Session
2024 Poster Session
Location
Salt Lake Community College Westpointe Campus, Salt Lake City, UT
Start Date
5-6-2024 9:55 AM
Description
Among the major contributors to the bottom of the food chain in the Great Salt Lake, microbialites are mats of microorganisms supported by rock-like structures. The microbiome includes photosynthesizers such as cyanobacteria, but they also include more complex organisms such as algae. We have recently, for the first time, discovered evidence of fungi associated with the microbiolite mats. Little research has been conducted on fungi of the Great Salt Lake. The microbialites are the foundation for the food chain in the lake, and without them, the food chain will likely face a collapse. As the Great Salt Lake is shrinking, more areas are exposed to drying out and high salt conditions. We identified the most abundant species of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other eukaryotes via DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing of the microbiolite mat. We found that Acaulospora kentinensis which constitutes 1.9% of the tank with 6 month regrowth and 54.2% of the tank with 3 month regrowth is an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and that its relative Acaulospora mellea was found to increase the salt tolerance of sweet sorghum cultivars. It was also found that the most prolific Eukaryotes present in GSL are Picocystis salinarum which constitute 8.6% of the tank with 6 month regrowth and 46.4% of the tank with 3 month regrowth is a green algae typically found in hypersaline environments. With this information, isolation of new cyanobacteria from the lake is being done for further characterization. The overall goal of this research is to genetically identify the species present in GSL microbialites in order to help recover microbiolites from environmental stressors that are a direct result of the lake shrinking. This issue is urgent because if the microbialites desiccate, then the food chain will crumble.
Exploring Microbialite Mats of Great Salt Lake
Salt Lake Community College Westpointe Campus, Salt Lake City, UT
Among the major contributors to the bottom of the food chain in the Great Salt Lake, microbialites are mats of microorganisms supported by rock-like structures. The microbiome includes photosynthesizers such as cyanobacteria, but they also include more complex organisms such as algae. We have recently, for the first time, discovered evidence of fungi associated with the microbiolite mats. Little research has been conducted on fungi of the Great Salt Lake. The microbialites are the foundation for the food chain in the lake, and without them, the food chain will likely face a collapse. As the Great Salt Lake is shrinking, more areas are exposed to drying out and high salt conditions. We identified the most abundant species of bacteria, archaea, fungi, and other eukaryotes via DNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing of the microbiolite mat. We found that Acaulospora kentinensis which constitutes 1.9% of the tank with 6 month regrowth and 54.2% of the tank with 3 month regrowth is an Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and that its relative Acaulospora mellea was found to increase the salt tolerance of sweet sorghum cultivars. It was also found that the most prolific Eukaryotes present in GSL are Picocystis salinarum which constitute 8.6% of the tank with 6 month regrowth and 46.4% of the tank with 3 month regrowth is a green algae typically found in hypersaline environments. With this information, isolation of new cyanobacteria from the lake is being done for further characterization. The overall goal of this research is to genetically identify the species present in GSL microbialites in order to help recover microbiolites from environmental stressors that are a direct result of the lake shrinking. This issue is urgent because if the microbialites desiccate, then the food chain will crumble.