Dimensions: Collaborative Research: Diversity and Symbiosis: Examining the Taxonomic, Genetic, and Functional Diversity of Amphibian Skin Microbiota

在成年人中，共生微生物的数量是人体细胞的十倍。这些微生物群落的组成可以影响个体是瘦还是胖，以及病原体能够成功地在体内建立自己的可能性。两栖动物还拥有多样化的共生微生物群，这些细菌共生体可能会限制病原体的感染，例如真菌Batrachochytrium dendrobaestrium（Bd），它已经摧毁了许多天然两栖动物种群。这项研究将研究栖息在两栖动物皮肤上的共生微生物群落的三个关键多样性组成部分之间的联系：分类多样性（物种的数量和相对丰度），遗传多样性（哪些基因被打开）和功能多样性（抗病性）。使用集中的实地调查和操作实验，将解决三个目标：（1）建立在巴拿马的五种宿主两栖动物的微生物群落的分类，遗传和功能多样性的范围内，（2）检查病原体（Bd）的存在如何影响多样性组成部分，和（3）检查微生物多样性和抗病性之间的关系。由于所有动物都有共生微生物，这些结果将对包括人类在内的其他系统具有广泛的适用性。此外，将为这些复杂的数据集开发新的统计方法，这将迅速扩大将这些多样性组成部分纳入广泛系统的能力。本科生将接受研究培训。此外，在巴拿马，将与巴拿马两栖动物救援和保护项目建立伙伴关系。将支持PARC实习生与学校团体合作，强调保护，有益微生物和生物多样性的重要性。 与PARC的合作伙伴关系将扩展到与他们合作开发基于抗真菌皮肤细菌的新型益生菌解决方案，这将允许成功重新引入受威胁的青蛙，从而帮助恢复新热带地区的生物多样性。

In adult humans, symbiotic microbes outnumber human cells ten to one. The composition of these microbial communities can influence whether individuals are lean or obese and the likelihood that pathogens are able to successfully establish themselves in the body. Amphibians also possess a diverse symbiotic microbiota, and these bacterial symbionts may limit infection by pathogens, such as the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) that has decimated many natural amphibian populations. This research will examine links between three critical diversity components of the symbiotic microbial communities that reside on amphibian skin: taxonomic diversity (number and relative abundance of species), genetic diversity (which genes are turned on), and functional diversity (disease resistance). Using focused field surveys and manipulative experiments, three objectives will be addressed: (1) establish the range of taxonomic, genetic, and functional diversity within the microbial community on five species of host amphibians in Panama, (2) examine how the presence of a pathogen (Bd) impacts diversity components, and (3) examine the relationship between microbial diversity and resistance to disease. As all animals host symbiotic microbes, these results will have broad applicability to other systems, including humans. In addition, new statistical methods for these complex datasets will be developed, which will rapidly expand the ability to integrate these diversity components in a wide array of systems. Undergraduate students will be trained in research. In addition, in Panama, a partnership with the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project (PARC) will be established. A PARC intern will be supported to work with school groups to stress the importance of conservation, beneficial microbes and biodiversity. The partnership with PARC will extend to working with them on novel probiotic solutions, based on antifungal skin bacteria, that will allow successful reintroductions of threatened frogs, thereby helping to restore biodiversity to the Neotropics.