INVASIVOLE · Genetics of an invasive species and its parasites: the bank vole in Ireland

Invasive species pose major threats to biodiversity, ecosystem integrity, agriculture, fisheries and public health. Greater knowledge of the population genetic aspects of invasions will allow us to discover how invasive species can adapt and thrive in novel environments, despite the founder events and serial bottlenecking associated with expansion into new territory, and will help to generate better management strategies. In this proposal, the researcher will use a state-of-the-art genomics approach to study the invasion of the bank vole (Myodes glareolus) in Ireland and, as a corollary, also carry out a study of its parasites. The bank vole was introduced to southwest Ireland early in the 20th century and is still spreading at a rate of several kilometres a year, representing an excellent natural experiment in invasion genetics. Next-generation sequencing of the bank vole transcriptome will generate hundreds of new single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. Populations of bank voles will be sampled along transects from the point of introduction to the range margin. Individuals will be screened for variation at SNP loci. These data will be used to test hypotheses about the distribution of genetic diversity within invasive populations, and to make detailed reconstructions of the invasion history (including rates of spread and migration in different habitats) using novel statistical methods, for which the researcher will generate novel simulation software. Genetic characterization will also be conducted on suitable species of parasite that infect the bank vole population. As parasites commonly have shorter generation times and faster mutation rates than their hosts, genetic data from parasite can be used to make additional inferences about the invasion history of the host. This project combines several state-of-the-art developments in genomics and statistical techniques, and has the potential to greatly increase our knowledge of the genetics of invasive species.