NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology: Using eDNA metabarcoding to measure the impact of anthropogenic activities and predator reintroduction on parasite-based ecological networks

Childress, Jasmine N, Santa Barbara CA

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2022, Broadening Participation of Groups Underrepresented in Biology. The Fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow that will increase the participation of groups underrepresented in biology. Ecological networks are used to describe biodiversity and the ways in which plants and animals interact with one another. While parasites comprise nearly half of all described animal life, they are routinely left out of these networks. Thus, essential features of ecosystems are overlooked because parasites are excluded from ecological networks. One of the main challenges to integrating parasites into these networks is the difficulty of surveying for parasites using conventional methods that rely on complex techniques, which are invasive or lethal to host organisms. This problem will be resolved by using new DNA methods to detect the DNA fragments that all species shed into the environment (for example in feces, mucus, and skin). This environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to identify parasites without capture and harm to their hosts. Using this non-destructive method, the distribution of parasites will be added to ecological networks, including those in which human activity has had an impact and ones in which top predators have been reintroduced. This will help lay the foundation for enhancing future disease, community, and ecosystem studies. To broaden the impact of the project, the Fellow will present workshops to students to help them learn skills important for STEM training and careers. The Fellow will use eDNA metabarcoding to detect host–parasite community biodiversity of the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and incorporate those data into a molecular ecological network analysis to inform two guiding questions: (1) how does incorporating parasites into ecological networks alter our understanding of ecosystems, and (2) how do anthropogenic impacts and predator reintroduction reshape parasite-based ecological networks? To broaden participation of underrepresented groups, the Fellow will lead “Flash Skills,” which is a series of small workshops aimed at teaching and refining skills that may be left out of the classroom, such as grant writing, data and time management, and coding. These competencies will help prepare undergraduate and graduate students for postdoctoral opportunities and careers in academia. 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.