Geological Survey

Description

The U.S. Geological Survey¿s (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center is offering a funding opportunity to a CESU partner for research to conduct second-generation sequencing analyses to explore how the structure and species composition of the bat skin microbiome is related to susceptibility to the emerging disease white-nose syndrome (WNS). North American hibernating bats have experienced catastrophic population declines from white-nose syndrome, an emergent disease caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. However, susceptibility and disease outcome vary by bat species. It has been found that fungal communities on the skin of bats are strongly correlated with resistance to WNS. In the face of emerging diseases, decision makers often must determine a course of action with minimal information regarding the details of the disease's ecology and pathology. Emerging diseases such as WNS have raised concerns among wildlife managers due to their potential threats to wildlife populations. The development of models that can predict potential host susceptibility to diseases like WNS plays a vital role in providing decision makers with the best available information regarding how to best manage resources.

Who can apply

• Others

Contact

Faith Graves 703-648-7356<br/>fgraves@usgs.gov
fgraves@usgs.gov