Comparative genomics of the waterfowl innate immune system

Pathogens exert strong selective pressure on the host immune system, still, our understanding of the extent and effect of genetic variation in natural hosts of many pathogens is limited. In this study we used population- and comparative genomics to study the innate immune system in natural hosts of avian influenza virus (AIV), waterfowl.病原体对宿主免疫系统施加了极强的选择压力，但目前我们对众多病原体的自然宿主中遗传变异的程度与效应的认知仍较为有限。本研究采用群体基因组学与比较基因组学方法，以水禽作为禽流感病毒（AIV）的自然宿主，对其先天免疫系统展开研究。