Dr. Jim Adelman recently received a grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Integrative Organismal Systems to study disease tolerance and transmission, using house finches and their bacterial pathogen as a model system. Although animal resistance mechanisms are well-studied, the ways in which animals tolerate infection are less clear and could have important consequences for wildlife and food animals alike. This work will use epidemiology, molecular biology, and comparisons of different populations to reveal mechanisms underlying tolerance in wild animals. Adelman will be working with scientists at Virginia Polytechnic Institute to gather data on finches from across North America. For more information, check his web page.
The abstract for the initial (first year) award is here.