Category
Poster - Theoretical Proposal
Description
Fungi are ubiquitous in nature and are essential for the overall health of ecosystems, affecting everything from water quality to the health of the organisms. Although many fungi play beneficial roles in nature, some fungi such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) can cause disease in the members of the ecosystem. As potential carriers of Bd, crayfish are a possible mobile microhabitat that enables Bd to persist and spread throughout aquatic ecosystems. One way to test the overall health of an aquatic environment is to measure Bd levels in potential carriers. In a previous study, we surveyed an aquatic ecosystem where Bd is known to be prevalent in amphibians. However, we did not detect Bd on crayfish even though there was a high level of Bd prevalence on the resident newt population. To further test whether local crayfish populations can be carriers of Bd in environments known to contain the fungus, twelve crayfish (Cambarus sp.) will be divided randomly and equally into pathogen exposed and control groups. The exposed treatment of crayfish will contain a solution of Bd (~100,000 cells/ml) for two weeks. Control crayfish will experience similar conditions except without the presence of Bd. After two weeks, all crayfish will be swabbed again to evaluate the intensities of any Bd infection. Crayfish will then be placed into new individual containers with pathogen-free water. The experiment will continue with weekly swabbing and real-time PCR (qPCR) evaluation of swabs for signs of infection. If Bd infection persists on exposed crayfish then the experiment will continue for six weeks. Based on findings in other studies that crayfish can be carriers of Bd, this experiment will add to our understanding if local crayfish populations are susceptible to carrying this fungal pathogen. Further inquiries into other potential biological reservoirs for fungal pathogens can be developed from this experiment.
Crayfish as a biological reservoir for the amphibian skin pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
Poster - Theoretical Proposal
Fungi are ubiquitous in nature and are essential for the overall health of ecosystems, affecting everything from water quality to the health of the organisms. Although many fungi play beneficial roles in nature, some fungi such as Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) can cause disease in the members of the ecosystem. As potential carriers of Bd, crayfish are a possible mobile microhabitat that enables Bd to persist and spread throughout aquatic ecosystems. One way to test the overall health of an aquatic environment is to measure Bd levels in potential carriers. In a previous study, we surveyed an aquatic ecosystem where Bd is known to be prevalent in amphibians. However, we did not detect Bd on crayfish even though there was a high level of Bd prevalence on the resident newt population. To further test whether local crayfish populations can be carriers of Bd in environments known to contain the fungus, twelve crayfish (Cambarus sp.) will be divided randomly and equally into pathogen exposed and control groups. The exposed treatment of crayfish will contain a solution of Bd (~100,000 cells/ml) for two weeks. Control crayfish will experience similar conditions except without the presence of Bd. After two weeks, all crayfish will be swabbed again to evaluate the intensities of any Bd infection. Crayfish will then be placed into new individual containers with pathogen-free water. The experiment will continue with weekly swabbing and real-time PCR (qPCR) evaluation of swabs for signs of infection. If Bd infection persists on exposed crayfish then the experiment will continue for six weeks. Based on findings in other studies that crayfish can be carriers of Bd, this experiment will add to our understanding if local crayfish populations are susceptible to carrying this fungal pathogen. Further inquiries into other potential biological reservoirs for fungal pathogens can be developed from this experiment.
Comments
Undergraduate