Examining the potential for antibiotic biosynthesis with fungal cultures extracted from Red Lake
Department
Biological Sciences
Major
Biology
Research Advisor
Westenberg, David J.
Mormile, Melanie R.
Advisor's Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract
Fungal biotechnology is an economically important industry encompassing fermentation, isolation of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, vitamins and immunosuppressants, and DNA recombination technology. Little research has been conducted using aquatic species of fungi, which compete with bacteria during leaf decomposition in streams and lakes. This study would examine fungal cultures already extracted from a small, highly acidic and metal polluted lake that have been shown to inhibit bacterial growth. Standard disk assays with common disease causing bacteria would be used to further assess the antibiotic biosynthesis capabilities. DNA of any potential antibiotic producing species would be extracted and sequenced. Fungal genes which produce antibiotics like Penicillin have already been mapped and many of the proteins involved in the biosynthesis pathways are known. Known and potential antibiotic producing species could be compared using genomic databases such as BLAST to find similar genes for the precursors in antibiotic biosynthesis pathways. The production of other secondary metabolites could be examined in similar fashion, using HPLC as the beginning screen for potential species.
Biography
Amber Kreps is a senior in Biological Sciences. She performs research in the Stream Ecology Lab and is a member of Phi Sigma.
Research Category
Research Proposals
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Location
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Presentation Date
10 Apr 2012, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Examining the potential for antibiotic biosynthesis with fungal cultures extracted from Red Lake
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Fungal biotechnology is an economically important industry encompassing fermentation, isolation of secondary metabolites such as antibiotics, vitamins and immunosuppressants, and DNA recombination technology. Little research has been conducted using aquatic species of fungi, which compete with bacteria during leaf decomposition in streams and lakes. This study would examine fungal cultures already extracted from a small, highly acidic and metal polluted lake that have been shown to inhibit bacterial growth. Standard disk assays with common disease causing bacteria would be used to further assess the antibiotic biosynthesis capabilities. DNA of any potential antibiotic producing species would be extracted and sequenced. Fungal genes which produce antibiotics like Penicillin have already been mapped and many of the proteins involved in the biosynthesis pathways are known. Known and potential antibiotic producing species could be compared using genomic databases such as BLAST to find similar genes for the precursors in antibiotic biosynthesis pathways. The production of other secondary metabolites could be examined in similar fashion, using HPLC as the beginning screen for potential species.
