RAPID: A unique opportunity to preserve a genetic record of the origin of a novel host-pathogen interaction

鸡毒支原体(MG)是一种广泛存在于鸡和火鸡身上的细菌性病原体，于1994年在北美东部跳到家雀身上。在过去的16年里，这种新的鸣禽疾病的范围被限制在北美的东部和太平洋西北部，但现在这种病原体正作为一种流行性流行病在雀鸟的西南部范围内传播。这项拟议的研究的目的是通过收集MG的培养物并将MG在亚利桑那州坦佩的家雀中出现的第一年的基因组和转录组样本存档，来记录这次新爆发的MG。这一奖项将为未来的研究创造一套有价值的样本。通过筛选在宿主和病原体中都表现出快速进化变化的基因，将有可能通过MG识别那些在宿主和致病性中起核心作用的基因。该项目将通过本科生的参与来促进科学教育，并包括向普通公众宣传在后院喂食站对MG的研究。

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a widespread bacterial pathogen of chickens and turkeys that jumped to House Finches in eastern North America in 1994. For the past 16 years, this new songbird disease has been restricted in range to the east and Pacific Northwest of North America, but the pathogen is now spreading as an epizootic through the southwestern range of the House Finch. The purpose of the proposed research is to document this new outbreak of MG by collecting cultures of MG and archiving genome and transcriptome samples from finches during the first year of the appearance of MG in House Finches in Tempe, Arizona. This award will create a valuable set of samples for future research. By screening for genes that show rapid evolutionary change in both the host and the pathogen, it will be possible to identify those genes that are the central players in the host and pathogenicity by MG. The project will promote science education through the involvement of undergraduate students and include outreach to the general public about studies of MG at backyard feeding stations.