Microbial Commensal of Tri-colored Bats in Georgia and their Relationship to WNS Susceptibility
Disciplines
Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology | Integrative Biology | Laboratory and Basic Science Research
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) is a fungal pathogen that has been circulating in North American bats since its initial discovery in 2006. Pd is the causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease leading to as much as a 90% decrease in some eastern United States bat populations. To date, there is no effective treatment for WNS, but microbiomes have come under investigation in other disease systems for their perceived connection with pathogen colonization and disease severity across taxa. To this end, our research will focus on characterizing the microbiome of tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) across transportation-based (i.e.: manmade bridges and culverts) and subterranean hibernacula. Tri-colored bats have been documented living in anthropogenic structures which maintain temperatures consistent with Pd growth requirements, yet have not been classified as having WNS. Because built environments are correlated with altered host microbiomes, I aim to differentiate tri-colored bat microbiomes across these anthropogenic, transportation-based hibernacula and more traditional, subterranean hibernacula. By characterizing these microbiomes, I will identify microbes displaying anti-fungal properties, which will then be tested in vitro for anti-Pd activity. We will fill a gap in the knowledge of how bat microbiomes impact host survival while identifying microbial candidates for possible probiotic treatments. These treatments may be applied as a minimally-invasive disease management tool for treatments of bats to mitigate the effects of WNS on bat populations.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Christopher Cornelison
Microbial Commensal of Tri-colored Bats in Georgia and their Relationship to WNS Susceptibility
Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) is a fungal pathogen that has been circulating in North American bats since its initial discovery in 2006. Pd is the causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease leading to as much as a 90% decrease in some eastern United States bat populations. To date, there is no effective treatment for WNS, but microbiomes have come under investigation in other disease systems for their perceived connection with pathogen colonization and disease severity across taxa. To this end, our research will focus on characterizing the microbiome of tri-colored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) across transportation-based (i.e.: manmade bridges and culverts) and subterranean hibernacula. Tri-colored bats have been documented living in anthropogenic structures which maintain temperatures consistent with Pd growth requirements, yet have not been classified as having WNS. Because built environments are correlated with altered host microbiomes, I aim to differentiate tri-colored bat microbiomes across these anthropogenic, transportation-based hibernacula and more traditional, subterranean hibernacula. By characterizing these microbiomes, I will identify microbes displaying anti-fungal properties, which will then be tested in vitro for anti-Pd activity. We will fill a gap in the knowledge of how bat microbiomes impact host survival while identifying microbial candidates for possible probiotic treatments. These treatments may be applied as a minimally-invasive disease management tool for treatments of bats to mitigate the effects of WNS on bat populations.