Conservation Genetics: From Host to Microbiome

Dear Colleagues,

Conservation genetics aims to understand the variation of population genetics, which help to avoid extinction. The main scientific questions in animal conservation include the conservation and restoration of biodiversity using genetic methods. Genetic diversity is one of the three fundamental levels of biodiversity, and decreased genetic diversity may be related to the reduced fitness of animals. Thus, genetic diversity has an essential role in populations’ health and long-term survival.

The animal microbiome (e.g., gut microbiome) plays an essential role in host health and development. An increasing number of studies have determined that animal conservation should also focus on conserving their symbiotic microbiome. For example, anthropogenic influence resulting in habitat loss and fragmentation has led to the loss of either host genetic diversity or symbiotic microbial diversity. Globalization and urbanization also profoundly affect host genetic diversity and symbiotic microbiome. Humans pass their microbiome into wildlife living in the city, and some of these bacteria are opportunistic pathogens. Recently, the conservation metagenome has pushed animal conservation forward by integrating the levels from host genetics and symbiotic microbiome.

Therefore, biodiversity conservation is currently beyond traditional approaches that only focus on host genetics; now, conservation genetics is involved in the genetic roles of the host and their symbiotic microbiome. This Topic will focus on but not be limited to:

1. The challenges of wildlife genetics and their gut microbiome under urbanization;
2. The potential effects of habitat loss or fragmentation on animal diversity (host and their symbiotic microbiome);
3. The putative roles of symbiotic microorganisms in animal restoration or translocation;
4. Animal adaptation from the host and their symbiotic microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, protist, and virus);
5. Animal conservation under globalization;
6. New understandings of biodiversity conservation.

Thus, we invite you to submit your recent findings to this Topic on “Animal Conservation Genetics: From Host to Microbiome” in the form of original research or review articles and communications.

Dr. Lifeng Zhu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• wildlife
• host genetics
• globalization and urbanization
• symbiotic microorganisms
• evolutionary adaptations
• conservation biology