Black Death genomics and the evolution of pathogen virulence [ 2014 - 2017 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Edward Holmes (Principal investigator) ,  Prof Jonathan Iredell

Brief description The Black Death was one of the most lethal plagues of antiquity and changed the course of human history. We will reconstruct and analyse the evolution of its causative agent – the bacterium Yersinia pestis – sampled from human skeletal remains dating back to the Black Death and beyond. We will determine the mutations that changed the virulence of plague epidemics through time, enabling a unique insight into the most dramatic example of pathogen emergence that has ever been available for study.

Funding Amount $AUD 525,411.98

Funding Scheme Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant