Short-term evolution of malaria in wild host populations

To understand and make predictions from the warfare between hosts and pathogen, a knowledge of the fundamental basis of evolution in such systems must be known, i.e. how much standing genetic variation occurs in pathogen population that evolution can act upon, how often new variation occurs, how fast it spreads and how stable this variation is across time and space. The researchers will use newly developed molecular methods developed in the field of haemosporidian parasite research to study genetic variation of the pathogen across 1000 genes, both within and between infections in a long-term study population of Blue Tits. Within this population 70-80% of all individuals are infected with a malaria related blood parasite and every year blood have been collected of the breeding pairs within this population, dating back to 1997. This will allow the researchers to create a unique project that follows the genetic population structures at the genomic level of the pathogen dating back more than 20 years. By achieving this, the researchers will have laid the foundation for a unique natural host-parasite system that will allow for future studies on local selection regimes and host-parasite interactions.

Project details

Genetics and Genomics

Jan 2022 — Dec 2025

$397,771

Sweden