Research Proposal: Natural Selection's Role in Immune Differences

This research proposal investigates the influence of natural selection on the immunological differences observed across various species. The study aims to explore genetic associations and variations to understand the evolution of immune systems against pathogens. The proposal outlines an experimental research design utilizing secondary data from existing literature, focusing on articles published from 2015 onwards. The data analysis will involve a qualitative evaluation to identify patterns and themes, with a focus on understanding how natural selection shapes immune traits and responses. The research hypothesizes that major polymorphism in the regulatory genes of the immune system significantly affects the evolution of the species under the pressure of the natural selection. The study's significance lies in its potential to reveal how natural selection impacts the fitness and innate immunity of different populations, offering insights into the evolution of disease resistance and the development of new therapeutic approaches.

Running head: PROPOSAL
PROPOSAL
Topic: Natural selection contribute to the variation in the
immunological differences in different species
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................3
1.1 Background of the research...................................................................................................3
1.2 Rationale of the research.......................................................................................................4
1.3 Research aim..........................................................................................................................5
1.4 Hypothesis of the research.....................................................................................................5
1.5 Significance of the research...................................................................................................5
2. Proposed methods........................................................................................................................5
2.1 Research design.....................................................................................................................5
2.2 Data collection process..........................................................................................................6
2.3 Inclusion and exclusion criteria.............................................................................................6
2.4 Data analysis..........................................................................................................................7
3. Conclusions..................................................................................................................................7
Reference List..................................................................................................................................9

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1. Introduction
1.1 Background of the research
It has been long identified that the differences in the population vary depending on their ability
to resists against the immune-related diseases. Several test and researchers were done to
understand how the variation in the genetic makeup of the population in addition to the natural
selection contributes to creating differences between the populations. According to some
researchers, 9.3% of the macrophages- express genetic material reflects ancestry-associated
differences (Williams, 2018).
These differences result in a response, which is gene regulatory affecting infection. For example,
in the case of the African ancestry, there is a strong inflammatory response with a reduced
bacterial growth intracellular observed to attain through natural selection (Nedelec et al., 2016).
Again it is known that the responses of the host immune functions vary based on the genetic
makeup. The variability in the host has found to affect the distribution of the variations in
antigens. Further, as stated by researchers genetic polymorphism is found to affect the regulation
of the immune response (Hargreaves et al., 2015). This genetic polymorphism is developed due
to natural selection.
As per Boyle et al. (2017), natural selection provides a quantitative trait supporting the
immune defence. It has been observed that the parasites can present threats to the living species.
These threats have resulted in affecting the ecological as well as evolutionary processes of the
species. According to the evolutionary theory, the immune trait has the capability of stabilizing
the selection. This depends on the relation between the immune function as well as the life
history of the species. Several empirical data are available that supports the positive selection
and variation of the genetic composition result in the species.
These were found to affect the fitness components and the immune traits of the species.
According to certain researches, it has been documented that extensive variation in the different
species includes around 259 variants. These variants include around 12 genes of innate
immunity. This development and changes in the innate immune system genes are observed in
an Indian population where the incidence of a load of pathogens like malaria parasite was very
high. Genetic variation is essential for natural selection as natural selection can only decrease or
increase frequency of alleles. Natural selection can occur without or with the environmental area.
In addition, directional selection occurs when in case natural selection provides favour to one
extreme on the other side, disruptive selection creates when natural selection provides favour to
both extreme and continuous variations (Brunner & Eizaguirre, 2016). Rabbit cannot have the
different fur colour if they want as the fur colour comes from genetic mutation.
1.2 Rationale of the research
Many researchers have highlighted the importance of the infectious disease which has increased
the rate of human evolution (Quintana-Murci, 2016). Thus throughout the generation in the
human population, the resistance alleles in the genetic material start spreading with time.
However, it is important to understand the extent the one can exploit the natural selection theory
on the variation in the human genetic material. Although this process has been considered to be a

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novel method for analysis, there are many diseases which were had been endemic for a longer
period (Brunner & Eizaguirre, 2016).
Diseases like yellow fever need to be studied. This will help to understand and acquire adequate
information regarding the natural selection process. This natural mechanism which helped in
the defence mechanism will also help in uncovering the evolutionary pressure on the population.
More research studies are essential to investigate the different signatures of natural selection.
This will assist in the elucidation of the natural mechanism for defence. The process will also
help in uncovering the pressure created by evolution, which results in the changes in the
immunological responses of the different species.
1.3 Research aim
The purpose of the research is to look into different variants so that genetic associations can be
studied to understand the detectable patterns related to the genetic variation. This will provide
clues to the evolution of the immune system of the species against the pathogens.
1.4 Hypothesis of the research
H0: Rare variation may not affect thorough regulatory cascades changes in the immune system to
bring an evolutionary change.
H1: The major polymorphism in the regulatory genes of the immune system significantly affects
the evolution of the species under the pressure of the natural selection.
1.5 Significance of the research
The study will be effective in understanding the fitness and the level of innate immunity of a
certain population due to the natural selection. As it is well known that the estimation of the
natural selection on the phenotypic changes is a complicated process. Thus investigating on the
changes in the immune traits of the different species will help in the understanding of the
components that have positively and negatively impacted on the responsiveness of the species
against the antibody (Davoli et al., 2017). The study will provide the researchers with adequate
break-through in terms of the endemic diseases and their resistances against the treatments with
time.
2. Proposed methods
The research activity will be following and conducted in the ways categorically outlined below.
2.1 Research design
For this research activity, an experimental design will be selected. Such a design approach will
help the researcher to evaluate the chosen hypothesis by reaching logical conclusions. It also
enables the researcher to establish a close association and valid justifications regarding the
relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variable of the research
(Campbell & Stanley, 2015). For this research study, the design will be conducted in a way that
will categorically provide a conceptual framework the experiment or evaluation will be
conducted within. The extent to which the concerned researcher for this study assigns distinct
subjects to certain conditions and categories distinguishes the variety of experimental design.
Since the sole intent of this research is to identify potential variants to study patterns concerning
genetic variation, an experimental design will suit the best purpose. Also, through pattern

