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2019 Biology Research Symposium: Schedule & Abstracts

Schedule

12:00–12:15 pm; Welcome and Introduction

12:15–2:44 pm; Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Biodiversity Session; B-392

12:15–2:44 pm; Synthetic Biology Session; B-180

Organismal Biology, Ecology, and Biodiversity Session (B-392)

12:15–12:29; Aura Y. Muñiz Torres & Fernando J. Bird Picó; Altitudinal Comparison in Microhabitat for Eleutherodactylus brittoni in Puerto Rico

12:30–12:44; Carlos Cardona Rodríguez, Rafael A. Berríos Sierra, Abdiel S. López Morales, & Alberto R. Puente Rolón; Preliminary Population Study of Rodents in a Secondary Forest in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

12:45–12:59; Fabián A. Feliciano-Rivera, Nashaly N. Cortes-Viruet, Jose E. Ramos-Jimenez, Alberto R. Puente-Rolón; Abundance Estimate of the Puerto Rican Racer (Borikenophis portoricensis) in a Secondary Forest after Hurricane Maria

1:00–1:14; Irtzia M. Ruiz Mora, Sherihan Abdul-Hadi, Alberto R. Puente Rolón; Evaluation of the Use of Internet for Illegal Reptile Trade in Puerto Rico

1:15–1:29; Sandra L. Maldonado Ramírez & Maite A. Zapata Ortiz; Análisis Aero micológico de esporas fúngicas aeronavegantes en la región suroeste de Puerto Rico

1:30–1:44; Mariela Bayrón del Valle, Karla A. Raffucci Velázquez, José E. Ramos Jiménez, Rubén E. Díaz Matos, & Alberto R. Puente Rolón; Body condition index of the invasive red-tail boa (Boa constrictor constrictor) in Puerto Rico

1:45–1:59; Melanie L. Talavera-Arboniés; Aggressive Behavior of the Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis): a comparative study between urban and forest territories

2:00–2:14; Patricia Rodríguez, Camille A. Berrocal, Giovanna González, Govind Nadathur, Nikolaos V. Schizas; Biodiversity of Deep-sea Zooplankton off the Southwest Coast of Puerto Rico

2:15–2:29; Stephanie S. González Martínez, Shaina M. Santiago Vargas y María M. Vargas; Hongos contaminantes en obras de arte del Museo de Arte de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

2:30–2:44; Crystal J. Lara, Gabriela A. Herrero, Priscilla M. Alonso, Bárbara I. Sánchez and Alberto R. Puente; Fungi associated to the skin of Boa constrictor in Puerto Rico

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Synthetic Biology, Medicine Session (B-180)

12:15–12:29; Alejandro J. Mercado Capote; Coral Reef Holobiont 2.0: Designing a synthetic symbiosis based on positive phototaxis

12:30–12:44; Adriana A. Rosado, Claudia Mañan, Edwin J. Ortiz, Gabriela A. Otero, Nicole Zaragoza; Lactococcus Lactis Como Vector para la Degradación de Bifenilos Policlorados

12:45–12:59; Andrea Flores, Ashley M. Torres, Efraín Rodríguez Ocasio, Luis G. Montalvo González, and Pierre Franceschini; Novel Monitoring Tool for Biocatalytic Production of Renewable Chemicals

1:00–1:14; Nashaly Irizarry, Joseph Noel, Lizmarie Tirado, Lubriel Sambolín, Anixa Hernández, and James T. Porter; Can be disrupted fear memory extinction by a combination of a high fat diet and a microglial activation with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)?

