Increasing amphibian immunity to combat disease causing mass extinction

该项目旨在通过识别抗性基因并增加它们在宿主种群中的频率来提高两栖动物的存活率，以抗击毁灭性的壶菌。该项目是跨学科的，首次使用为农业开发的有针对性的基因操作技术来提高野生动物的抗病能力。预期结果包括：1)加强比较免疫学方面的国际合作；2)全面了解对棘球菌病的免疫力；3)抗病两栖动物。预期的好处是能够应用最优方法来改善受到新出现疾病威胁的野生动物的保护，例如标记辅助选择性育种或基因工程。

This project aims to increase amphibian survival to combat the devastating chytrid fungus by identifying resistance genes and increasing their frequency in the host population. The project is interdisciplinary and uses targeted genetic manipulation techniques developed for agriculture to improve disease resistance in wildlife for the first time. Expected outcomes include 1) enhanced international collaborations in comparative immunology, 2) a comprehensive understanding of immunity to chytridiomycosis, and 3) disease resistant amphibians. The anticipated benefit is ability to apply the optimal method to improve conservation of wildlife threatened by emerging disease, such as marker assisted selective breeding or genetic engineering.