Systematics, Coevolution, and Microbial Community Structure of Bat Fleas (Siphonaptera: Ischnopsyllidae)

蝙蝠占所有哺乳动物多样性的近25%。它们分布在全球，是不同生态系统中的关键角色。像任何其他哺乳动物一样，它们暴露于一系列寄生虫中，并遭受这些寄生虫的折磨。在这些寄生虫中有一种吸血昆虫——蝙蝠蚤。与许多其他跳蚤不同，它们特别适应蝙蝠。目前，即使是关于这些寄生虫的基本知识也很少。这笔赠款旨在通过实现以下重要目标来解决这一问题：1)首次收集有关蝙蝠蚤的发育、多样性、全球分布、寄主关联和生态学的全面信息；2)在与寄主平行进化的背景下，探索蝙蝠蚤的进化历史及其多样化时间；3)研究和联系不同寄生虫发育阶段和生态系统中蝙蝠蚤的微生物多样性。鉴定有益细菌和潜在致病菌。这些跨学科研究的结果将使广泛的研究人员（如系统学家、微生物学家、保护生物学家、寄生虫学家、流行病学家）受益。这些建议的研究将加强对共生、寄生、共同进化和疾病生态学的现有认识，并将为这些领域的进一步研究奠定基础。该项目将为重要研究领域的研究生和本科生提供教育机会，如寄生虫学、宏基因组学和系统发育学。少数族裔本科生将被特别招募，这些学生的学业成就将通过一种名为“成对研究”的新型指导方法来监督。这种方法的核心是在学生从事自己的研究项目时，教授他们道德、沟通和指导的价值。

Bats constitute nearly 25% of the diversity of all mammals. They have a global distribution, and are key players in diverse ecosystems. Like any other mammal, they are exposed to, and suffer from a range of parasites. Among these parasites are a group of bloodsucking insects - the bat fleas. Contrary to many other fleas, they are uniquely adapted to bats. Currently, even basic knowledge about these parasites is scarce. This grant sets out to remedy this problem by pursuing the following important goals: 1) for the first time comprehensive information about the development, diversity, global distribution, host association, and ecology of these fleas will be gathered, 2) the evolutionary history of bat fleas and the timing of their diversification will be explored, in the context of parallel evolution with their hosts, and 3) the previously unknown microbial diversity of bat fleas will be studied and linked across different parasite developmental stages and ecosystems, characterizing beneficial as well as potentially pathogenic bacteria. The results of these interdisciplinary studies will benefit a wide range of researchers (e.g. systematists, microbiologists, conservation biologists, parasitologists, epidemiologists). The proposed studies will enhance current knowledge about symbiosis, parasitism, co-evolution, and disease ecology, and will form the foundation for further research in these fields. This project will provide educational opportunities for graduate and undergraduate student training in important research areas, such as parasitology, metagenomics and phylogenetics. Minority undergraduates will be especially recruited, and academic success of these students will be monitored by a novel mentoring approach, called "Research in Pairs". This approach centers on teaching students the value of ethics, communication, and mentoring while they are pursuing their own research projects.