CAREER: How do host and pathogen diversity interact to shape disease ecology?

生态学的一个重要目标是了解生物多样性影响生态系统功能的方式。生物多样性直接影响人类健康的一个方面是它在减少野生动物传播疾病的风险方面的重要性。生态学中一个突出的理论是，物种多样性越大，疾病传播的风险就越低，这是通过一种称为稀释的效应来实现的。在包括莱姆病在内的几种疾病系统中已经发现了稀释效应的证据。作为莱姆病宿主的小型哺乳动物的物种多样性更高，从而减少了疾病的传播。然而，即使在这个研究得很好的系统中，关于莱姆病病原体内遗传变异的重要性的研究也很少。该项目关注莱姆病系统，以解决疾病生态学中的一个关键问题：寄主的物种多样性如何影响病原体遗传多样性，以及这些相互作用的结果对疾病风险意味着什么？该项目还将为本科生和研究生提供研究培训，将开发以疾病生态学为重点的主动学习课程，并将通过公民科学机会让公众参与壁虱传播的疾病生物学。这项研究具有明显的公共卫生意义，因为莱姆病是美国报道最多的扁虱传播疾病。本研究将结合实证现场研究和数学模型来表征和预测美国西部莱姆病系统中宿主多样性和病原体遗传多样性之间的关系。将使用新的微流控技术和下一代遗传方法来表征病原体的基因多样性。一个阶段结构的连续时间模型方法将被用来描述和预测寄主多样性对病原体基因多样性和疾病风险的影响。这项强调宿主和病原体多样性的研究将对理解自然和人类系统中多样性对疾病生态的社区层面影响产生重要影响。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

An important goal in ecology is understanding the ways that biological diversity influences the functioning of ecosystems. One aspect of biodiversity that directly impacts human health is its importance in mitigating risk of disease transmission from wildlife. A prominent theory in ecology is that greater diversity of species reduces the risk of disease transmission, through an effect called dilution. Evidence for the dilution effect has been found in several disease systems, including Lyme disease. Greater species diversity of small mammals that serve as hosts for Lyme disease result in less transmission of the disease. However, even in this well-studied system, there is little research on the importance of genetic variation within the Lyme disease pathogen. This project focuses on the Lyme disease system, to address a critical question in disease ecology: how does species diversity of hosts influence pathogen genetic diversity and what does the culmination of these interactions mean for disease risk? This project also will provide research training to undergraduate and graduate students, will develop active learning focused courses on disease ecology, and will engage the public in tick-borne disease biology through citizen science opportunities. This research has clear public health implications as Lyme disease is the most reported tick transmitted disease in the United StatesThis study will incorporate empirical field studies and mathematical modeling to characterize and predict the relationship between host diversity and pathogen genetic diversity in the Lyme disease system in the western United States. Pathogen genotypic diversity will be characterized using novel microfluidics technology and next generation genetic approaches. A stage structured continuous time model approach will be used to characterize and predict the impacts of host diversity on pathogen genotype diversity and disease risk. This study's emphasis on host and pathogen diversity will have important consequences for understanding the community level impacts of diversity on disease ecology in both natural and human systems.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.