Meeting Abstract

P3-84   -   Anthracite versus gut bacteria: exploring the ability of invertebrate gut flora to metabolize carbon-based toxins Hessler, GR*; Davis, JE; Radford University; Radford University ghessler@radford.edu

Extreme metabolic adaptations can be found not only in hostile environments, but also within species occupying unusual niches. Cedecea lapagei is an extremely rare gut bacterium that is believed to be present in insects such as Dermestes maculatus (dermestids) and Gryllodes sigillatus (banded crickets). Previous studies have shown that this bacterium has the amazing ability to survive on toxic materials such as the “black liquor” waste products produced by paper mills. In this project, we sought to determine not only if this gut bacterium could metabolize chemically similar anthracite coal waste products, but also whether insects inhabited by this bacterium could survive when fed a diet heavily contaminated with coal waste. Through heavily monitored live trials containing groups of dermestids, crickets and a control group of hissing cockroaches (Gromphadorhina portentosa) that were treated with the contaminated food and water, and without, we were able to observe the stability or crash of their population. More importantly, we were able to see whether the contamination had any significant effect at all. Cell cultures were also taken and tested with similar variables to identify whether growth of their gut bacteria changed when introduced to the anthracite. Our results have demonstrated that coal contamination is an obstacle neither for the gut bacterium, nor its carrier, and that both isolated cell cultures and animals hosting live cultures are capable of not only surviving, but even thriving with a coal-heavy diet. In this presentation we will discuss methodology, results, and implications of this work.