Doctoral Dissertation Research: Comparative analysis of malaria impacts on human and primate evolution

博士论文研究：疟疾对人类和灵长类动物进化影响的比较分析

• 批准号: 2118108
• 负责人: Todd Disotell
• 金额: $ 2.43万
• 依托单位: New York University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-10-01 至 2023-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2118108&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Comparative; analysis

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2). Both humans and non-human primates have evolved defensive adaptations against malaria via changes in the genome. This doctoral dissertation research uses comparative primate data to advance knowledge about the co-evolution of primates and malaria or similar parasites, including how malaria has impacted the evolution of the primate immune system and identification of genetic mechanisms underlying the immune response to blood stage malaria. The project outcomes may inform public health relevant research on the human response to malaria. The project also supports outreach efforts that focus on increasing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM research through K-12 outreach and computational genomic capacity building. Using a comparative functional and evolutionary genomics approach, the researchers identify primate genes and pathways that are differentially expressed in response to malaria infection, including those with species-specific involvement in malaria response. The researchers also identify signatures of malaria-imposed changes across primate genomes. The study outcomes can advance understanding of how the primate immune system has evolved in response to this host-pathogen arms race. The analysis uses an innovative approach to investigate primate malaria response in natural transmission systems. This study can help to determine which malaria responses arose through the host-pathogen coevolutionary arms race as well as explore how human and primate evolution has been impacted by the selection pressure of malaria.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.

该奖项是根据2021年《美国救援计划法》（公法117-2）全部或部分资助的。人类和非人类灵长类动物都通过基因组的变化进化了针对疟疾的防御适应。这项博士学位论文研究使用比较灵长类动物数据来促进有关灵长类动物和疟疾或类似寄生虫的共同进化的知识，包括疟疾如何影响灵长类动物免疫系统的进化以及鉴定出对血液阶段疟疾免疫反应的遗传机制的鉴定。该项目结果可能会为公共卫生有关人类对疟疾的反应的研究提供信息。该项目还支持外展工作，专注于通过K-12外展和计算基因组能力构建来增加代表性不足的群体在STEM研究中的参与。使用比较功能和进化基因组学方法，研究人员确定了灵长类动物基因和途径，这些基因和途径响应于疟疾感染，包括物种特异性参与疟疾反应的人。研究人员还确定了在灵长类动物基因组中疟疾施加变化的特征。研究结果可以提高人们对灵长类动物免疫系统如何发展为宿主 - 病原体武器竞赛的发展。该分析使用一种创新的方法来研究自然传输系统中的灵长类动物疟疾反应。这项研究可以帮助确定通过宿主 - 病原体协同进化武器竞赛产生了哪些疟疾反应，并探讨了疟疾的选择压力如何影响人类和灵长类动物的进化。这项奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并认为通过基金会的知识和更广泛的影响，通过评估来审查CRITERIA。