NSF PRFB FY23: Linking genotypes, phenotypes, and ecology to elucidate the origins of parasite resistance

该行动资助了美国国家科学基金会2023财年生物学博士后研究奖学金，研究基因组，环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则的综合研究。该奖学金支持将以创新方式对生活规则领域作出贡献的研究员的研究和培训。寄生虫是全世界生物健康最常见的威胁之一。因此，宿主预防或控制感染的能力是生存的关键因素。对寄生虫的抵抗力取决于宿主的基因，以及其他因素，包括宿主的饮食和宿主肠道内的微生物。然而，对于这些因素如何相互作用影响感染，人们知之甚少。通过基因分析和实验室实验，该项目将研究宿主基因、饮食中的化学物质和肠道微生物如何相互作用，以提供对寄生虫的保护。这项研究将有助于了解疾病易感性的原因，对农业、自然保护以及人类和野生动物的健康具有重要意义。此外，该研究员将通过实践研究经验指导本科生，并为K-6学生开发饮食与疾病之间联系的课程。这项研究将集中在帝王蝶身上，它们在食用植物中使用有毒化学物质作为药物防御，以抵御一种使人衰弱的原生动物寄生虫。由于黑脉金斑蝶的基因型和其饮食的化学成分都强烈影响这种宿主-寄生虫关系，因此该系统是评估遗传和生态抗性来源之间相互作用的理想方法。具体研究目的是：(1)通过抗性种群和易感种群杂交，确定抗性遗传基础，并进行数量性状位点分析；(2)实验评估宿主基因型和膳食化学通过调节肠道微生物群落间接促进耐药性的程度；(3)通过测量寄生虫在存在或不存在植物化学物质和肠道微生物的情况下穿透宿主肠道屏障的能力，研究抗性的机制基础。这项研究将阐明宿主基因和饮食促进疾病抗性的直接和间接（即微生物介导）途径。通过该项目，研究员将接受数量遗传学、化学生态学和微生物学等前沿技术的培训。该研究员还将带领沉浸式本科研究体验，以支持学生为科学事业做准备，并与当地科学中心合作，实施互动的K-6课程，培养对生态概念的热情。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 2023, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment, and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Parasites are one of the most common threats to the health of organisms worldwide. The ability of hosts to prevent or control infection is therefore a critical factor for survival. Resistance to parasites depends upon the genes of the host, as well as other factors including the host’s diet and microbes present within the host’s gut. However, relatively little is known about how these factors interact to impact infection. Using genetic analyses and lab experiments, this project will look at how host genes, chemicals in the diet, and gut microbes interact to provide protection against parasites. This research will help to understand the causes of disease susceptibility, and will be important for agriculture, conservation, and human and wildlife health. Additionally, the fellow will mentor undergraduate students through hands-on research experiences and develop lessons on the connection between diet and disease for K–6 students.This research will focus on monarch butterflies, which use toxic chemicals in their food plants as a medicinal defense against a debilitating protozoan parasite. As both the genotype of the monarch and the chemistry of its diet strongly influence this host-parasite relationship, this system is ideal for evaluating interactions between genetic and ecological sources of resistance. The specific research aims are: (1) determine the genetic basis of resistance by crossbreeding monarchs from resistant and susceptible populations and performing quantitative trait locus analysis; (2) experimentally evaluate the extent to which host genotype and dietary chemistry indirectly contribute to resistance by modulating the gut microbial community; (3) investigate the mechanistic basis of resistance by measuring the ability of parasites to penetrate the host’s gut barrier in the presence, or absence, of plant chemicals and gut microbes. This research will elucidate the direct and indirect (i.e., microbe-mediated) pathways through which host genes and diets contribute to disease resistance. Through this project, the fellow will receive training in cutting-edge techniques in quantitative genetics, chemical ecology, and microbiology. The fellow will also lead immersive undergraduate research experiences to support student preparation for scientific careers and collaborate with a local science center to implement interactive K–6 lessons that foster enthusiasm for ecological concepts.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.