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Articles 1 - 30 of 102
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Microbiome Assembly And Function In The Solitary Mason Bee, Osmia Lignaria (Megachilidae), Bailey Crowley
Microbiome Assembly And Function In The Solitary Mason Bee, Osmia Lignaria (Megachilidae), Bailey Crowley
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present
Animal-microbe interactions can influence host biology, ecology, and evolution. The assembly and function of microbes found within animal hosts oftentimes depends on which species are involved. Advances in sequencing technologies have permitted the exploration of host-microbe interactions in a variety of animals, including bees. Early research aimed at understanding the microbiomes of social bees, such as honey bees and bumble bees, found that microbes prevent the spoilage of stored pollen, breakdown indigestible nutrients into smaller molecules available for uptake by the host, and also protect the host from pathogens. When environmental stressors, such as increased temperatures, disrupt the microbiome, the …
Changes In Metal-Chelating Metabolites Induced By Drought And A Root Microbiome In Wheat, Anne J. Anderson, Joshua M. Hortin, Astrid R. Jacobson, David W. Britt, Joan E. Mclean
Changes In Metal-Chelating Metabolites Induced By Drought And A Root Microbiome In Wheat, Anne J. Anderson, Joshua M. Hortin, Astrid R. Jacobson, David W. Britt, Joan E. Mclean
Biological Engineering Faculty Publications
The essential metals Cu, Zn, and Fe are involved in many activities required for normal and stress responses in plants and their microbiomes. This paper focuses on how drought and microbial root colonization influence shoot and rhizosphere metabolites with metal-chelation properties. Wheat seedlings, with and without a pseudomonad microbiome, were grown with normal watering or under water-deficit conditions. At harvest, metal-chelating metabolites (amino acids, low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs), phenolic acids, and the wheat siderophore) were assessed in shoots and rhizosphere solutions. Shoots accumulated amino acids with drought, but metabolites changed little due to microbial colonization, whereas the active …
Forensic Microbiome Evidence: Fourth Amendment Applications And Court Acceptance, Trason Lasley
Forensic Microbiome Evidence: Fourth Amendment Applications And Court Acceptance, Trason Lasley
Catholic University Journal of Law and Technology
No abstract provided.
Host-Microbe Interactions In Non-Native Estuarine Anemones: Biogeography And Temperature, Parker K. Lund
Host-Microbe Interactions In Non-Native Estuarine Anemones: Biogeography And Temperature, Parker K. Lund
Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects
Non-native species are increasing in prevalence around the world, resulting in negative economic and ecological impacts. However, the broad distributions of non-native species also offer a system for investigating the response of host-associated microbial communities to environmental factors across a range of ecological scales. At the broadest scale, I investigated the geography of microbial communities in the non-native estuarine anemone Diadumene lineata on the west coast of the United States of America. Across latitudes, microbial community composition was very similar and displayed a high percentage of Klebsiella spp. at all sites. However, the communities in California tended to exhibit higher …
An Analysis On How Housing Status Influences The Gut-Brain-Axis For Populations In And Around The Skid Row Area Of Los Angeles, California, Mauricio Guzman
An Analysis On How Housing Status Influences The Gut-Brain-Axis For Populations In And Around The Skid Row Area Of Los Angeles, California, Mauricio Guzman
Pitzer Senior Theses
Over recent years, the “microbiota-gut-brain axis” (MGBA) has garnered significant attention in the scientific community. Specifically, perturbations of the MGBA via stress and dietary intake have been linked to a wide-range of diseases including gastrointestinal diseases, metabolic diseases, mood disorders, and cognitive diseases. However, most studies have been solely conducted on mice models and have yet to consider the more complex, intricate systems that impact the human body. In addition, researchers have yet to consider the populations who may be most susceptible to chronic stress and negative dietary outcomes. Drawing from the fields of medical sociology, non-invasive human biology, and …
Editorial: C. Elegans Hostmicrobiome Interactions: From Medical To Ecological And Evolutionary Model, Michael A. Herman, Javier E. Irazoqui, Buck S. Samuel, Nic Vega
Editorial: C. Elegans Hostmicrobiome Interactions: From Medical To Ecological And Evolutionary Model, Michael A. Herman, Javier E. Irazoqui, Buck S. Samuel, Nic Vega
School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Editorial: C. Elegans Host-Microbiome Interactions: From Medical To Ecological And Evolutionary Model, Michael A. Herman, Javier E. Irazoqui, Buck S. Samuel, Nic Vega
Editorial: C. Elegans Host-Microbiome Interactions: From Medical To Ecological And Evolutionary Model, Michael A. Herman, Javier E. Irazoqui, Buck S. Samuel, Nic Vega
School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Microbiomes often form specific functional associations with their hosts. Correlations between microbiome membership and states of host health and disease abound in many systems. However, there are few systems that allow for in depth functional studies that include precise manipulation and interrogation of both microbiome composition and host function. Recently the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans - an excellent genetic model organism for studying many fields of biology, including neurobiology and behavior, development, cell biology, and innate immunity - has proven to be a robust system to probe microbiome interactions and their effect on host physiology.
