DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Does Host Genetic Variation Influence Susceptibility to a Novel Pathogen?

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To what extent genetic diversity increases resistance to disease is an important question that has rarely been examined in natural populations of animals. A debilitating bacterial pathogen recently colonized populations of house finches, Carpodacus mexicanus, that had reduced genetic variation, providing a rare opportunity to investigate how genetic diversity impacts disease resistance. The study by Dr. Andre Dhondt and Dana Hawley integrates field data, captive bird experiments, and molecular techniques to examine whether genetic diversity within or among house finch individuals predicts resistance to this novel pathogen. Furthermore, this study tests the potential physiological mechanisms underlying the relationship between genetic diversity and disease resistance.Results from this study are relevant both for understanding pathogen dynamics in social organisms and for conserving small, isolated animal populations that often harbor low levels of genetic diversity. As worldwide agricultural traffic and habitat destruction intensify, pathogen colonization of vulnerable hosts will become increasingly common, with potentially devastating consequences. Broader impacts of this study also include extensive research participation by undergraduates and the dissemination of results to members of Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology and the public at large.