Department
Biological Sciences
Major
Biology
Research Advisor
Mormile, Melanie
Advisor's Department
Biological Sciences
Funding Source
UMR Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experiences (OURE) Program
Abstract
Soap Lake, a meromictic halo alkaline lake located in central Washington State, provides a habitat for many unique types of microbiotas. Due to its meromictic quality, the layers of the lake do not mix, instead separating to produce distinct environments within the lake, causing a variance in microbiota from layer to layer. Though viral studies have been conducted on halo alkaline lakes, only a few viruses have been isolated and studied. The focus of this study was to investigate the types of viruses found in Soap Lake. Haloalkaliphilic bacteriophages were found to be present in Soap Lake. This viral community may act as an ecological control for the bacterial community in this unique ecosystem.
Biography
Audrey is a senior attending the University of Missouri-Rolla, majoring in Biology, and minoring in philosophy. She is from Custer, South Dakota. On campus she is an officer in Phi Sigma, the Biological Sciences Honor Society, and Scrubs, the pre-health professions organization. Off campus she shadows physicians via Mid-Missouri AHEC. Audrey plans on becoming a physician and pursuing her PhD in microbiology.
Research Category
Natural Sciences
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Location
Havener Center, Carver-Turner Room
Presentation Date
11 April 2007, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Isolation of Haloalkaliphilic Bacteriophages from Soap Lake, Washington
Havener Center, Carver-Turner Room
Soap Lake, a meromictic halo alkaline lake located in central Washington State, provides a habitat for many unique types of microbiotas. Due to its meromictic quality, the layers of the lake do not mix, instead separating to produce distinct environments within the lake, causing a variance in microbiota from layer to layer. Though viral studies have been conducted on halo alkaline lakes, only a few viruses have been isolated and studied. The focus of this study was to investigate the types of viruses found in Soap Lake. Haloalkaliphilic bacteriophages were found to be present in Soap Lake. This viral community may act as an ecological control for the bacterial community in this unique ecosystem.