1:15–1:29; Nathan González Cordero, Esteban G. Bermúdez Berrios, Natalia M. Ortiz Ramos, Eryka Ríos Feliciano, and Joel J. Montañez Crespo; Sy2B-Hg: Synthetic Symbiosis Bio-remediator of Hg

1:30–1:44; Alondra De Jesús, Andrea Guilloty, Elba González, Paula M. Mañán, and Erik Vélez; Microbial bioelectrochemistry applied in the creation of a biobattery prototype as an alternative form of energy

1:45–1:59; Lucía Colón Ramos, Nathan Cordero González, Claudia Mañán Mejías, Alondra de Jesús Ramos, Luis Montalvo González, Esteban Bermúdez Berrios, Natalia Ortiz Rivera, Carlos RíosVelázquez, & Patricia Ortiz Bermúdez; Coli Ctrl: Characterized ligth-responsive plasmid in Escherichia coli applied in integrated plague management

2:00–2:14; Génesis Reyes Vega, Karla J. Romero Pacheco, John E. López Calero, Ariana Torres Rivera, Edwin J. Ramos Mercado, Oscar Marcelo Suarez; Synthesis and Characterization of Chitosan/TiO2 as a Biocide Composite Research

2:15–2:29; Angélica M. González Martínez, Flavio C. Rodriguez Polanco, and Carlos Ríos Velázquez; Monitoring the antibiosis production potential of cultivable mycoprospects isolated from water and soil samples from the center under the 305m reflector plate of the Arecibo Observatory using radial methods

2:30–2:44; Flavio C. Rodriguez Polanco, Angélica M. González Martínez, and Carlos Ríos Velázquez; Assessing copper resistant mycological bioprospects isolated from peripheral soil samples under the 305m reflector plate of the Arecibo Observatory

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Coral Reef Holobiont 2.0: Designing a synthetic symbiosis based on positive phototaxis

Alejandro J. Mercado Capote

1Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; alejandro.mercado1@upr.edu

Premise of the study - Coral reefs are one of the most important underwater ecosystems because they maintain biodiversity and can be an untapped source of novel drug discoveries.This important ecosystem is at a high risk of degradation due to human activity and global warming related events that increase ocean acidification, elevate sea temperature and the high emission of greenhouse gasses. When a coral is stressed it goes through an event known as coral bleaching, during which it will expel from its tissue a photosynthetic symbiotic unicellular dinoflagellate known as Zooxanthellae and coral reefs depend on this organism for nutrition. Recent findings (Aihara 2019; Hollingsworth 2005) reveal that Zooxanthellae are attracted to green light via positive phototaxis and this is the basis of this genetic circuit.

Methods –A genetic circuit was designed to give coral reefs the ability to produce green fluorescence during the day and bioluminescence during the night. The genetic circuit is composed of three devices: first the Two-Component System YF1 and FixJ that activate the second system in response to blue light; the second device produces green fluorescence via eGFP during the day and it is off during the night; the third device produces bioluminescence via Lux operon during the night and is off during the day. The genetic circuit will be inserted in a bacterium first, then expressed in a controlled setting and measured if Zooxanthellae can in fact be attracted to a light source derived from bacteria.

Key Results – The first observation that we would expect from this study is that Zooxanthellae respond equally for artificial light and for light produced and reflected by a bacterium. These results would imply that the circuit is working well in its light and dark form. We would expect performing further studies: that bleached coral can regain Zooxanthellae; that microfragmenting coral reef can help propagate the bacteria with the circuit; that corals can tolerate the bacterium throughout its life cycle.

Conclusions - Coral reefs are very important part of coastal cities and marine environments. The genetic circuit presented is the start of a journey culminating in a viable genetically modified coral reef. In the far future we can also modify the Zooxanthellae in conjunction with the microbiome to produce novel functions.

