The probiotic potential of symbiotic partnerships: Can contact between aquatic animals enhance the anti-pathogen potential of protective microbiomes?

社会互动是动物健康，健身和进化的主要驱动力，影响资源获取，配偶选择和动物相关微生物的传播等过程。该项目研究了海洋动物社会互动对有益微生物的影响，以及这如何影响对病原体的防御。该项目包括支持蒙大拿州的教育和外联活动，蒙大拿州是一个内陆州，海洋科学研究和教育资源有限。它包括至少为五名本科生提供研究培训，并为蒙大拿州农村的高中教师提供实践研究经验和课程开发机会。海洋动物的微生物组为它们的宿主提供关键的“生态系统”服务，例如通过抗菌剂生产或竞争来保护免受病原体的侵害。微生物组几乎完全是作为孤立的实体进行研究的，但许多海洋动物通过社会互动进行重复的身体接触，这可能以未知的方式塑造微生物组。使用小丑鱼海葵模型和活动物实验，基于培养的微生物抑制测定和基因组方法的组合，该项目测试了海洋动物之间的社会互动为相互作用的伙伴提供微生物益处的假设，优化每个动物的有益微生物组以防止病原体。这项研究推进了社会互动如何塑造微生物组的知识，提高了对共生关系的理解，并为探索其他海洋系统中动物-动物相互作用的微生物效益奠定基础。该项目由生物海洋学和刺激竞争研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）联合资助该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Social interaction is a major driver of animal health, fitness, and evolution, affecting processes such as resource acquisition, mate choice, and the spread of animal-associated microorganisms. This project examines the effect of marine animal social interactions on beneficial microbiomes and how this influences defense against pathogens. The project includes support for educational and outreach activities in Montana, a landlocked state with limited resources for ocean science research and education. It includes research training for at least five undergraduate students and provides hands-on research experience and curriculum development opportunities for high school teachers from rural Montana.The microbiomes of marine animals provide critical 'ecosystem' services to their hosts, such as protection from pathogens via antimicrobial production or competition. Microbiomes have been studied almost exclusively as isolated entities, but many marine animals engage in repeated physical contact through social interactions, which may shape microbiomes in unknown ways. Using the clownfish-anemone model and a combination of live animal experiments, culture-based microbial inhibition assays, and genomic approaches, this project tests the hypothesis that social interaction between marine animals provides a microbial benefit to the interacting partners, optimizing each animal's beneficial microbiome to protect against pathogens. The research advances knowledge of how social interactions shape microbiomes, improves understanding of symbiotic relationships, and lays the foundation for exploring the microbial benefits of animal-animal interaction in other marine systems.This project is jointly funded by Biological Oceanography and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.