NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2012

2012 财年 NSF 生物学博士后奖学金

• 批准号: 1202892
• 负责人: Erin Mordecai
• 金额: $ 12.3万
• 依托单位: Mordecai Erin A
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Fellowship Award
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-01-01 至 2014-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1202892&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; Postdoctoral; Fellowship; Biology; FY

Community ecology of infectious diseases: mechanisms maintaining pathogen and host diversityIdentifying the causes and consequences of biological diversity remains a major challenge in ecology. Although pathogens are highly diverse, we lack a more general understanding of how the rules of community ecology apply to them. The objective of this research is to examine what maintains pathogen diversity in nature, and how pathogen diversity affects host community dynamics. The model system being studied is the barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses (B/CYDVs) in California grasslands. B/CYDVs are a group of viruses spread by aphids that infect hundreds cultivated and wild grasses, such as wheat and barley, causing significant damage. The consequences of pathogen diversity include decreased yields and poor grain quality. Mathematical modeling will help researchers understand the causes and consequences of pathogen diversity.The fellowship training will enhance the postdoctoral fellow's mathematical skills and lab skills such as molecular techniques for identifying viruses. B/CYDVs are important not only as a model system for studying disease in wildlife, but also as a crop pest, so results of this fellowship may inform agricultural practices. The postdoctoral fellow will involve undergraduates in research, deliver department seminars, give guest lectures in Population Ecology and Disease Ecology and participate in public outreach via programs at the UC Hopland Research and Extension Center.

传染病的群落生态学：维持病原体和宿主多样性的机制识别生物多样性的原因和后果仍然是生态学的重大挑战。尽管病原体高度多样化，但我们对群落生态学规则如何适用于它们缺乏更全面的了解。这项研究的目的是研究自然界中病原体多样性的维持因素，以及病原体多样性如何影响宿主群落动态。正在研究的模型系统是加利福尼亚草原的大麦和谷物黄矮病毒（B/CYDV）。 B/CYDV 是一组由蚜虫传播的病毒，可感染数百种栽培草和野生草，例如小麦和大麦，造成严重损害。病原体多样性的后果包括产量下降和谷物质量差。数学模型将帮助研究人员了解病原体多样性的原因和后果。奖学金培训将提高博士后的数学技能和实验室技能，例如识别病毒的分子技术。 B/CYDV 不仅作为研究野生动物疾病的模型系统很重要，而且作为农作物害虫也很重要，因此这项研究的结果可能会为农业实践提供信息。博士后研究员将让本科生参与研究，举办院系研讨会，进行人口生态学和疾病生态学客座讲座，并通过加州大学霍普兰分校研究和推广中心的项目参与公共宣传。