NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Comparative viromics in vertebrates from the Sonoran Desert of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico and Arizona

这一行动资助了2020财年NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，扩大了生物学领域代表性不足群体的参与。该研究金支持一项针对该研究员的研究和培训计划，该计划将增加生物学中代表性不足的群体的参与。病毒在支持地球上的生命方面发挥着至关重要的作用。它们存在于所有环境中，可以影响所有类型的生物体。病毒在基因和结构上是多样化的，它们的进化与宿主有关。这位研究员将描述野生动物中的病毒群落，并研究索诺兰沙漠的宿主病毒动态。该地区的自然变异使其成为探索与野生动物相关的病毒多样性以及宿主和病毒之间相互作用的理想环境。这项研究与了解导致物种内遗传变异的因素有关，也与了解新的病毒物种如何出现有关。此外，调查野生动物中未发现的病毒群落可能有助于获得有关新病毒出现的知识，并防止潜在的传播给人类。这笔奖学金将支持STEM中代表性不足群体的研究员的研究、培训和职业发展。该研究员将为博士后水平上代表性不足的群体制定倡议，提供指导并开发教育工具。该研究员将与NSF资助的BajaGeoGenome财团合作，在墨西哥下加利福尼亚半岛(BCP)和亚利桑那州索诺兰沙漠(SDA)进行采样，并遵循病毒元基因组学方法来a)表征与啮齿动物、蜥蜴和食肉动物宿主种群相关的RNA和DNA病毒，b)比较BCP和SDA宿主种群内的病毒多样性，并评估潜在的地理气候和人口统计学预测病毒多样性的因素，以及c)通过调查病毒基因组差异是否与北方和南方种群之间的种内遗传差异一致来评估整个BCP区域的宿主病毒动态。该项目将整合基因组和生物地理数据，以填补病毒多样性方面的根本空白，并探索环境应激源和宿主人口统计学在宿主病毒系统中的作用。该研究员将根据该地区的地理气候历史、病毒丰富度的预测因子以及病毒和宿主的分化模式来研究宿主和病毒的直系历史。作为此次任命的一部分，该研究员将与国际跨学科团队合作，接受病毒元基因组学方法培训，组织一系列国际博士后研讨会，启动拉丁裔博士后虚拟网络，为双语教学视频的开发做出贡献，并促进K-12学生的科学教育和指导。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。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. Viruses play essential roles supporting life on Earth. They are present in all environments and can affect all types of organisms. Viruses are genetically and structurally diverse and their evolution is linked to their hosts. The fellow will characterize viral communities in wildlife and investigate host-virus dynamics in the Sonoran Desert. The natural variation of this region makes it the ideal setting to explore viral diversity associated with wildlife and the interactions between the host and the virus. This research is relevant to understanding factors that contribute to genetic variation within species, and also to understand how new species of viruses can emerge. Furthermore, investigating undiscovered viral communities in wildlife may be instrumental to gain knowledge on emergence of new viruses and prevent potential spread to humans. This fellowship will support the research, training, and career advancement of a fellow from an underrepresented group in STEM. The fellow will develop initiatives for underrepresented groups at the postdoctoral level, provide mentorship and develop educational tools. In collaboration with the NSF funded BajaGeoGenomics consortium, the fellow will sample across the Baja California peninsula, Mexico (BCP), and the Sonoran Desert, Arizona (SDA) and follow a viral metagenomics approach to a) characterize RNA and DNA viruses associated with host populations of rodents, lizards, and carnivores, b) compare viral diversity within BCP and SDA host populations and evaluate potential geo-climatic and demographic predictors of viral diversity, and c) assess host-virus dynamics across BCP by investigating whether viral genomic differences are consistent with intraspecific genetic divergence between northern and southern populations. The project will integrate genomic and biogeographic data to fill fundamental gaps in viral diversity and explore the role of environmental stressors and host demographics in host-virus systems. The fellow will investigate the lineal history of host and viruses in context of the geo-climatic history of the region, predictors of viral richness, and patterns of divergence in viruses and hosts. As part of this appointment, the fellow will work along an international cross-disciplinary team, receive training in viral metagenomics methods, organize an international postdoctoral seminar series, initiate a virtual network for Latinx postdocs, contribute to the development of bilingual educational videos, and promote science education and mentorship for K-12 students.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.