Maryke Gray

TL;DR: It is shown that HIV-1 group O, which spreads epidemically in west central Africa and is estimated to have infected around 100,000 people, originated by cross-species transmission from western lowland gorillas.

TL;DR: This study illustrates that newly improved molecular methods allow fast, efficient and relatively affordable genotyping of several hundred samples, suggesting that genetic censusing can be widely applied to provide accurate and reliable population size estimates for a wide variety of species.

TL;DR: This study identified AdVs in NHPs living in their natural habitats, and through the combination of phylogenetic analyses and information on the habitats and epidemiological settings, it detected possible horizontal transmission events between NHPs and humans.

TL;DR: The 2010 census of the mountain gorilla population of the Virunga Massif was the first to utilize genetic analyses of fecal samples for the entire population, and the results showed that it is possible for conservation efforts to succeed even under difficult conditions, while highlighting the continuing challenges of managing a wild population of both habituated and unhabituated gorillas as discussed by the authors.

TL;DR: The bottom-up approach of ranger based monitoring includes a strong capacity building component and empowers field staff in park management activities, which provides park managers with information that prompts appropriate responses to threats to the ecosystem.