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

山地鸡蛙（MCF）是世界上最大的两栖动物之一，是多米尼加和蒙特塞拉特加勒比岛屿的特有物种。这种标志性的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，仅在多米尼加每年就有36，000只动物被捕获供人类食用。然而，2002年在多米尼加，由于感染了真菌，Batrachochytridium dendrobaidium- Bd而出现的壶菌病导致该物种在岛上几乎灭绝。尽管努力避免将其引入蒙特塞拉特，但Bd到达该岛，2009年2月首次发现大规模死亡。Bd是两栖动物种群的主要威胁，近几十年来已导致全球超过200种两栖动物灭绝。Bd感染的MCF多米尼加和蒙特塞拉特是一个理想的案例研究，可用于了解物种恢复的动力学和决定因素灾难性下降后，由于传染病。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，以及参与管理剩余MCF种群的利益相关者的参与。您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开展实地工作。使用在过去两年和项目过程中鉴定的壶菌病易感和耐受动物的组合，旨在检测免疫相关基因的分析组合（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）将进行，以确定两种类型的动物之间的差异，可能与抵抗壶菌病的发展。

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.