Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structural Biology Commons^™

Exploring Strain Variation And Bacteriophage Predation In The Gut Microbiome Of Ciona Robusta, Celine Grace F. Atkinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Current microbiome studies have shown that the maintenance of homeostasis betweenmicrobial populations (e.g. bacteria, viruses) and the host immune system (e.g. innate immune molecules) is necessary for balancing health and disease outcomes within the host. These studies most often utilize vertebrate models; however, research in this field can benefit from diverse model systems that facilitate our ability to conduct experiments to identify phylogenically conserved rules influencing homeostasis in the gut of animals. The Dishaw has developed the use of a filter-feeding marine invertebrate chordate, Ciona robusta, to model such fundamental interactions[1]–[6]. While most biological diversity and functional contribution within microbiomes …