Evolutionary Synthesis Center - Scientific Objectives, Structure and Implementation Plan

A report based upon two workshops: ESC Workshop I, held at NSF Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, on May 28 – June 1, 2001; and ESC Workshop II, held at the Belmont Conference Center, Elkridge, Maryland, on January 31 – February 3, 2002.

Summary

Evolution has long served to unify the study of biology. Today, evolution has taken on an even greater role, as it serves to inform and direct data acquisition, analysis and interpretation across the life sciences. This transformation comes in part from an explosion of raw data, from sources as far ranging as whole genome sequences and phylogenetics to long-term behavior studies and functional morphology. Such data and metadata can only be interpreted using advanced mathematical and statistical approaches built on evolutionary concepts and depends on highly developed database management and analysis tools. Whether we seek to understand the emergence of new diseases, develop new more effective plant cultivars, or account for the content and organization of newly sequenced genomes, we are using a comparative, evolutionary-based approach.

As formerly disparate fields of biological research converge, evolutionary biology is providing the common language. Evolutionary biology is poised to serve as the focal point for the synthesis and interpretation of these massive and growing data sets. Even more compelling, it is the only field in the biological sciences capable of providing a unifying framework for fields as far ranging as rational drug design, developmental biology, cell biology, behavior, morphology, physiology, genetics, ecology, phylogenetics, and organismal biology. Evolution can, and should, play a similarly central role in addressing a suite of critical national concerns. For example, evolutionary biology has a pivotal role to play in combating the evolution of infectious disease, in understanding the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance, and in the application of population genetic tools to trace lineages of bioterrorism agents. To accomplish this mission, however, requires the coordination and communication between a diversity of scientists, government agencies, policy makers, medical doctors, epidemiologists and others.

There is no institution or funding agency dedicated to the consolidation, synthesis and dissemination of this broad sweep of evolutionarily relevant information. The goal of this document is to report the outcome of two workshops aimed at addressing the scientific and national needs for an evolutionary synthesis center and propose mechanisms to meet these needs. The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) provides a successful model for addressing the need for synthesis. NCEAS has implemented a successful scientific/social mechanism, the working group, which brings together scientists who collaborate to produce synthesis of ecological knowledge to address broad scientific and policy questions. A center for evolutionary synthesis modeled on NCEAS would serve first the needs of the evolutionary community by providing mechanisms to foster synthetic, collaborative, cross- disciplinary studies. The center would also play a pivotal role in the further unification of the biological sciences as it draws together knowledge from disparate biological fields to increase our general understanding of biological design and function. Finally, the center would play a critical role in organizing and synthesizing evolutionary knowledge that will inform policy makers, government agencies, educators and society, for instance in the fields of infectious disease, drug design, biological responses to global warming, biodefense and bioremediation.