A Bacterial Microbiome Analysis Of Solarized Ginseng Garden Soils, Anka Colo
A Bacterial Microbiome Analysis Of Solarized Ginseng Garden Soils, Anka Colo
Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a highly valued perennial crop grown for its roots during a four-year cultivation cycle. American ginseng is subject to ginseng replant disease (GRD) in which severe root rot develops in newly planted ginseng grown in a former ginseng garden. A common strategy to mitigating GRD is not available and techniques such as fumigation, fungicides, and biocontrol are ineffective, banned, or are slowly being phased out. Alternatively, soil solarization is a pre-plant technique used to treat soil to reduce disease inoculum and alter soil microbiomes. In summer 2019, a six-week soil solarization experiment was …
Sarracenia Pitcher Plant-Associated Microbial Communities Differ Primarily By Host Species Across A Longitudinal Gradient, Jacob A. Heil, Charles J. Wolock, Naomi E. Pierce, Anne Pringle, Leonora S. Bittleston
Sarracenia Pitcher Plant-Associated Microbial Communities Differ Primarily By Host Species Across A Longitudinal Gradient, Jacob A. Heil, Charles J. Wolock, Naomi E. Pierce, Anne Pringle, Leonora S. Bittleston
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Plant-associated microbial communities can profoundly affect plant health and success, and research is still uncovering factors driving the assembly of these communities. Here, we examine how geography versus host species affects microbial community structure and differential abundances of individual taxa. We use metabarcoding to characterize the bacteria and eukaryotes associated with five, often co-occurring species of Sarracenia pitcher plants (Sarraceniaceae) and three natural hybrids along the longitudinal gradient of the U.S. Gulf Coast, as well as samples from S. purpurea in Massachusetts. To tease apart the effects of geography versus host species, we focus first on sites with co-occurring …
A Bioinformatics Analysis Of Microbial Diversity And Its Correlation With Human Lifestyle, Diet, And Health Variables, Alivia Ankrum, Kate Cooper
A Bioinformatics Analysis Of Microbial Diversity And Its Correlation With Human Lifestyle, Diet, And Health Variables, Alivia Ankrum, Kate Cooper
Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects
The abundant impact of microbiota on human physiology suggests a need for exploration into their impact on human health and disease. The American Gut Project (AGP) was established to aggregate microbiome sequencing data as well as health, diet, and lifestyle metadata. This study proposes to identify taxonomic species and build a phylogenetic tree representation from the AGP participant sample collection as well as find their respective alpha and beta diversity of all metadata variables based on patient questionnaire data. Additionally, this study will involve a chimeric sequence extraction from the 16S rRNA sequences of the AGP. The expected results are …
Characterization And Comparison Of Convergence Among Cephalotus Follicularis Pitcher Plant-Associated Communities With Those Of Nepenthes And Sarracenia Found Worldwide, Leonora S. Bittleston, Elizabeth L. Benson, Jessica R. Bernardin, Naomi E. Pierce
Characterization And Comparison Of Convergence Among Cephalotus Follicularis Pitcher Plant-Associated Communities With Those Of Nepenthes And Sarracenia Found Worldwide, Leonora S. Bittleston, Elizabeth L. Benson, Jessica R. Bernardin, Naomi E. Pierce
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
The Albany pitcher plant, Cephalotus follicularis, has evolved cup-shaped leaves and a carnivorous habit completely independently from other lineages of pitcher plants. It is the only species in the family Cephalotaceae and is restricted to a small region of Western Australia. Here, we used metabarcoding to characterize the bacterial and eukaryotic communities living in C. follicularis pitchers at two different sites. Bacterial and eukaryotic communities were correlated in both richness and composition; however, the factors associated with richness were not the same across bacteria and eukaryotes, with bacterial richness differing with fluid color, and eukaryotic richness differing with the …
An Investigation Of Microbial Symbiosis In Vertebrate Embryonic Diapause Using Austrofundulus Limnaeus As A Model, Jose Camara-Lavadores
An Investigation Of Microbial Symbiosis In Vertebrate Embryonic Diapause Using Austrofundulus Limnaeus As A Model, Jose Camara-Lavadores
Student Research Symposium
