Collaborative research: Recovery and analysis of preserved Poaceae viruses to examine microbial dispersal and evolution during an era of global change

小麦、燕麦、大米和其他谷物是全世界人类社会的主要支柱。与其他禾本科植物一起，这些植物提供了人类摄入的大部分卡路里，要么直接作为谷物，要么间接作为食草动物产生的肉和奶。不幸的是，这些重要的牧草受到几种植物病毒的困扰，包括大麦和谷物黄矮病毒，它们损害了全世界的谷物生产。这些病毒还会危害野草，并促进入侵物种在自然界的传播。像这样有影响力的病毒是如何出现的？哪些因素促成了它们的传播和多样化？为了找到有关病毒历史的线索，项目团队将恢复和分析保存在世界各地历史干植物收藏中的旧病毒的基因序列。病毒的系统发育分析将揭示这些病毒是如何随着时间的推移而传播的，并可以估计其历史上关键事件的日期。这项研究还将提供有关人类对植物病毒传播影响的信息。农业的人类发展和全球贸易可能是影响强效病毒出现和传播的两个因素。这项研究将提供过去关于病毒动力学的缺失信息，并对人类活动影响病毒威胁发展的方式产生新的见解。该项目更广泛的影响将包括培训来自代表性不足群体的教育工作者和学生，通过一个科学博物馆为微生物生态学的推广工作做出贡献，以及在精心策划的植物收藏中增加有关病毒关系的信息。

Wheat, oats, rice, and other cereal grains are key pillars of human societies worldwide. Along with other members of the grass family, these plants provide the majority of the calories humans eat, either directly as grains or indirectly as meat and milk produced by grazing animals. Unfortunately, these important grasses are plagued by several families of plant viruses, including the barley and cereal yellow dwarf viruses, which damage cereal grain production worldwide. These viruses also harm wild grasses and can advance the spread of invasive species in nature. How have influential viruses like these emerged and what factors have contributed to their spread and diversification? To find clues about virus history, the project team will recover and analyze genetic sequences of old viruses preserved within historical collections of dried plants around the world. Phylogenetic analysis of the viruses will reveal how these viruses have spread over time and permit estimates of dates of key events in their history. The research will also provide information on the influence of humans on the spread of plant viruses. Human development of agriculture and global trade are two factors that have likely influenced the emergence and spread of potent viruses. This research will provide missing information about virus dynamics in the past and produce new insight into the ways by which human activities influence the development of virus threats. The project's broader impact will include training of educators and students from underrepresented groups, contributions to microbial ecology outreach efforts through a science museum, and the addition of information about virus relationships to curated plant collections.