Science Communication Portfolio

Document describes the theory and practice of verbal and written science communication strategies, and provides an example portfolio on the topic of sea level rise.Are you working on a research manuscript, grant, annual report, or project summary that requires technical language? Do you feel that your finding, if communicated properly, could be useful to people beyond your professional network? This communication-training document for scientists is designed to help you do just that – on your own time and for a variety of verbal and written communication styles. We also provide an example portfolio on the topic of sea level rise for reference.Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (NSF #0424599, Wood-Charlson); Union of Concerned Scientists (Varga

Initiation of coral/algal symbioses : the role of cell surface lectin/glycan interactions in recognition and specificity

Mutualistic associations between cnidarians, such as corals, and photosynthetic dinoflagellate algae provide the trophic and structural foundation of coral reef ecosystems. In many cases, this intracellular mutualism is highly specific and must be established anew for each generation of host corals. The ability to maintain partner specificity across generations implies that cellular mechanisms play a role in interpartner recognition. In other mutualisms where these recognition mechanisms have been studied, lectin/glycan interactions have been shown to function in inter-partner recognition during the onset of a stable symbiosis. However, for the majority of symbioses, including the cnidarian/dinoflagellate mutualism, cellular recognition mechanisms that mediate the onset of symbiosis remain largely unknown. How do larval corals and their symbiotic algae discriminate between their preferred partner and other hosts or microbes during the onset of symbiosis? I hypothesized that cell surface lectin/glycan interactions act as one mechanism of recognition and specificity during initial contact between the partners. Chapter one reviews the biology of cnidarian/algal symbioses and discusses the literature to date concerning molecular mechanisms of recognition and specificity during the onset of cnidarian/algal symbioses and how the cnidarian/algal system compares with other horizontally-transmitted mutualisms. Chapter two and three explore the role of algal cell surface glycans during the onset of symbiosis between the Hawai'ian solitary coral Fungia scutaria and its dinoflagellate symbiont, Symbiodinium clade C1f. To determine whether lectin/glycan interactions function during infection, I modified the glycans on the cell surface of algal symbionts (C1f and C31, found in nature in adult F. scutaria and Montipora capitata, respectively), introduced the modified symbionts to F. scutaria larvae, and then looked for changes in infection success. After cell surface modification, infection rates of native C1f algae decreased. In contrast, cell surface modification of non-native C31 algae resulted in higher infection rates compared to unmodified, control C31 algae. These data suggest that the algal cell surface signals to the host F. scutaria larvae identifying it as either a native C1f symbiont or non-native C31 algae. These chapters also investigate the variability of glycans present on the cell surface of several closely-related clade C symbionts to determine if each algal subclade contains a unique cell surface glycan profile. I found that cell surface glycan profiles were different for each symbiont tested, supporting their classification into different subclades. I hypothesize that this subclade specific glycan profile creates the cell surface signal that identifies the symbiont to its host coral. Chapter four describes the complex array of C-type lectins, a type of glycan receptor, in the anemone Nematostella vectensis genome. The diversity of glycan profiles on symbiont cell surfaces and C-type lectins in cnidarians suggests that these interactions could relay a signal for recognition and specificity between symbiotic partners. Chapter five concludes with a brief discussion that places my results in the context of cnidarian innate immunity and parallels between the onset of mutualistic symbioses and the process of infection in parasitic relationships. I close by suggesting future experiments that continue to explore the role of cell surface lectin/glycan interaction in recognition and specificity during the onset of cnidarian/algal symbioses

CRISPR-Cas defense system and potential prophages in cyanobacteria associated with the coral black band disease

