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Scientists are interested in prairie dogs for a variety of reasons, including their importance in structuring North American grassland ecosystems, the reliance of endangered species like the black-footed ferret on prairie dogs for food, their complex social and communication system, the recent population declines prairie dog species have experienced in the last century, and the possibility of resistance to plague in some populations.

Ecological genomics is becoming increasingly practical, but can still be difficult without the aid of annotated reference genomes. 
For this reason, we are working to sequence the first prairie dog genome.

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​After the genome has been sequenced, I will use it to locate genes that confer resistance to plague in prairie dogs that survive the disease.  In the future, the genome will also be useful for other scientists studying prairie dog communication and behavior, local adaptation, and a myriad of other questions in prairie dogs and related rodents. 

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Collaborators:

Rebecca Dikow, Smithsonian Institution 
Mirian Tsuchiya, Smithsonian Institution