Current Projects
This space is being updated regularly...
Coral Immune mechanisms
The Mydlarz lab has worked to identify mechanisms that are important to corals to fight disease. Recently, we have identified the Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein pathway as a mechanism to help corals fight disease and recover form temperature stress (Dimos et al. 2018). PhD studnet Madison Emery has identified Pattern Recognition Receptors in 15 Cnidarian genomes.
Coral Immune mechanisms
The Mydlarz lab has worked to identify mechanisms that are important to corals to fight disease. Recently, we have identified the Mitochondrial Unfolded Protein pathway as a mechanism to help corals fight disease and recover form temperature stress (Dimos et al. 2018). PhD studnet Madison Emery has identified Pattern Recognition Receptors in 15 Cnidarian genomes.
Coral Diseases
The Mydlarz Lab uses several disease models in the lab to investigate immune responses to active disease. We have used: Eunicea Black Disease, White Plague and Stoney Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD).
Eunicea Black Disease: Species of Eunicea gorgonian corals are susceptible to an unknown disease that causes melanization and black banding.
White Plague: We have experimentally transmitted White Plague disease to 7 reef-building species in the Caribbean. We are currently analyzing the immune proteins and transcriptomes of each coral and relating it to the susceptibility of the species and tissue loss due to the disease. We are working in collaboration with Dr. Marilyn Brandt and Dr. Erinn Muller and looking at how immunocompetence varies between species with different morphology, growth rates, reproduction and susceptibility to disease.
SCTLD: We have also experimentally transmitted Scleractinian Coral Tissue Loss Disease to 6 different species of coral. We are analyzing transcriptomes of each coral and relating it to the susceptibility of each species. We have new funding from the NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Disease program with Dr. Marilyn Brandt, Dr. Amy Apprill, Dr. Adrienne Correa and Dr. Dan Holstein to contue our studies of SCTLD in the Virgin Islands.
Symbiodinium recognition and coral immunity
Corals rely on a symbiotic relationship with an immotile dinoflagellate known as Symbiodinium. Using Symbiodinium cultures we are comparing the response of several types of Symbiodinium to temperature stress. We are measuring growth rates, production and release of reactive oxygen and antioxidants as well as proteomics to look at responses. The main paper from this work by Ricci et al. shows a significant change in cell surface proteins when Symbiodinium are heat stressed.
Corals rely on a symbiotic relationship with an immotile dinoflagellate known as Symbiodinium. Using Symbiodinium cultures we are comparing the response of several types of Symbiodinium to temperature stress. We are measuring growth rates, production and release of reactive oxygen and antioxidants as well as proteomics to look at responses. The main paper from this work by Ricci et al. shows a significant change in cell surface proteins when Symbiodinium are heat stressed.
