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Description:
Project Manager:
Stephanie Rosales
Project Years:
2021
2022
2023
Project Summary:
Flow cytometry is a powerful technique primarily used in biomedical and immunological research to distinguish and characterize cell types, including live cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) uses lasers to analyze and sort different cell types in real-time based on specific properties of the cell. Applications of FACS include clinical analysis, cell purification, functional assays, and pathogen detection (1-7). Although these techniques have not been widely applied to many non-medical systems, they are powerful methods for cell-type discovery and cell activity in comparative and evolutionary research. In recent years we and others succeed in applying flow cytometry methods in non-classical model organisms in a species non-specific way (8) The base of this idea is that instead of using antibody-based detection, where one needs to have a specific antibody created to each analyzed cellular epitope, we use general properties (e.g. lectins, enzymes, cellular compounds, and vesicles, etc.) that can separate different cell populations in non-model species, and these distinct cell populations are different functionally and physiologically. Furthermore, the flow cytometry analysis can be used for the cellular functional assays especially for immune function assays (8). Its wide applications and flexibility of use make it a very powerful and useful technique especially in non-model systems such as corals. In addition, to this powerful approach, we are coupling this assay with transcriptomics to understand the functional role of the host cells and bacteria cells in SCTLD tissue.
Expected Outcome:
From this, we will be able to identify the transcriptomic profile of SCTLD in specific cell populations and identify which cell populations are most affected. We will also get a profile for the microbial communities in each cell population and be able to closely identify any potential pathogens present. When sequencing coral microbial communities, using bulk sequencing methods can mask specific microbes that may be important for our understanding of coral health. We will focus on Orbicella faveolata and Montastrea cavernosa.
Project Locations:
Project Category:
Restoration
Project Type:
Ongoing
Project Status:
Funding Ended
Associated Products:
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