Studies emphasizing the crucial dynamic between multicellular organisms and microbes continue to broaden our understanding on how these relationships lead to pathogenicity or mutual benefit. Many studies show that microbes can aid hosts through a variety of mechanisms including: metabolism, neuro development, physical performance, and behavior. In this study we aim to characterize the microbiota of the annual killifish Austrofundulus limnaeus, and investigate the potential role that microbes may have in supporting embryonic diapause. Diapausing embryos can survive extreme environmental stresses such as anoxia, drought, and fluctuating osmolarity and pH. Understanding the potential role that microbes may play in …
Alterations Of The Gut Mycobiome In Patients With Ms - A Bioinformatic Approach, Saumya Shah
Alterations Of The Gut Mycobiome In Patients With Ms - A Bioinformatic Approach, Saumya Shah
Honors Scholar Theses
The mycobiome is the fungal component of the gut microbiome and is implicated in several autoimmune diseases. However, its role in multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been studied. We performed descriptive and formal statistical tests using the R language to characterize the gut mycobiome in people with MS (pwMS) and healthy controls. We found that the microbiome composition of multiple sclerosis patients is different from healthy people. The mycobiome had significantly higher alpha diversity and inter-subject variation in pwMS than controls. Additionally, Saccharomyces and Aspergillus were over-represented in pwMS. Different mycobiome profiles, defined as mycotypes, were associated with different bacterial …
Evaluating Methods Of Preserving Aquatic Invertebrates For Microbiome Analysis, Stephanie N. Vaughn, Colin R. Jackson
Evaluating Methods Of Preserving Aquatic Invertebrates For Microbiome Analysis, Stephanie N. Vaughn, Colin R. Jackson
Faculty and Student Publications
Research on the microbiomes of animals has increased substantially within the past decades. More recently, microbial analyses of aquatic invertebrates have become of increased interest. The storage method used while collecting aquatic invertebrates has not been standardized throughout the scientific community, and the effects of common storage methods on the microbial composition of the organism is unknown. Using crayfish and dragonfly nymphs collected from a natural pond and crayfish maintained in an aquarium, the effects of two common storage methods, preserving in 95% ethanol and freezing at −20◦C, on the invertebrate bacterial microbiome was evaluated. We found that the bacterial …
An Investigation To Corroborate Volatile And Biological Profiles Of Human Odor For Forensic Subject Identification, Chantrell J.G. Frazier
An Investigation To Corroborate Volatile And Biological Profiles Of Human Odor For Forensic Subject Identification, Chantrell J.G. Frazier
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Hands are an integral part in transferring complex microbial communities to and from our surroundings. As a result, hands are significant in provenance investigations as specific microbiota can be deposited on everyday objects through touch interactions. Skin microbiome, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, are unique to each person, and this ‘uniqueness’ can be exploited and applied to forensic identification. Skin microbiota and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are closely related due to specific bacteria breaking down non-volatile organic compounds to volatile organic compounds that are characteristically present in human scent. However, analyses of microbiota from touch interactions have proven to be …
Ohio Anuran Gut Microbiomes, Serena Hoffman
Ohio Anuran Gut Microbiomes, Serena Hoffman
Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects
Recent studies focusing on the skin and gut microbiome of vertebrates have found how important microbiomes are to maintaining host health. Understanding the role the gut microbiome plays to host health is of great importance for conservation. Less is known about the gut microbiome than the skin microbiome for amphibians. Literature is especially lacking for local Ohio anuran species. The purpose of this study was to establish the baseline composition of the gut microbiome for local Ohio anurans and to determine whether host species or habitat is the best predictor of gut microbiome composition. Tadpoles were collected from seven different …
A Multi-Taxa Metagenomic Evaluation Of The Everglades Soil Microbiome And The Impact Of Salinity On Community Structure And Biogeochemical Cycles With A Soil Forensic Application, Deidra Christina Jordan
