Understanding the dynamics and determinants of recovery of a regionally iconic wild food resource following its near-extinction due to infectious dise

山鸡蛙（MCF）是世界上最大的两栖动物之一，是加勒比海岛屿多米尼加和蒙特塞拉特的特有物种。这一标志性物种传统上是当地文化的重要组成部分，在营养方面发挥着重要作用，据估计，仅在多米尼加，每年就有36000只动物被捕杀供人类食用。然而，2002年，由于真菌Batrachochytridium dendroatidis - Bd的感染，在多米尼加出现了壶菌病，导致该岛上的物种几乎灭绝。尽管努力避免将其引入蒙特塞拉特岛，但Bd还是到达了该岛，并于2009年2月首次发现大规模死亡。生物多样性是两栖动物种群的主要威胁，近几十年来已导致全球近200种两栖动物灭绝。多米尼加和蒙特塞拉特岛的双盲MCF感染是一个理想的案例研究，可用于了解由于传染病造成的灾难性下降后物种恢复的动态和决定因素。该项目具有多学科性质，结合了实验室和实地工作、下一代测序技术、生物信息学和流行病学，以及参与管理MCF剩余种群的利益攸关方的参与。你将在多米尼加与动物研究所和参与MCF研究的当地合作伙伴一起开展实地工作。利用在过去两年和项目过程中发现的壶菌病易感和耐受动物的组合，将进行旨在表征免疫相关基因（例如MHC）和皮肤微生物组（皮肤是成年青蛙中唯一被Bd感染的组织）的组合分析，以确定两种动物之间可能与壶菌病抗性发展有关的差异。

The Mountain Chicken Frog (MCF) is one of the world's largest amphibians and is endemic to the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat. This iconic species has traditionally been an important part of the local cultures, playing a major role in nutrition with an estimated 36,000 animals harvested annually for human consumption on Dominica alone. However, the emergence of chytridiomycosis due to infection with the fungus, Batrachochytridium dendrobatidis - Bd, in 2002 in Dominica led to the near-extinction of the species on the island. Despite efforts to avoid its introduction to Montserrat, Bd reached that island, with mass mortality first being detected in February 2009. Bd is major threat to amphibian populations, having caused the extinction of >200 amphibian species worldwide in recent decades. The Bd infection of MCF on Dominica and Montserrat is an ideal case study that can be used to understand the dynamics and determinants of species recovery following catastrophic declines due to infectious disease. This project is of a multidisciplinary nature, combining laboratory and field work, next generation sequencing techniques, bioinformatics and epidemiology, as well as engagement with stakeholders involved in the management of remaining populations of MCF. You will carry out field work in Dominica with the Institute of Zoology and local partners involved in MCF research. Using a combination of chytridiomycosis susceptible and tolerant animals identified in the past two years and during the course of the project, a combination of analyses aiming to characterise immune related genes (e.g. MHC) and the skin microbiome (skin is the only tissue infected by Bd in adult frogs) will be carried out to identify differences between the two types of animals that might be related to resistance to the development of chytridiomycosis.