Literature Cited

Aihara, Y., Maruyama, S., Baird, A. H., Iguchi, A., Takahashi, S., & Minagawa, J. (2019, February 05). Green fluorescence from cnidarian hosts attracts symbiotic algae. Retrieved from https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/01/14/1812257116

Hollingsworth, L. L., Kinzie, R. A., Lewis, T. D., & David A. Krupp, J. C. (2005, November 10). Phototaxis of motile zooxanthellae to green light may facilitate symbiont capture by coral larvae. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-005-0063-8

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Altitudinal Comparison in Microhabitat for Eleutherodactylus brittoni in Puerto Rico Aura Y. Muñiz Torres1, 2, 3, 4 & Fernando J. Bird Picó 1

1Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez, Mayagüez Puerto Rico 2Undergraduate student

3Presenting author 4Corresponding author: aura.muniz@upr.edu

Premise of the study— Determining amphibian’s microhabitat use is crucial to understand their spatial ecology since they are ecosystems bio-indicators. The grass coqui, Eletuherodactylus brittoni, is one of the most widely distributed species in the island. This species has been mostly documented in the lower elevations areas in Puerto Rico, but it is also found at intermediate elevations, from 183m to 240m (Schwartz & Henderson 1991). Historically, the grass coqui has a noticeable preference for open meadows, grassland (Rivero 1998) and areas exposed to the sun (Drewry & Rand 1983). Even though previous studies on the species ecology is scarce and limited, this study documents different habitat parameters.The main objective of this study was to determine the microhabitat parameters of E. brittoni across different elevations in Puerto Rico. Methods—We traced a 10m transect randomly in 5 locations, across the island with multiple elevations and different landscapes. We used call surveys to determine the abundance in each site complemented with visual encounters. Sex and maturity of the frogs were determined. To understand how these habitat variables (altitude, temperature, humidity, and canopy cover) affects abundance, we used R software to identify the best fitted lineal model. In addition, we identified the vegetation where the individuals were found. Key Results—E. brittoni is not negative affected by the elevation gradient. It was more abundant in places with open canopy. In our study, the coqui was found in a variety of vegetation from 13 different plant families, with more preference towards juvenile trees from the family Meliaceae and the herbaceous vines from the family Convolvulaceae. Conclusions— E. brittoni was not affected by the elevation gradient because the majority of the recorded individuals were found in higher elevation, contradicting previous reports. The coqui was more abundant in places with open canopy which correlates with their natural history. The results could suggest a larger range of temperature comfort as compared to other species. Since humidity was consistent, E. brittoni may have high humidity requirements in order to be active. Our vegetation results suggest, regardless of plant taxonomy, the coqui would be found in smaller plants of less than four feet of height.

Literature Cited Drewry, G. E., & Rand, A. S. (1983). Characteristics of an acoustic community: Puerto

Rican frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus. Copeia, 941-953. Rivero, J. A. 1998. Los anfibios y reptiles de Puerto Rico. Segunda Edición, revisada.

Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico. Schwartz, A., & Henderson, R. W. (1991). Amphibians and reptiles of the West Indies:

descriptions, distributions, and natural history. University of Florida Press.

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Preliminary Population Study of Rodents in a secondary forest in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Carlos Cardona Rodríguez1,2, Rafael A. Berríos Sierra1, Abdiel S. López Morales1 y

Alberto R. Puente Rolón 1Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-

Mayagüez; carlos.cardona10@upr.edu, rafael.berrios1@upr.edu, abdiel.lopez3@upr.edu, alberto.puente@upr.edu

2Presenting author

Premise of the study- The black rat, Rattus norvegicus, and the house mouse, Mus musculus, are one of the most destructive mammals affecting islands, driving thousands of native species to extinction (Shiels and Pitt. 2014). They are also vectors of many diseases affecting humans, most commonly in Puerto Rico, Leptospirosis (O’Farril-Nieves. 2004). Population studies of those species are needed.

Methods- The sampling was conducted in the secondary forest near the Biology building of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus. Our sampling consisted of three trapping transect lines with 10 traps each. For one week a month, the traps were set using peanut butter and oatmeal bait. The following day, the traps were checked for capture. All the rodents captured were measured and its body mass were recorded. The traps were considered independent units for occupational model application.

