Summary
The immune system is the primary defense animals have against infectious diseases. A key component of this defense, the adaptive immune system, generates antibodies that recognize and neutralize bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. The repertoire of antibodies an animal can produce is determined by a set of genes that vary considerably across mammalian species, yet this variation is almost poorly describe outside of humans, mice, and cattle. This project will conduct the first systematic comparison of immune genes and antibodies across 60 species of mammals, using state-of-the-art DNA and
