Using RNA interference to combat the worst emerging disease of wildlife

这个项目旨在开发一种控制野生动物疾病的新方法。它将利用RNA干扰技术的最新进展，敲除一种威胁生物多样性的新兴病原体的毒力基因。两栖动物壶菌等病原体继续造成广泛的灭绝，迫切需要更好的控制方法。RNA干扰已被用于增加植物对真菌的抗病能力，但将这种方法应用于动物将在对抗真菌和其他病原体方面具有广泛的相关性。这种方法的具体结果将是提高各种蛙类的存活率，从而提高世界范围内圈养放生计划的成功率，从而拯救青蛙免于灭绝。

This project aims to develop a novel method of disease control in wildlife. It will use recent advances in RNA interference technology to knockdown virulence genes in an emerging pathogen that threatens biodiversity. Pathogens such as the amphibian chytrid fungus continue to cause widespread extinction and urgently require better control methods. RNA interference has been used to increase disease resistance to fungi in plants but adapting this approach for animals will have wide relevance in combatting fungi and other pathogens. The specific outcomes of this method will be to increase survival rates in a broad range of frog species to improve the success of captive release programs worldwide and hence save frogs from extinction.