Understanding how pathogens maintain their virulence is critical to developing tools to mitigate disease in animal populations. We sequenced and assembled the first draft genome of Roseofilum reptotaenium AO1, the dominant cyanobacterium underlying pathogenicity of the virulent coral black band disease (BBD), and analyzed parts of the BBD-associated Geitlerinema sp. BBD_1991 genome in silico. Both cyanobacteria are equipped with an adaptive, heritable clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas defense system type I-D and have potential virulence genes located within several prophage regions. The defense system helps to prevent infection by viruses and mobile genetic elements via identification of short fingerprints of the intruding DNA, which are stored as templates in the bacterial genome, in so-called CRISPRs. Analysis of CRISPR target sequences (protospacers) revealed an unusually high number of self-targeting spacers in R. reptotaenium AO1 and extraordinary long CRIPSR arrays of up to 260 spacers in Geitlerinema sp. BBD_1991. The self-targeting spacers are unlikely to be a form of autoimmunity; instead these target an incomplete lysogenic bacteriophage. Lysogenic virus induction experiments with mitomycin C and UV light did not reveal an actively replicating virus population in R. reptotaenium AO1 cultures, suggesting that phage functionality is compromised or excision could be blocked by the CRISPR-Cas system. Potential prophages were identified in three regions of R. reptotaenium AO1 and five regions of Geitlerinema sp. BBD_1991, containing putative BBD relevant virulence genes, such as an NAD-dependent epimerase/dehydratase (a homolog in terms of functionality to the third and fourth most expressed gene in BBD), lysozyme/metalloendopeptidases and other lipopolysaccharide modification genes. To date, viruses have not been considered to be a component of the BBD consortium or a contributor to the virulence of R. reptotaenium AO1 and Geitlerinema sp. BBD_(1)991. We suggest that the presence of virulence genes in potential prophage regions, and the CRISPR-Cas defense systems are evidence of an arms race between the respective cyanobacteria and their bacteriophage predators. The presence of such a defense system likely reduces the number of successful bacteriophage infections and mortality in the cyanobacteria, facilitating the progress of BBD

The Importance of Sharing Data in Systems Biology

Systems biology research spans a range of biological scales and science domains, and often requires a collaborative effort to collect and share data so that integration is possible. However, sharing data effectively is a challenging task that requires effort and alignment between collaborative partners, as well as coordination between organizations, repositories, and journals. As a community of systems biology researchers, we must get better at efficiently sharing data, and ensuring that shared data comes with the recognition and citations it deserves

Sharing Science thru Storytelling (2017 Aquatic Sciences)

Slides from a science communication workshop presented at 2017 Aquatic Sciences meeting in Honolulu, Hawai'i (1 March 2017). <br

Implication of the host TGF beta pathway in the onset of symbiosis between larvae of the coral Fungia scutaria and the dinoflagellate Symbiodinium sp (clade C1f)

Dinoflagellate-cnidarian associations form both the trophic and structural foundation of coral-reef ecosystems. Previous studies have highlighted the role of host innate immunity in regulation of these partnerships. This study reveals the presence of a transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) in the coral Fungia scutaria that clusters with TGF beta sensu stricto (ss) from other animals. In functional studies of F. scutaria larvae, we show that (1) TGF beta ss mRNA is expressed during early stages of development prior to the onset of symbiosis; (2) apparent interference of the TGF beta pathway impairs the onset of symbiosis; and (3) this effect is associated with an increase of cytotoxic nitric oxide secretion, an immune response. This work highlights the importance of the TGF beta pathway in early life-history stages of corals by suggesting that its inhibition impacts the onset of symbiosis

Thermal stress modifies the marine sponge virome

Marine sponges can form stable partnerships with a wide diversity of microbes and viruses, and this high intraspecies symbiont specificity makes them ideal models for exploring how host-associated viromes respond to changing environmental conditions. Here we exposed the abundant Great Barrier Reef sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile to elevated seawater temperature for 48 h and utilised a metaviromic approach to assess the response of the associated viral community. An increase in endogenous retro-transcribing viruses within the Caulimorviridae and Retroviridae families was detected within the first 12 h of exposure to 32 °C, and a 30-fold increase in retro-transcribing viruses was evident after 48 h at 32 °C. Thermally stressed sponges also exhibited a complete loss of ssDNA viruses which were prevalent in field samples and sponges from the control temperature treatment. Despite these viromic changes, functional analysis failed to detect any loss or gain of auxiliary metabolic genes, indicating that viral communities are not providing a direct competitive advantage to their host under thermal stress. In contrast, endogenous sponge retro-transcribing viruses appear to be replicating under thermal stress, and consistent with retroviral infections in other organisms, may be contributing to the previously described rapid decline in host health evident at elevated temperature

Common PIDs and possible relationships between them.

Common PIDs and possible relationships between them.</p