Pathogenic Microbiology Commons^™

Bacteriophage Migration Via Nematode Vectors: Host-Parasite-Consumer Interactions In Laboratory Microcosms, John J. Dennehy, Nicholas A. Friedenberg, Yul W. Yang, Paul E. Turner

Dartmouth Scholarship

Pathogens vectored by nematodes pose serious agricultural, economic, and health threats; however, little is known of the ecological and evolutionary aspects of pathogen transmission by nematodes. Here we describe a novel model system with two trophic levels, bacteriophages and nematodes, each of which competes for bacteria. We demonstrate for the first time that nematodes are capable of transmitting phages between spatially distinct patches of bacteria. This model system has considerable advantages, including the ease of maintenance and manipulation at the laboratory bench, the ability to observe many generations in short periods, and the capacity to freeze evolved strains for later …