Collaborative Research: Molecular and Chemical Ecology of Freshwater Sponges: Impacts of Sponge Hosts on Symbiotic Microbial Communities

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A grant has been awarded to Dr. Julie Olson at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and Dr. Robert Thacker at the University of Alabama at Birmingham to examine microbial communities associated with freshwater sponges. Several species of freshwater sponges from the Mobile River Basin, Alabama, will be examined to determine whether they host unique microbial taxa that are not found in the surrounding riverine environment. A combination of bacterial cultivation studies and molecular genetic analyses will be employed in this determination. These investigations will also assess whether bacterial symbionts are host-specific, and whether freshwater sponges produce chemical compounds that affect the composition of their internal microbial communities. Crude extracts of freshwater sponges will be tested in laboratory assays for their ability to inhibit growth of bacteria isolated from freshwater environments. Active compounds will be isolated and characterized, with a strong potential for the identification of novel antibiotic compounds. This research project will provide much-needed documentation of the diversity and abundance of freshwater sponges in the Mobile River Basin, since the ecological status of these sensitive indicators of water quality is currently unknown. Freshwater sponges and their symbiotic bacterial communities may provide a model system to integrate studies of ecology, evolution, and drug discovery. In addition to providing research opportunities for one graduate student and one undergraduate student, the investigators will incorporate protocols and results from these studies into graduate and undergraduate courses. These results will also be disseminated to the local community to enhance awareness of water quality issues, including eutrophication, sedimentation, and pollution.