REU: Structure of and Metabolic Interactions within the Microbial Community of Gryllids

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Drs. Michael Klug and Michael Kaufman propose a structural and metabolic study of interactions within the hindgut of crickets. The structure of and population dynamics within most microbial communities are not well understood. Constraints imposed in the study of natural microbial systems lead to this proposal to study localized bacterial communities in the hindgut of crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllidae, Gryllotalpidae) in order to address these fundamental questions. The principle advantages of examining the cricket hindgut system include the opportunity to re-associate germ-free insects with specific populations of bacteria in order to test postulates and about interactions within fermentative communities. These investigations will elucidate successional patterns, metabolic characteristics, and factors regulating populations within the fermentative bacterial community. Furthermore, they will address basic questions concerning the relationship between populations of bacteria and between microorganisms and insects.