生物科学项目

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分会报告2A -口头报告

Climate change is an imminent threat to biodiversity, as evidenced by population declines in many 其中物种. In addition to long-term occupancy studies, an increasingly-popular 监测方法是通过粪便糖皮质激素代谢物无创分析个体应激 (GCM). The American pika (Ochotona princeps) is a small lagomorph that is sensitive to rising temperatures and has experienced declines in parts of its range. 然而，有一个独特的种群存在 in the La Sal Mountains of southern Utah; this population is predicted to be vulnerable because of its 孤立的自然和南纬. To determine relative stress levels among pikas in this unique population, we collected pika scat along elevational transects during summer 2019. 然后我们使用了 信息理论框架(AICc)来检验与气候影响相关的竞争性假设, biogeography, and habitat area on pika physiological condition (GCM) along elevational gradients. Elevation was the single strongest predictor of fecal GCM, with higher stress at higher elevation. Although seemingly counterintuitive, 2018-2019 saw abnormally high snowpack and avalanche activity, which reduced food availability in the spring and shortened the haying season at high elevation. 这些 研究结果促进了气候敏感物种对气候变化及其影响的响应研究 不可预测性.

Members of the soil-dwelling bacterial genus Streptomyces are primarily known for their production 次生代谢物. 这些 filamentous, spore-producing bacteria are widely distributed in soil 并在动植物中引起各种疾病. 盘形骨虫是一种生活在土壤中的变形虫 energy and nutrients by consuming bacteria, but potential interactions with streptomycetes have not 被广泛研究过. We have isolated streptomycetes and dictyostelid strains from a variety 当地的土壤，并开始识别它们. 至少有一个盘状骨鞘生长时，孢子从 Streptomyces strains with which they were co-isolated are provided as the sole energy source, and we 继续评估潜在的相互作用. 这些实验对于更好地了解土壤中捕食者-猎物的相互作用非常重要, 为了理解变形虫的生物学, and perhaps for understanding virulence in Streptomyces strains that can cause disease.

光萤表现出一种进化上新颖的光器官，其潜在的遗传调控尚不清楚. 光器官是一个后腹侧结构，用于催化和反射发光反应. 光器官的一个重要特征是它被一层脱色的角质层覆盖，这有助于在求爱仪式中发光的传输. However, the genes responsible for the depigmentation remain unidentified. In Drosophila melanogaster, the genes black and ebony are known to repress cuticular pigmentation. 我们假设这些功能在Photuris萤火虫中是保守的，并且一个或两个基因在光器官角质层的色素沉着中被招募. 我们使用RNA干扰(RNAi)来有意抑制蛹发育过程中每个靶点的表达. 成年RNAi个体的显微镜检查表明，乌木参与了雌性萤火虫光器官周围角质层的色素沉着, 而黑色被怀疑与腹胸和附属物的色素沉着模式有关. 这些结果表明，Photuris萤火虫的光器官色素抑制是复杂的，具有性别特异性.

议题2B -海报展示

盘形变形虫是一种居住在土壤中的变形虫，由于其独特的生命周期，饥饿的变形虫聚集形成多细胞生殖结构，因此经常被研究, 称为子实体. Although the life cycle has been studied extensively in the laboratory, less is known about the biology of these amoebae in soil. 我已经评估了变形虫盘基ostelum amoebae是否消耗链霉菌细菌，以了解这些社会变形虫在土壤中的作用. 链菌是产生丝状孢子的细菌, 几乎存在于所有土壤中, that are known for their production 次生代谢物. 这些 metabolites have antibacterial and antifungal activities. 我的实验表明，当提供几种链霉菌中的一种的孢子作为唯一的食物来源时，变形虫盘基骨菌能够生长. 所有测试的菌株都支持变形虫的生长. 这些实验表明，链霉菌孢子可能是土壤中变形虫的主要食物来源，变形虫可能是理解土壤中微生物捕食-猎物关系的良好模型.

全球两栖动物数量下降，其中一个主要原因是真菌水蛭壶菌(Bd)。, 壶菌病的病因是什么. This pathogen infects the skin of amphibians where it can inhibit electrolyte and gas exchange, 最终导致死亡. 有多种疾病管理方法，包括实验室治疗和杀菌剂的应用. However, many of these strategies are either ineffective or unsafe. Recent research has shown that the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, 在农业生物农药中发现, 产生抗真菌的挥发性有机化合物. If Bd growth is inhibited by these VOCs, then there should be reduced Bd growth when B. 苏云金和Bd相邻生长. Bd与B并排镀. thuringiensis in a divided petri dish and incubated for 14 days. Photos of each plate were analyzed using Image J to assess percentage of Bd cover. 结果表明B. thuringiensis VOCs significantly inhibited growth of Bd when compared to control plates. 这表明一种广泛使用的生物农药可能有助于栖息地重叠的两栖动物的疾病预防. 本研究是开发有效的利用普通农产品的两栖动物疾病管理策略的重要一步.

根据全身评分系统, decomposition of human remains can be broken up into four stages: fresh, 早期的分解, 高级分解和骨骼化. The timing and characteristics of these stages vary in different environments (i.e. 湿与. 干旱的环境). 在pp电子极速糖果的法医调查研究站(FIRS)，人们观察人类遗骸的分解，目的是了解这一过程是如何在干旱地区发生的, 高原沙漠环境. The aim of this study was to identify different fungi growing on human remains at FIRS. Tissue samples were taken from skin and bone and plated for continued growth in culture. 根据形态特征鉴定了5种不同的真菌，并进行了纯培养. DNA隔离, 利用扩增和测序分析来确认每种真菌的基因序列. 通过确认每种真菌的身份, we hope to conduct further research into the role of fungi in the different stages of decomposition, as well as the differences in fungal growth in different environments. 了解真菌在分解中的作用有助于法医调查和确定不同犯罪现场环境下的死后间隔.

水蛭壶菌(Batrachochytrium dendroatidis, Bd)是一种真菌病原体，导致世界范围内两栖动物种群数量下降. 一些两栖动物通过从环境中获得的细菌来保护自己免受Bd感染. 苏云金芽孢杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis, Bt)是一种常见的产生抗真菌和抗菌代谢物的土壤细菌. 我们假设这些代谢物在液体培养中的存在会抑制Bd的生长. Secondary metabolites were isolated from two Bt subspecies and tested against the Bd fungus in vitro. 从Bt的肉汤培养物中提取次生代谢物，用分光光度法对Bd进行生长试验一周. It was found that when the metabolites were added to the liquid culture of Bd, 真菌比对照组生长得更好. The mechanisms by which the increased fungal growth is caused are unknown, but a possible explanation may lie in the signaling capabilities of Bd. 也许真菌能够感知次生代谢物，从而激活转录因子, 促进细胞生长. This effect has been observed in other fungal studies utilizing secondary metabolites. Future studies may involve Bd signaling competency for both competition and growth factors.