A Multi-Taxa Metagenomic Evaluation Of The Everglades Soil Microbiome And The Impact Of Salinity On Community Structure And Biogeochemical Cycles With A Soil Forensic Application, Deidra Christina Jordan
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Coastal wetlands, such as the Everglades, are increasingly being exposed to stressors that have the potential to modify their existing ecological processes because of global climate change. Their soil microbiomes include a population of organisms that are important for biogeochemical cycling, but continual stresses can disturb the community's composition, causing functional changes. The Everglades features wetlands with varied salinity levels, implying that they contain microbial communities with a variety of salt tolerances and microbial functions. Therefore, it's critical to track the effects of stresses on these populations in both freshwater and brackish marshes. The study addressed this by first constructing …
Understanding The Microbial Biogeography Of Ancient Human Dentitions To Guide Study Design And Interpretation, Zandra Fagernäs, Domingo C. Salazar-Garcia, Maria Hadar Uriarte, Azucena Avilés Fernández, Amanda G. Henry, Joaquín Lomba Maurandi, Andrew T. Ozga, Irina M. Velsko, Christina Warinner
Understanding The Microbial Biogeography Of Ancient Human Dentitions To Guide Study Design And Interpretation, Zandra Fagernäs, Domingo C. Salazar-Garcia, Maria Hadar Uriarte, Azucena Avilés Fernández, Amanda G. Henry, Joaquín Lomba Maurandi, Andrew T. Ozga, Irina M. Velsko, Christina Warinner
Biology Faculty Articles
The oral cavity is a heterogeneous environment, varying in factors such as pH, oxygen levels, and salivary flow. These factors affect the microbial community composition and distribution of species in dental plaque, but it is not known how well these patterns are reflected in archaeological dental calculus. In most archaeological studies, a single sample of dental calculus is studied per individual and is assumed to represent the entire oral cavity. However, it is not known if this sampling strategy introduces biases into studies of the ancient oral microbiome. Here, we present the results of a shotgun metagenomic study of a …
Investigating The Bactericidal Activity Of Lactobacillus Crispatus Cell-Free-Supernatant, Omar Majed Abdul-Rahim
Investigating The Bactericidal Activity Of Lactobacillus Crispatus Cell-Free-Supernatant, Omar Majed Abdul-Rahim
Dissertations
Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) microorganisms are an increasingly seriousproblem worldwide, accounting for thousands of fatalities annually. The current literature on combating AMR pathogens often centers on commensal microbes such as Lactobacillus species, which are most frequently found in asymptomatic ‘healthy’ patients and are believed to elicit protective effects. In this dissertation, I sought to investigate the protective effect of Lactobacillus crispatus, utilizing our vast collection of clinical isolates. Previous work from our lab had found that cell-free-supernatant (CFS) of L. crispatus is robustly bactericidal, and that this killing activity does not depend on hydrogen peroxide or lactic acid. We identified phenyl-lactic acid …
The Use Of Probiotic Applications In Early Life Stages To Mitigate Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Infections In Rana Luteiventris (Columbia Spotted Frogs), Autumn N. Holley
The Use Of Probiotic Applications In Early Life Stages To Mitigate Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Infections In Rana Luteiventris (Columbia Spotted Frogs), Autumn N. Holley
2022 Symposium
Chytridiomycosis, an amphibian skin disease caused by a chytrid fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been linked to global amphibian declines. Some amphibian populations are resistant to severe infection due to symbiotic antifungal skin bacteria, but attempts to develop probiotics from these bacteria have been inconsistently successful because bacteria fail to persist on the skin. Studies have largely been conducted on adult and juvenile amphibians, despite amphibians having fewer known mechanisms for microbiome regulation prior to metamorphosis. We hypothesize that probiotics will persist longer and thus be more effective against pathogen infection if they are applied at an early life …
Transitions In Bacterial Communities Across Two Fermentation-Based Virgin Coconut Oil (Vco) Production Processes, Zomesh A N Maini, Crisanto M. Lopez
Transitions In Bacterial Communities Across Two Fermentation-Based Virgin Coconut Oil (Vco) Production Processes, Zomesh A N Maini, Crisanto M. Lopez
