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Full-Text Articles in Microbiology
Undescribed Oomycete Pathogens On Zostera Marina And Z. Japonica In The Puget Sound, Theresa Proctor
Undescribed Oomycete Pathogens On Zostera Marina And Z. Japonica In The Puget Sound, Theresa Proctor
Summer Research
A diverse range of marine organisms relies on seagrass as a foundational species. However, seagrass populations are declining at an alarming rate and recent analysis of seagrass root microbiomes indicates that oomycetes (fungi-like protists that are notorious terrestrial plant pathogens) infect up to 99% of seagrasses worldwide. Shockingly, very little is known about marine oomycetes and their ecological roles. The Elliott lab has isolated and cultured six oomycete species from eelgrass (Zostera marina) root samples: Phytophthora gemini, aHalophytophthoraspecies discovered by WSU, and four undescribed oomycete species. During the summer of 2018, I generated temperature and salinity growth curves and isolated …
Effects Of Sugar-Amendment On Bacterial & Fungal Abundance In Native Vs. Nonnative-Dominated Soils Of A Puget Lowland Prairie, Jessica Wong
Effects Of Sugar-Amendment On Bacterial & Fungal Abundance In Native Vs. Nonnative-Dominated Soils Of A Puget Lowland Prairie, Jessica Wong
Summer Research
Scotch broom is a nonnative plant that has invaded the plant communities of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. It associates with bacteria in the soil to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, thereby elevating soil nitrogen levels and encouraging the invasion of the community by other nonnative plants like itself. Researchers have used sugar-amendment to decrease soil nitrogen and restore native plant growth. Our study took place in Glacial Heritage Preserve, a Puget lowland prairie that has been invaded by broom in several areas. We aimed to investigate whether sugar-amendment increased or decreased bacterial and fungal abundance in native …
What (Or Who) Lives Inside Scotch Broom Roots?, Lisa Fazzino
What (Or Who) Lives Inside Scotch Broom Roots?, Lisa Fazzino
Summer Research
Scotch broom (Cystis scoparius) is invading the South Puget lowlands, presumably with help from the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria that are found in its root nodules. With this nitrogen source, Scotch broom is not limited by low nitrogen levels in the soils like many other plants. The goals of our research are 1) to identify the nodulating bacteria of Scotch broom in the Northwest, British Columbia, and Canberra, Australia to explore the diversity of Scotch broom symbionts and 2) to explore the possibility of multiple occupancy in Scotch broom nodules. Using 16s rRNA sequencing, we will identify the bacteria of Scotch …