of organisms

Integrating living and physical systemsanalysis

Organismal complexity in time and space requires new methods of systems analysis

Application of the theory of mathematical and physical sciences to organismal questions

Application of biological design principles and systems to engineering and computation

Interdisciplinary research and education, e.g., quantitative modeling and robotics

Utilizing the functional diversity of organisms

Organisms successful outcomes of evolutionary testing (solutions to the the problems of life)

Biodiversity as a storehouse of adaptive solutions to environmental and other problems

Improving bioprospecting - integration of phylogenetic and organismal studies

Understanding how genomes produce organisms

Mechanisms of whole-organism development from genes and genomes

Generation and evolution of phenotypic diversityand the links between genotype and phenotype

New diverse ‘model’ species and systems, and approaches/techniques for non-models

What do we need for21st Century Organismal Biology?

What will be essential for us to make progress and

address the Grand Challenges?

Maintain Focus on Organismal Biology

Recognition of and support for importance of Organismal Research addressing all questions

Recognition by Universities and Departments ofthe essential nature of organismal andintegrative research in hiring, retention, and internal support

We need to inform and promote the role and importance of organismal biology to non-organismal biologists, other scientists,and the general public

Train of Students in Organismal Biologyand Integration - who have the skills and framework for addressing GC questionsand working in an interdisciplinary

framework

Rethink our models of training students so they are prepared to take on this challenge

Maintain training in essential organismal biologyand in interdisciplanary biology and thinkingas well as collaboration

Development of new courses, replacement of lost courses and lost organismal expertise

From L. Tomanek Lab

From B. Helmuth Lab

New Tools and Opportunities and Support for Tool Development and Transfer

For many Grand Challenges, advances are stymied due to a lack of tools, or ready availability of tools needed to address essential questions

Robinson et al. 2010, Tools for 21st Century Biology, In Review

Examples and Types of tools:

New model systems and species

Ability to use tools from models onnon-model species and system

Instrumentation that operates at biologically relevant scales for within organism

measurements as well as environmental data collection at biologically

relevant scales in real time

Tools to fully use and mine the massive amounts of data collected - e.g.,genomic, environmental and remotesensing data

Tools to translate genomic data intoinformation useful for

understanding organismal development and function

People tools - scientists trained in fieldsand across fields, and in

collaboration

Tools that will enhance cross- and trans-disciplinary dialog and researchneeded to address the grand challenges

Synthesis/Catalysis type centerPlatform for bringing broad range of scientists together to find common ground,needs and possible existing solutions

Platform/mechanism for facilitating interdisciplinary linkages within biologyand from biology to other fields