Daven Lim L&S Math & Physical Sciences
Investigating Structural Variation Diversity across the Tree of Life
Genetic diversity has been widely associated with the adaptability and survival of populations, and extensive research has focused on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Despite also contributing substantially to genetic diversity, structural variation (SV) has been comparatively less studied. In particular, there has been little research that broadly surveys SV diversity and explores its relevance to conservation across the tree of life. This research aims to a) identify SVs that segregate within a single individual across diverse taxonomic groups, b) characterize the diversity, origin, and potential functional impact of SVs in each species, c) examine phylogenetic signals in SV variation across different species, and d) explore the relationship between a species’ SV diversity and its conservation status. This research will provide a valuable resource to the study of SV evolution in diverse taxa, and will generate insights into the significance of SV in conservation.
Message To Sponsor
I am very grateful for this opportunity to conduct research for such an exciting project. I discovered new passions and academic interests during this experience, and started making steps toward my future academic goals in doing research after graduation. This experience has been particularly transformative for me, in that I saw the tangible contributions my research has created and how my research fills knowledge gaps in current literature. It gave me a platform to hone my research skills, and more significantly show myself what I can contribute to this field and what I can do with my current knowledge and skillset. With this experience under my belt, I am more equipped and inspired to conduct research in the future, without which I might still be apprehensive in conducting my own research.