Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
individual
What campus are you from?
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Kaitlyn Nielsen, Senior
Lead Presenter's Name
Kaitlyn Nielsen
Faculty Mentor Name
Alba Chavez
Abstract
This study aimed to test the virulence and adaptive capabilities of two commensal yeast isolates: Candida albicans and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa isolated from the International Space Station (ISS), as well as if they could survive and adapt under microphonic conditions in an effort to understand microbial adaptation under lunar and Martian atmospheres. Previous research has shown that yeast under space conditions can present an increased threat to the health of the astronauts by enduring extreme environments (microaerophilia or carboxiphillia) compared to those isolated under aerobic conditions, as well as increasing virulence-related phenotypes such as filamentation and resistance to fungal cell wall stressors. We have tested growth adaptation using chambers saturated with carbon dioxide, as well as inoculation of strains adapted to microaerophilia in filamentation media and media containing cell wall stressors. The hypothesis stated that yeasts isolates incubated in a microaerophilic chamber would adapt to enable anaerobic respiration and promote filamentation and resistance to cell wall stressors. The results dictated that there is no statistically significant difference between growth under aerobiosis and microaerophilia ion both earth and space isolates; however, ISS isolates were able to increase filamentation and showed a higher survival rate under cell wall stressors. These results shed light and increase our understanding of adaptation and virulence under extreme environments.
Did this research project receive funding support from the Office of Undergraduate Research.
Yes, SURF
Observing Pathogenic Affinity of Candida and Rhodotorula under Simulated Moon and Martian Atmospheres
This study aimed to test the virulence and adaptive capabilities of two commensal yeast isolates: Candida albicans and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa isolated from the International Space Station (ISS), as well as if they could survive and adapt under microphonic conditions in an effort to understand microbial adaptation under lunar and Martian atmospheres. Previous research has shown that yeast under space conditions can present an increased threat to the health of the astronauts by enduring extreme environments (microaerophilia or carboxiphillia) compared to those isolated under aerobic conditions, as well as increasing virulence-related phenotypes such as filamentation and resistance to fungal cell wall stressors. We have tested growth adaptation using chambers saturated with carbon dioxide, as well as inoculation of strains adapted to microaerophilia in filamentation media and media containing cell wall stressors. The hypothesis stated that yeasts isolates incubated in a microaerophilic chamber would adapt to enable anaerobic respiration and promote filamentation and resistance to cell wall stressors. The results dictated that there is no statistically significant difference between growth under aerobiosis and microaerophilia ion both earth and space isolates; however, ISS isolates were able to increase filamentation and showed a higher survival rate under cell wall stressors. These results shed light and increase our understanding of adaptation and virulence under extreme environments.