HOST-MICROBIOTA ASSOCIATIONS: CHARACTERIZATION OF THE BACTERIAL DIVERSITY ACROSS HABITATS, SPECIES AND LIFE STAGES IN AMPHIBIANS

STUDENT SEMINAR IN BIODIVERSITY AND EVOLUTION

Microbial communities are crucial components for the survival, adaptation and fitness of the host. In the case of amphibians, it is well known that bacteria have important roles in the skin functions like aiding the immune system or help dealing with environmental changes. The bacteria diversity of the gut also plays an important role in nutrient intake. However, there is still much to understand. In this project I intend to assess the association between the host identity, phylogeny and ecology and its microbial community. I will focus in both the skin and the gut communities, taking into account several ecological and physiological parameters. Combining field sampling in Madagascar and Portugal, and laboratory experiments, I aim to characterize the bacterial diversity and composition and to infer the predicted functions of the skin and gut communities occurring across different life stages of the host; between natural and human-altered habitats; and when the habitat (e.g. water source) changes. In this seminar I will present my project and preliminary data on bacterial diversity.

Bárbara Santos graduated in Biology in the University of Porto and holds a MSc in Ecology and Ecotoxicology from University of Aveiro. She is currently enrolled in the third year of the BIODIV Doctoral Program at CIBIO-InBIO and University of Porto, under the supervision of Dr. Angelica Crottini (Biogeography and Evolution group) and co-supervision by Dr. Miguel Vences (Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany). Her project focuses on the investigation of life history and ecological and environmental factors shaping the microbial diversity of amphibians occurring in Portugal and Madagascar.

[Host: Angelica Crottini, Biogeography and Evolution]

Image credits: B. Santos