NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: A community guided assessment of parasitic threats to fish health

这一行动资助了NSF 2023财年生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。该研究金支持一项针对该研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。位于威斯康星州北部的弗拉姆博湖印第安人保护区是苏必利尔奇佩瓦湖印第安人弗拉姆博湖的所在地，也是250多个淡水湖的所在地，这些淡水湖含有鱼类、无脊椎动物、水生植物和病原体。Lac du Flambeau部落拥有和经营William J.PouPart，Sr.Fish Hatchery，负责在保留区范围内和整个五大湖内的湖泊饲养和放养数十万条具有文化和社会重要性的鱼类，并负责评估孵化场和保留区湖泊的鱼类健康状况。这项研究与弗拉姆博湖鱼类孵化场合作，旨在增加在鱼类和病原体发育的多个阶段威胁区域湖泊和孵化场内鱼类的传染病病原体的知识，并开始从气候变化和人为引起的湖泊变化方面解决该区域淡水鱼类种群的长期健康问题。作为研究的一部分，该研究员将通过与美洲土著科学促进会(SACNAS)和土著人民基因组暑期实习(SING)联合开展的活动，扩大土著人民对生物学的参与。该项目将对整个地区的鱼类病原体进行广泛评估，以确定哪些病原体存在的严重程度，并确定寄生虫宿主的发展和随时间的严重程度。这位研究员将首先通过显微镜和DNA条形码调查捕获和捕获的鱼(Cisco、Muskellunge、Shiners、Walleye)器官中的寄生虫和季节性感染率。该项目还将调查威斯康星州北部已知的绦虫，并评估它们的感染水平与湖泊分类、中间宿主存在以及鱼龄和大小的关系。该项目的最终目标是调查网眼绦虫物种的发育和生活史。该研究员将建立实验室和室外系统，在整个生命周期中培养东北白头翁和宽叶蜡梅，以开发一个基于地点的模型系统，以了解寄生虫和宿主的相互作用。该研究员将通过主办美洲土著实习生和以土著为重点的季节性讲习班，扩大土著人民对生物学的参与，并将与弗拉姆博湖民族及其社区成员进行长期接触。这位研究员还将继续与芝加哥人/拉美裔美国人和美洲原住民科学促进会(SACNAS)和基因组学土著人民暑期实习(SING)建立联系和进行培训。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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 2023, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. The Lac du Flambeau Indian Reservation, located in northern Wisconsin, is home to the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and to over 250 freshwater lakes containing fish, invertebrates, aquatic plants, and pathogens. The Lac du Flambeau Tribe owns and operates the William J. Poupart, Sr. Fish Hatchery, which is responsible for raising and stocking hundreds of thousands of culturally and socially important fish to lakes within the reservation boundaries and throughout the Great Lakes Ceded territory and has duties to assess fish health in the hatchery and reservation lakes. This research, in collaboration with the Lac du Flambeau Fish Hatchery, aims to increase the knowledge of infectious pathogens threatening fish in area lakes and within the hatchery at multiple stages of fish and pathogen development, and begins to address questions on the long-term health of freshwater fish populations in the region in terms of a changing climate, and human-induced changes in lakes. The fellow will broaden participation of Indigenous peoples in biology as part of the research and through activities in conjunction with the Society for the Advancement for Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics (SING).This project will do a broad assessment of fish pathogens throughout the region to determine what pathogens are present at what severity and determine parasite host development and severity across time. The fellow will first survey harvested and trapped fish (cisco, muskellunge, shiners, walleye) organs for parasites and seasonal infections rates by microscopy and DNA barcoding. The project will also investigate known tapeworms in northern Wisconsin and evaluate how their infection levels correlate with lake classification, intermediate host presence, and fish age and size. The final goal of this project is to investigate the development and life cycle of walleye tapeworm species. The fellow will establish lab and outdoor systems to culture both Bothriocephalus cuspidatus and Diphyllobothrium latum through their life cycles to develop a place-based model system to understand parasite and host interactions. The fellow will broaden participation of Indigenous peoples in biology by hosting Native American interns and Indigenous-focused seasonal workshops and will engage long-term with the Lac du Flambeau Nation and its community members. The fellow will also continue affiliations and trainings with the Society for the Advancement for Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and the Summer Internship for Indigenous Peoples in Genomics (SING).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.