Generation_and_maintenance_of_genetic_novelty_in_helminth_populations
Helminths, commonly called parasitic worms, are a group of organisms that exploit an incredibly diverse range of hosts and life history strategies for their persistence across generations. Helminth infections of humans and animals of veterinary importance, such as companion and food-producing animals, are responsible for a significant disease burden in their hosts that causes pain, disability, developmental delay, and, in some cases, death around the world. Worldwide, over 1.5 billion people and countless animals are infected with one or more helminth species at any time. As such, human helminth infections are the target of large-scale mass drug administration campaigns, and in veterinary settings, hundreds of millions of animals are treated with anthelmintic drugs to prevent and cure infections. The ability of helminths to survive and adapt within or outside their hosts lies in their capacity to generate and maintain significant genetic novelty upon which selection can act, which in turn determines their adaptive potential. The genetic basis for this adaptation is, however, poorly understood. This major gap in our knowledge, largely due to the high genetic diversity and experimental intractability of most helminth species, limits our ability to understand these processes, which need to be overcome to treat disease and predict outcomes of long-term control programmes successfully. Using a complementary set of genomic approaches, this study aims to build genome and population genetic resources to understand the biology of helminths through their DNA.