Key Results- The house mice (M. musculus), was more abundant in comparison with R. norvegicus. Also, for M. musculus, a difference between sexes in weight and size wasn’t found. The occupational estimate for M. musculus and R. norvegicus was 1.000 and 0.7417 while the naive occupancy was 0.6000 and 0.3333 respectively.

Conclusions- We found more activity from females in both species of rodents. This difference could be attributed to females taking care of their young. The month of December was found to have the most activity follow then by March.

LITERATURE CITED -Shiels, A. and Pitt, W. 2014. A Review of Invasive Rodent (Rattus spp. and Mus musculus) Diets on Pacidic Islands. University of California, Davis: 161-165. -O’Farrill-Nieves, H. 2004. Las Plagas del Hogar y el Jardín. Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez, Colegio de Ciencias Agrícolas, Departamento de Protección de Cultivos, 6.

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Lactococcus Lactis Como Vector para la Degradación de Bifenilos Policlorados Adriana A. Rosado1,3, Claudia Mañan2,3, Edwin J. Ortiz1, Gabriela A. Otero1, Nicole Zaragoza1

1Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Puerto Rico - Mayagüez; adriana.rosado1@upr.edu, edwin.ortiz11@urp.edu, gabriela.otero4@upr.edu, nicole.zaragoza@upr.edu

2Departamento de Química, Universidad de Puerto Rico - Mayagüez; claudia.manan@upr.edu

3Autor a presentarPremisa — Los bifenilos policlorados (PCBs) son compuestos organoclorados que constituyen una familia de 209 congéneres. Su uso y distribución no supervisada como lubricantes de electromecánicos contribuyó a la contaminación de suelos, cuerpos de agua y otras superficies. Al ser ingeridos, los PCBs entran al tracto gastrointestinal y permanecen en él hasta ser absorbidos por difusión pasiva (US Department, 2000). Esta absorción ocurre cuando su concentración es más alta que la concentración en lípidos séricos. Se conoce que existe una relación directamente proporcional entre la cantidad de sustituciones de cloro en PCBs y su nivel de toxicidad. Metodología propuesta — La metodología propone que los organismos con acumulación del contaminante ingieran la bacteria Lactococcus lactis cargada con el constructo de genes de degradación, creando un sistema de detoxificación en el tracto gastrointestinal. La temprana degradación de PCBs a moléculas de acetil CoA y piruvato previene que estos compuestos alcancen niveles significativamente altos para ser absorbidos y almacenados en los tejidos corporales. Resultados esperados — Se espera que al transformar la bacteria Lactococcus lactis con el operón de Bph, proveniente de Pseudomonas spp, se le confiera la capacidad de degradar bifenilos policlorados en el tracto digestivo antes de que estos sean absorbidos y puedan llegar a ser tóxicos para el organismo.Conclusiones — Considerando que actualmente Puerto Rico es una de las regiones del Caribe con mayor concentración de contaminantes por bifenilos policlorados, se proyecta que el proponer una metodología alterna para la detoxificación pueda disminuir la bioacumulacion de estos compuestos tóxicos en las poblaciones expuestas. Literatura Citada —Álvarez, C. (2006). “Unas bacterias eliminan el cloro como nosotros nos comemos

una hamburguesa”. Recuperado de https://elpais.com/diario/2006/10/04/futuro/1159912802_850215.html

Ohtsubo, Y., Nagata, Y., Kimbara, K., Takagi, M., & Ohta, A. (2000). Expression of the bph genes involved in biphenyl/PCB degradation in Pseudomonas sp. KKS102 induced by the biphenyl degradation intermediate, 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhex-2,4-dienoic acid. Gene, 256(1-2), 223–228.

UniProtKB - P08695(BPHC_PSEPS). (s.f.). https://www.uniprot.org/uniprot/P08695U.S Department of Health and Human Services. (2000) Toxicological Report for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs). Xiao, X. et al. Prevention of gastrointestinal lead poisoning using recombinant

Lactococcus lactis expressing human metallothionein-I fusion protein. Sci. Rep. 6, 23716; doi: 10.1038/srep23716 (2016).