Biology Faculty Publications
Despite being one of the most used methods of virgin coconut oil (VCO) production, there is no metagenomic study that details the bacterial community shifts during fermentation-based VCO production. The identification and quantification of bacteria associated with coconut milk fermentation is useful for detecting the dominant microbial genera actively involved in VCO production which remains largely undescribed. Describing the constitutive microbial genera involved in this traditional fermentation practice can be used as a preliminary basis for improving industrial practices and developing better fermentation procedures. In this study, we utilized 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing to trace the transitions in microbial community …
Microbial Community Dynamics During Key Life History Transitions In The Deep-Sea Chemosymbiotic Mussel, Gigantidas Childressi, Tessa F. Beaver
Microbial Community Dynamics During Key Life History Transitions In The Deep-Sea Chemosymbiotic Mussel, Gigantidas Childressi, Tessa F. Beaver
WWU Graduate School Collection
Marine invertebrates form specific associations with bacterial communities that are different from their environment, change throughout their development, and shape evolutionary and ecological processes. The bathymodiolin (Mytilidae) mussel Gigantidas childressi lives at deep-sea methane seeps and relies on methanotrophic endosymbionts for its nutrition. Its larval life, however, is spent feeding in the water column. Upon metamorphosis at a suitable seep habitat, methanotrophic bacteria rapidly colonize gill cells and the juvenile mussel switches to symbiont-derived energy. To determine if the microbiome of the G. childressi changes during these transitions, the V3/V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced to census …
From Microbes To Management: Spatial And Temporal Variations In Available Vegetation Affect The Gut Microbiota In A Population Of Free-Ranging Generalist Herbivores, Olivia K. Rodríguez
From Microbes To Management: Spatial And Temporal Variations In Available Vegetation Affect The Gut Microbiota In A Population Of Free-Ranging Generalist Herbivores, Olivia K. Rodríguez
Boise State University Theses and Dissertations
The effects of extrinsic environmental factors that shape ecological systems are not only seen at the macroscopic level, but additionally influence and govern the host-associated microbial communities of their mammalian hosts. These microbial communities are susceptible to the fluctuation of abiotic and biotic factors which affect their host organisms. The surge in the research of microbiota–communities of archaea, bacteria, fungi, and viruses residing in various environmental systems–has shown that these communities can profoundly influence animal health. As such, monitoring microbiota has allowed for a new approach to study animal health and physiology. This is of particular benefit in the conservation …
The Brown Bear Gut Microbiome: A Novel Tool For Conservation & Management, Sarah M. Trujillo
The Brown Bear Gut Microbiome: A Novel Tool For Conservation & Management, Sarah M. Trujillo
All NMU Master's Theses
Gut microbiomes (GMBs), complex communities of microorganisms inhabiting the gastrointestinal tracts of their hosts, perform countless micro-ecosystem services such as facilitating energy uptake and modulating immune responses. While scientists increasingly recognize the role GMBs play in host health, the role of GMBs in wildlife ecology and conservation has yet to be realized fully. Here, I use brown bears (Ursus arctos) as an ecological model to investigate (1) how both extrinsic and intrinsic factors influence GMB community membership and structure; and (2) the correlation between GMB membership and brown bear health metrics. To achieve these aims, I subsampled archived …
Developing Inside A Layer Of Germs—A Potential Role For Multiciliated Surface Cells In Vertebrate Embryos, Ryan R. Kerney
Developing Inside A Layer Of Germs—A Potential Role For Multiciliated Surface Cells In Vertebrate Embryos, Ryan R. Kerney
Biology Faculty Publications
This paper reviews current research on the microbial life that surrounds vertebrate embryos. Several clades are believed to develop inside sterile—or near-sterile—embryonic microhabitats, while others thrive within a veritable zoo of microbial life. The occurrence of embryo-associated microbes in some groups, but not others, is an under-appreciated transition (possibly transitions) in vertebrate evolution. A lack of comparable studies makes it currently impossible to correlate embryo-associated microbiomes with other aspects of vertebrate evolution. However, there are embryonic features that should instruct a more targeted survey. This paper concludes with a hypothesis for the role of multiciliated surface cells in amphibian and …
