NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Comparative viromics in vertebrates from the Sonoran Desert of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico and Arizona

该行动为2020财年美国国家科学基金会生物学博士后研究奖学金提供资金，扩大生物学中代表性不足群体的参与。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加在生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。病毒对维持地球上的生命起着至关重要的作用。它们存在于所有环境中，可以影响所有类型的生物体。病毒在基因和结构上是多种多样的，它们的进化与宿主有关。该研究员将描述野生动物的病毒群落特征，并调查索诺兰沙漠的宿主-病毒动态。该地区的自然变异使其成为探索与野生动物相关的病毒多样性以及宿主与病毒之间相互作用的理想环境。这项研究有助于了解导致物种内遗传变异的因素，也有助于了解新病毒物种是如何出现的。此外，调查野生动物中未发现的病毒群落可能有助于了解新病毒的出现并防止可能传播给人类。该奖学金将支持来自STEM中代表性不足群体的研究员的研究、培训和职业发展。该研究员将在博士后层面为代表性不足的群体制定倡议，提供指导并开发教育工具。与美国国家科学基金会资助的BajaGeoGenomics联盟合作，该研究员将在墨西哥下加利福尼亚半岛（BCP）和亚利桑那州索诺兰沙漠（SDA）取样，并遵循病毒宏基因组学方法，a)表征与啮齿动物、蜥蜴和食肉动物宿主种群相关的RNA和DNA病毒，b)比较BCP和SDA宿主种群中的病毒多样性，并评估病毒多样性的潜在地理气候和人口统计学预测因素。c)通过调查病毒基因组差异是否与南北种群的种内遗传差异一致，评估整个BCP的宿主-病毒动态。该项目将整合基因组和生物地理数据，以填补病毒多样性的基本空白，并探索环境压力因素和宿主人口统计学在宿主-病毒系统中的作用。该研究员将在该地区的地理气候历史背景下研究宿主和病毒的直系历史、病毒丰富度的预测因素以及病毒和宿主的分化模式。作为这项任命的一部分，该研究员将与一个国际跨学科团队合作，接受病毒宏基因组学方法的培训，组织一个国际博士后系列研讨会，为拉丁博士后建立一个虚拟网络，为双语教育视频的开发做出贡献，并促进K-12学生的科学教育和指导。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. Viruses play essential roles supporting life on Earth. They are present in all environments and can affect all types of organisms. Viruses are genetically and structurally diverse and their evolution is linked to their hosts. The fellow will characterize viral communities in wildlife and investigate host-virus dynamics in the Sonoran Desert. The natural variation of this region makes it the ideal setting to explore viral diversity associated with wildlife and the interactions between the host and the virus. This research is relevant to understanding factors that contribute to genetic variation within species, and also to understand how new species of viruses can emerge. Furthermore, investigating undiscovered viral communities in wildlife may be instrumental to gain knowledge on emergence of new viruses and prevent potential spread to humans. This fellowship will support the research, training, and career advancement of a fellow from an underrepresented group in STEM. The fellow will develop initiatives for underrepresented groups at the postdoctoral level, provide mentorship and develop educational tools. In collaboration with the NSF funded BajaGeoGenomics consortium, the fellow will sample across the Baja California peninsula, Mexico (BCP), and the Sonoran Desert, Arizona (SDA) and follow a viral metagenomics approach to a) characterize RNA and DNA viruses associated with host populations of rodents, lizards, and carnivores, b) compare viral diversity within BCP and SDA host populations and evaluate potential geo-climatic and demographic predictors of viral diversity, and c) assess host-virus dynamics across BCP by investigating whether viral genomic differences are consistent with intraspecific genetic divergence between northern and southern populations. The project will integrate genomic and biogeographic data to fill fundamental gaps in viral diversity and explore the role of environmental stressors and host demographics in host-virus systems. The fellow will investigate the lineal history of host and viruses in context of the geo-climatic history of the region, predictors of viral richness, and patterns of divergence in viruses and hosts. As part of this appointment, the fellow will work along an international cross-disciplinary team, receive training in viral metagenomics methods, organize an international postdoctoral seminar series, initiate a virtual network for Latinx postdocs, contribute to the development of bilingual educational videos, and promote science education and mentorship for K-12 students.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.