There are many unanswered questions regarding the effect of antibiotics on plants. Previous results indicated that metal uptake in the model plant Arabidopsis was affected by the antibiotic kanamycin. We have proposed a model of metal uptake that involves three transporters: IREG1, WBC19, and FRD3 involved in the transport of Fe-Citrate, Fe-Nicotianamine and Citrate respectively. In this model, IREG1 is inhibited by kanamycin which results in Fe being transported mainly via WBC19. We would therefore expect an increased expression of WBC19 when kanamycin is present.To test this hypothesis we examined the expression of IREG1, WBC19, and FRD3 in Arabidopsis plants exposed or not exposed to kanamycin. RNA was isolated, reverse transcribed and TaqMan real-time PCR assays were set up to monitor the expression of the three genes. The results showed ~ 2 fold increase of WBC19 expression when plants were exposed to kanamycin. These results support our model and help us understand the relationship between antibiotics and metal uptake and shed light on the manner in which plants alter their transport mechanisms for metal uptake.

On nearly every surface and inside almost every organism, there are millions of tiny microbes that are invisible to the naked eye. Some of these microbes, known as symbionts, live in symbiosis or within other organisms. These tiny microbes include bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Honeybees (Apis mellifera), like most insects, host symbionts in their guts. Previous research has identified and characterized nine bacterial species clusters that dominate the gut microbiome of honeybees. While the microbes in their hives and honey have not been as well characterized, we know that honeybees come into contact with a variety of microbes while foraging. The microbes that are present may depend on the season and region the hives that the honeybees are located in, as well as the gut microbial composition of workers in the hive. We used DNA metabarcoding to assess whether there are regional and/or temporal differences in the symbiotic environment of the guts of worker bees and the symbionts in stored honey. We will also address the following questions: What microbial symbionts are present in honey and how does the season impact that? How are these microbes related to the ones present in the guts of honeybees?

 
With the increased growth of cities, more natural habitats are becoming disturbed or fragmented, which leads to an influx of wildlife previously found in rural habitats into urban areas. To successfully inhabit these areas, some of these animals have to adapt or change their behavior. Some changes include diet, movement, and reproductive patterns which can lead to evolutionary changes. Such urban species may not exhibit the same behavioral traits as their rural counterparts. In this study, we ask the question: how does urbanization affect the evolution of an animal species? This project explores the morphological changes observed in the skulls of white-tailed deer found in rural and urban habitats. If the morphological changes are observed in urban populations then a possible causative factor might be urbanization. White-tailed deer are considered one of the most adaptable animals in urban environments. They are herbivores whose diet can change depending on their habitat. In rural areas, they mostly feed on grass in open areas, but in urban areas, their diet has changed. We predict that morphological changes observed in the skull or body structures of these animals in urban areas might reflect a change in behavioral traits over time when compared to those individuals living in less densely populated areas.
 

 

Plants take up essential nutrients from the soil and in the process absorb substances released by soil microorganisms such as antibiotics. It is expected that the natural propensity of organisms to fight off unwanted influences drives plants to develop resistance against these antibiotics. One well known example of this phenomenon is observed in Arabidopsis thaliana plants, which possess the Atwbc19 gene that confers resistance to the antibiotic kanamycin. Atwbc19 mutants are very sensitive to kanamycin and their Zn uptake is compromised under normal conditions. In addition, Fe uptake in control plants declines when they are exposed to kanamycin. These preliminary findings suggested a link between antibiotics and metal uptake. Here, we propose and experimentally validate a model that explains the connection between metal uptake and antibiotic resistance.The metal transporter IREG1 allows Fe transport into the xylem, and is shut down in the presence of kanamycin. Atwbc19 on the other hand transports Zn-NA and serves as an alternate route for Fe transport during kanamycin exposure, as Fe-NA. The VCell software was used to capture and test our model. After estimating parameters using a subset of data, the resulting VCell model predicted experimental results well.