Exploring Nematodes in Great Salt Lake

Oct 21, 2024

2024 L. Jackson Newell Fellowship Presentation

Introduction

  • Speaker: Monisha Pashupathi, Dean of the Honors College
  • Purpose: Introduction to the L. Jackson Newell Fellowship presentation
  • Series Background:
    • Initiated by Honors Faculty
    • Focus on liberal arts and sciences
    • Honors and celebrates faculty across university
    • Named after Jack Newell, expert in higher education philosophy and history
    • Newell’s contributions include: Dean of Liberal Arts at University of Utah, President of Deep Springs College

Newell Fellow Introduction

  • Speaker: Professor Christopher Miller
  • Fellow: Professor Michael Werner, known as "worm wrangler"
  • Werner Lab Projects:
    • Epigenetics of phenotypic plasticity
    • Research on nematodes in the Great Salt Lake
    • Involvement in student mentorship and research publication
  • Significance:
    • Scientific innovation
    • Cultural, ecological, and political relevance to Great Salt Lake

Presentation by Professor Michael Werner

Story of Discovery

  • Timeline: Started in 2020
  • Research Focus: Developmental phenotypic plasticity in nematodes
  • Key Concept: Organisms with identical genotypes can have different phenotypes based on environmental factors
    • Example: Social insects, locusts, water fleas

Nematodes and the Great Salt Lake

  • Background:
    • Nematodes are diverse, found in almost every ecosystem
    • Known for inhabiting extreme environments
  • Research Hypothesis: Investigate possible nematode presence in Great Salt Lake
  • Initial Findings:
    • Great Salt Lake was thought to be too extreme for nematodes
    • Used density centrifugation to find nematodes
    • Found nematodes thriving in microbialites

Discoveries and Experiments

  • Significant Discoveries:
    • Nematodes found in Great Salt Lake, previously considered too saline
    • Adapted to extreme salinity, cannot survive in non-saline conditions
  • Experiment Insights:
    • Found more nematodes in microbialites than in surrounding sediments
    • Microbialites may offer protective niche

Ongoing Research

  • Identification:
    • Molecular biology techniques used to identify species
    • Preliminary classification: Family Monohysteridae
  • Phylogenetic Studies:
    • Great Salt Lake nematodes form a distinct clade
    • Possible new species within genus Diploomeloides

Conclusion and Future Directions

  • Current Hypotheses:
    • Nematodes are highly adapted to their environment
    • Microbialites serve as refugia
    • Ongoing work to confirm if they represent new species
  • Acknowledgments:
    • Contributions from lab team and collaborators

Q&A Highlights

  • Potential predators of nematodes in Great Salt Lake remain unknown
  • Evolutionary history and adaptation questions
  • Interest in further exploring microbialite environments globally
  • Implications of environmental changes on nematodes

Closing Remarks

  • The research illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary study in understanding complex ecosystems and the resilience of life in extreme environments.