Exploring Marine Ecosystems and Native Plants: Insights from Coral Reefs to Backyard Gardens
A single isolate was selected for this study and taken from initial isolation to species identification, location of the SOD gene, and verification of the Mn/Fe SOD gene family. Although no SOD enzyme activity measurements were successfully taken, this study demonstrates a replicable process for culturing bacterial isolates most likely to be in close association with the Symbiodinium, identifying the isolates, and locating the SOD gene.
Although the top NCBI matches for the 16S rRNA gene (≥97% identity) were all Tritonibacter mobilis strains, there was some uncertainty in this classification. This uncertainty was largely due to the fact that the isolate exhibited little to no motility, which is inconsistent with reported characteristics of T. mobilis. Analysis of the SOD gene (≥99% identity) also produced matches primarily to T. mobilis, albeit to a different set of strains than those identified by 16S gene. This supports the conclusion that the isolate is, in fact, T. mobilis, but possibly a new, or previously unnamed strain of T. mobilis.
I concluded my Independent Research Project this spring at the One USF Undergraduate Research Conference, where I presented my work in an oral session. The presentation went very well, and I had the chance to teach others about coral—one of my favorite topics. You can watch a recorded version of my talk here.
Erica Lauer Vose 