Archive for the News Category

Pathogens are often detected using particular genes, but these genes can differ in copy number even between pathogen isolates.  We discuss how this may influence conclusions on pathogen loads and infection prevalence, and offer solutions.

Rebollar EA, Woodhams DC, LaBumbard B, Kielgast J, Harris RN. (2017)

Prevalence and pathogen load estimates for the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis are impacted by ITS DNA copy number variation. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 123(3):213-226.

http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/dao/v123/n3/p213-226/

We found that the response of tadpoles to microbial therapy depended on the initial microbial community structure.  Addition of Flavobacterium and Pseudomonas acted to increase survival of infected tadpoles.

Davis LR, Bigler L, Woodhams DC. (2017) Developmental trajectories of amphibian microbiota: response to bacterial therapy depends on initial community structure. Environmental Microbiology, 19(4):1502-1517.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1462-2920.13707/abstract

Brandon LaBumbard received a Department of Biology Award for Outstanding Teaching. In addition to courses in Introductory Biology, and a January term Research Immersion course, Brandon is always teaching students in the lab.

Diversity-function relationships are a frontier of ecology research.  Here, we look at the function of bacterial communities to suppress chytrid fungus, and they do this better when at higher diversity.

Piovia-Scott J, Rejmanek D, Woodhams DC, Worth SJ, Kenny H, McKenzie V, Lawler SP, Foley JE. (2017) Greater species richness of bacterial skin symbionts better suppresses the amphibian fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Microbial Ecology, 74(1):217-226.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00248-016-0916-4

Ph.D. student Brandon LaBumbard teaches a January term research immersion course for the National Institute of Health funded Initiative for Maximizing Student Development. https://www.umb.edu/academics/csm/biology/beyond_the_classroom/initiative_for_maximizing_student_development

Lindsey Raymond presented her Honors in Biology research at the Scientific Communication for Undergraduates poster session. The project: Growth Inhibition of Pathogenic Fungi Caused by Bacterial Volatile Organic Compounds. Lindsey Raymond, Brandon LaBumbard, and Douglas C. Woodhams.

Amanda Peters was selected as a Coasts and Communities IGERT fellow and joins the Woodhams lab in August 2016.  Amanda is graduating from Washington College in Maryland with a double major in Biology and Environmental Science. She will be involved on the project entitled, “Linking Microbiota and Ecotoxicology with Mosquito-Borne Disease Risk” supported by a seed grant from the Office of Research, Strategic Initiatives and Graduate Studies.

Read more about Amanda Peters in the Woodhams Lab People page.

Kelly Barnhart was awarded $1000 from the Chicago Herpetological Society for her research on “Priming Immune Function of Critically Endangered Panamanian Golden Frogs Prior to Reintroduction.”

Brandon LaBumbard will be attending the JMIH: Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists from July 6-10 in New Orleans and presenting on “Inhibition of pathogenic fungi using volatile organic compounds produced by bacteria” with funding from the UMass Boston Lipke travel award.

Lindsey Raymond was accepted into the Scientific Communication for Undergraduates course sponsored by the NIH’s National Research Mentoring Network and will present her research on May 5.

Trong Nguyen and Kate Seigars completed a semester project supported by the McCone and Alumni research fund on “Testing viability assays of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.”

Dr. Andreas Hertz returned from his research trip to Panama studying “Amphibian Mucosal Defenses against an Emerging Fungal Disease: testing for Selection in Recovering populations,” supported by the UMass Boston Office of Global Programs.