Factors Influencing Primate Hair Microbiome Diversity, Catherine Kitrinos
Factors Influencing Primate Hair Microbiome Diversity, Catherine Kitrinos
Masters Theses
Primate hair is both a substrate upon which essential social interactions occur and an important host-pathogen interface. As commensal microbes provide important immune functions for their hosts, understanding the microbial diversity in primate hair could provide insight into primate immunity and disease transmission. While studies of human hair and skin microbiomes show differences in microbial communities across body regions, little is known about the nonhuman primate hair microbiome. In this study, we collected hair samples (n=159) from 8 body regions across 12 nonhuman primate species housed at 3 US institutions to examine 1) the diversity and composition of the primate …
Comparative Microbiome Analysis Of The Funfus Gardening Ant Species Trachymyrmex Arizonensis, Chase D. Rowan
Comparative Microbiome Analysis Of The Funfus Gardening Ant Species Trachymyrmex Arizonensis, Chase D. Rowan
Biology Theses
Fungus-growing ants (Attini: Formicidae) and their fungal cultivars participate in ant-fungus mutualism that share a 50-million-year-old coevolutionary history. Fungal cultures are grown in gardens alongside ants and a diverse collection of microbes that interact with both species in mutualistic, commensal, and antagonistic relationships. These microbes aid in digestion and detoxification of food, provide essential nutrients, help in nest hygiene, and play a dominant role in defense against pathogens and disease. Microbial communities of many model species have been shown to change in a laboratory setting as compared to their natural environment. High-throughput 16s sequencing of the V4 variable region was …
You Are What You Eat — Exploring The Microbiome Through Inquiry-Based Labs. Microbiome Lesson Plans, Karla S. Fuller
You Are What You Eat — Exploring The Microbiome Through Inquiry-Based Labs. Microbiome Lesson Plans, Karla S. Fuller
Open Educational Resources
If these commonly used spices have the ability to inhibit pathogenic bacterial growth, could they also potentially inhibit the growth of normal, harmless bacteria that live in your body? In this lab, we will test common bacteria for resistance to food additives.
Exploring Microbiome Functional Dynamics Through Space And Time With Trait-Based Theory, Leonora S. Bittleston, Jessica R. Bernardin
Exploring Microbiome Functional Dynamics Through Space And Time With Trait-Based Theory, Leonora S. Bittleston, Jessica R. Bernardin
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Microbiomes play essential roles in the health and function of animal and plant hosts and drive nutrient cycling across ecosystems. Integrating novel trait-based approaches with ecological theory can facilitate the prediction of microbial functional traits important for ecosystem functioning and health. In particular, the yield-acquisition-stress (Y-A-S) framework considers dominant microbial life history strategies across gradients of resource availability and stress. However, microbiomes are dynamic, and spatial and temporal shifts in taxonomic and trait composition can affect ecosystem functions. We posit that extending the Y-A-S framework to microbiomes during succession and across biogeographic gradients can lead to generalizable rules for how …
Ecophysiology Of Toxic Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria And Their Symbionts, Dominique J. Lockwood
Ecophysiology Of Toxic Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria And Their Symbionts, Dominique J. Lockwood
Masters Theses, 2020-current
Currently, there is a pernicious microbe in the genus Microcystis that is putting the world’s freshwater resources at risk. A member of the phylum Cyanobacteria, otherwise referred to as blue-green algae, Microcystis forms massive algal blooms in lakes and has the potential to produce a toxin, which does not only harm humans, but also pets, livestock, and aquatic life. As recently as 2016, in the city of Toledo, Ohio, nearly 1 million residents went without clean drinking water for an entire weekend due to one of these Microcystis blooms. However, Microcystis does not only bloom in Ohio. In fact, …