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identification and the given framework, the researcher will be able to draw logical conclusions to
address the proposed hypothesis for the study.
2.2 Data collection process
Due to the complexity of the research topic, secondary data will be collected. It involves the
data from existing literature and previous studies. This pursues a specific research interest
through an elaborated literature review (Johnston, 2017). This research will rely on other
people’s data and information for its primary research purpose. Also, secondary data collection
provides a better option for many researchers, especially those having limited budget and
resources. Books, journals, related articles, administrative databases and other related sources
will be considered for the study.
2.3 Inclusion and exclusion criteria
While carrying out the data collection process, certain criteria must be kept for its easy gathering.
Inclusion criteria
i. Articles, books and journals published from the year 2015 or so will be considered.
ii. Articles providing a tentative budgetary detail will be chosen.
iii. Articles elaborating on the global evolutionary changes will be included.
Exclusion criteria
i. Any article published before 2015 will be excluded. This is due to the applicability of the
evidence in the present-day context.
ii. Articles or journals published in any language other than English will not be considered.
iii. Articles belonging to irrelevant source but depicting the main concept properly will also be
excluded from this research activity.
2.4 Data analysis
For this research, a qualitative evaluation of data gathered from the secondary sources will be
conducted. Qualitative analysis of relevant data is a viable process of evaluating data. Its sole
aim is to derive the possible explanation for a particular phenomenon (Mihas 2019). Besides, this
also provides the researcher with a thorough understanding of their research objective by
exposing various themes and patterns in their data. It is not feasible to conduct a quantitative
analysis due to its intricacies. However, the research will break the main concept into five sub-
themes. From that list, only one theme, which is the most relevant, will be chosen to elaborate.
Moreover, it will also enable the researcher to gather subjective data on the research topic.
3. Conclusions
Thus the study will help in understanding the various factors that are responsible for the changes
in the immune responses of a certain population under the impact of the natural selection. The
previous methodological difficulties which arose in the analysis of the type of selection affected
the empirical data. The study will allow in identifying the various biological factors which result
in the selection of the immunological traits in different species. Hence the study will widen the
scope of understanding factors other than the determinants of natural selection. These factors
affect the immunological responses in a living organism.

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The study will increase the scope of explaining how the change in the immunological responses
has affected a certain population in adopting resistance to a certain type of parasites. In some
cases, certain pathogens have acquired higher resistance against the known antibiotics for the
treatment of the diseases. The study will allow the various causes that have resulted in the
resistance of the pathogen. It will also provide an incentive toward further research of the
different type of new antibiotics which were initially not monitored in the patients suffering from
diseases. This will open new opportunities of identifying treatment methods and recombinant
drug therapies which will assist in the treatment of the immunologic diseases.

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Reference List
Boyle, E.A., Li, Y.I. and Pritchard, J.K., 2017. An expanded view of complex traits: from
polygenic to omnigenic. Cell, 169(7), pp.1177-1186. Retrieved from:
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867417306293]
Brunner, F.S. and Eizaguirre, C., 2016. Can environmental change affect host/parasite-mediated
speciation?. Zoology, 119(4), pp.384-394. Retrieved from:
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944200616300204]
Campbell, D. T., & Stanley, J. C. (2015). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for
research. Ravenio Books. Retrieved from: https://books.google.com/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=KCTrCgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT4&dq=experimental+research+design
&ots=Mdr9AOuB-J&sig=exuOtWGm0KV4BLr5Om1ll3PjKBg.
Davoli, T., Uno, H., Wooten, E.C. and Elledge, S.J., 2017. Tumor aneuploidy correlates with
markers of immune evasion and with reduced response to
immunotherapy. Science, 355(6322), p.eaaf8399. Retrieved from:
[https://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6322/eaaf8399.abstract]
Hargreaves, C. E., Rose‐Zerilli, M. J., Machado, L. R., Iriyama, C., Hollox, E. J., Cragg, M. S.,
& Strefford, J. C. (2015). Fcγ receptors: genetic variation, function, and
disease. Immunological reviews, 268(1), 6-24. Retrieved from:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/imr.12341.
Johnston, M. P. (2017). Secondary data analysis: A method of which the time has
come. Qualitative and quantitative methods in libraries, 3(3), 619-626. Retrieved from:
http://www.qqml-journal.net/index.php/qqml/article/view/169.
Nédélec, Y., Sanz, J., Baharian, G., Szpiech, Z.A., Pacis, A., Dumaine, A., Grenier, J.C.,
Freiman, A., Sams, A.J., Hebert, S. and Sabourin, A.P., 2016. Genetic ancestry and
natural selection drive population differences in immune responses to
pathogens. Cell, 167(3), pp.657-669. Retrieved from:
[https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867416313071]
Quintana-Murci, L. (2016). Understanding rare and common diseases in the context of human
evolution. Genome biology, 17(1), 225. Retrieved from:
https://genomebiology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13059-016-1093-y.
Williams, G.C., 2018. Adaptation and natural selection: A critique of some current evolutionary
thought (Vol. 61). Princeton university press. Retrieved from:
[https://books.google.co.in/books?
hl=en&lr=&id=gkBhDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=natural+selection+contribute+
to+the+variation+in+the+immunological+differences+in+different+species&ots=Cf9vkE
8VCV&sig=Jru8pdNASqJhRvTeA0slkFMytiE]

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