Tag: microbiome

Biology, Coral Reef Species & Ecology, Research

A Polyphasic Approach to Identify an Unknown Bacterium in the Aiptasia Microbiome

elauervose

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.

Biology, Research

Companion Planting Coral: Microbiome Commensalism for Greater Heat Stress Resiliency 

elauervose

The coral microbiome is a powerful mechanism for resiliency with significant capacity to protect its host from pathogens, parasites, toxins, eutrophic waters, heat stress, and bleaching. This study will investigate whether heat tolerant coral species that retain their beneficial microbiome during a heat stress event can aid less heat tolerant species in recovering beneficial microbiome members via horizontal transmission during or post-heat stress.