NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009

这一行动为2009财年国家科学基金会少数民族博士后研究奖学金提供资金，并根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金。该研究金支持在东道主实验室为该研究员制定的研究和培训计划，该研究员还提出了一项计划，以扩大代表不足的少数群体对生物学的参与。大卫·罗德里格斯的这项研究和培训计划的标题是《蝙蝠耳藻种群遗传学和新大陆两栖动物衰退》。这项研究的主办机构是康奈尔大学，赞助科学家是凯利·扎穆迪奥博士。两栖动物正在以前所未有的速度减少，导致地球生物多样性的减少，对生态系统造成潜在的可怕后果，这些物种在生态系统中发挥着关键作用。菊苣真菌Batrachochytrium endrobatidis(Bd)与最近全球两栖动物的减少有关。该项目正在调查中南美洲BD的种群遗传学，以检验两种可能解释该流行病的相互竞争的假说，即气候相关的流行病假说和传播病原体假说。培训目标是进一步发展i)生物信息学、ii)检测中性和表达基因的实验实验室技术、以及iii)基于模型的系统发育重建、种群遗传学和致病基因选择研究的综合方法。更广泛的影响包括产生关于一种病原体遗传多样性的关键基线数据，这种病原体对全球两栖动物生物多样性构成严重威胁。这些结果有助于实施一种更具活力的两栖动物保护方法，该方法考虑到预测性管理努力和主动保护计划中的进化过程。这一奖学金还将增加博士后水平上代表人数不足的群体的参与。

This action funds an NSF Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2009 and is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The fellowship supports a research and training plan at a host laboratory for the Fellow who also presents a plan to broaden participation in biology of underrepresented minorities. The title of the research and training plan for this fellowship to David Rodriguez is "Population genetics of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and New World amphibian declines." The host institution for this research is Cornell University and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Kelly Zamudio.Amphibians are declining at an unprecedented rate contributing to a decrease in the earth's biodiversity, resulting in potentially dire consequences for ecosystems in which those species play critical roles. The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd)has been implicated in recent global amphibian declines. This project is investigating the population genetics of Bd in Central and South America to test two competing hypotheses that possibly explain the epidemic; namely, the climate-linked epidemic hypothesis and the spreading pathogen hypothesis.The training objectives are to further develop expertise in i) bioinformatics, ii) experimental laboratory techniques for assaying neutral and expressed genes, and iii) model-based coalescent approaches to phylogenetic reconstruction, population genetics, and studies of selection on pathogenicity genes. The broader impacts include generating critical baseline data on the genetic diversity of a pathogen that is a serious threat to global amphibian biodiversity. The results contribute to implementing a more dynamic approach to amphibian conservation that takes into account evolutionary processes in predictive management efforts and proactive conservation programs. This fellowship will also increase the participation of underrepresented groups at the postdoctoral level.