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Novel Monitoring Tool for Biocatalytic Production of Renewable Chemicals

Andrea Flores2, Ashley M. Torres1, Efraín Rodríguez Ocasio2, Luis G. Montalvo González1 3, and Pierre Franceschini1,

1Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; andrea.flores2@upr.edu, ashley.torres16@upr.edu, luis.montalvo7@upr.edu, pierre.franceschini@upr.edu

2Industrial Biotechnology Program, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; efrain.rodriguez@upr.edu

3 Presenting Author

Premise of the study—The global chemicals industry exceeded 4 trillion dollars in revenue in 2017 and most of the raw materials for chemical production are currently derived from petroleum. In an effort to minimize petroleum based chemicals without disrupting the global economy, a renewable and economically viable carbon source is needed. Lignocellulose has been identified as a promising carbon source that can be hydrolyzed and converted into high value chemicals through biocatalysis. Lignocellulose is also plant based and therefore renewable, making it an ideal candidate to replace petroleum and reduce the carbon footprint of the chemicals industry.

Methods—We are proposing the development of a cost and time effective tool with bench and industrial scale applications to monitor the biocatalytic reactions that hydrolyze and convert lignocellulose into bioethanol. Employing synthetic biology, a plasmid was designed with parts capable of detecting specific signals that translate into the expression of GFP to indicate and quantify the progress of biocatalytic lignocellulose hydrolysis and conversion to bioethanol.

Key results— Firstly, the prototype detects the presence of glucose as an indicator of lignocellulose hydrolysis into its monomers. Secondly, it expresses amilCP (a blue chromoprotein) as a reporter of the presence of glucose. Furthermore, the synthetic bacteria detects the presence of bioethanol which will promote the expression of GFP.

Conclusions—This is a convenient tool for optimization experiments and process controls, eliminating the need for costly and complex techniques such as chromatography. Literature Cited Biotreks.org. (2019). [online] Available at: http://biotreks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/e201704.pdf [Accessed 26 Apr. 2019] Biotreks.org. (2019). [online] Available at: http://biotreks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/e201704.pdf [Accessed 26 Apr. 2019]. Chemicals Global Industry Guide 2013-2022. Retrieved from https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4720530/chemicals-global-industry-guide-2013-2022?utm_source=BW&utm_medium=PressRelease&utm_code=z8rxnx&utm_campaign=1238817 - Global Chemicals Industry Guide 2018: Market Size Value 2013-17, and Forecast to 2022&utm_exec=cari54prd

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Abundance Estimate of the Puerto Rican Racer (Borikenophis portoricensis) in a Secondary Forest after Hurricane Maria.

Fabián A. Feliciano-Rivera1,3, Nashaly N. Cortes-Viruet1, Jose E. Ramos-Jimenez2, Alberto R. Puente-Rolón2

1Agriculture Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez: fabian.feliciano1@upr.edu, nashaly.cortes@upr.edu.

2Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; alberto.puente@upr.edu, jose.ramos48@upr.edu

3Presenting author Premise of the study— Wildlife population studies are important for defining biological

diversity, monitor changes over time among others (Witmer, G., 2005). One group of animals that are difficult to monitor are snakes, because of the difficulty of observation and remote change of recapture (Tolson, P., Henderson, R., 2006). However, snakes play an important role on the ecosystem because they control pest populations. The Puerto Rican Racer Snake is the second largest snake in Puerto Rico, even though it is a common species, there are not population estimates available. This species has an unsecure life in the wild because of the introduction of exotic species (Tolson, P., Henderson, R., 2006). The objective of this study is to estimate the population of Borinkenophis portoricensis in a secondary forest after the impact of Hurricane Maria.

Methods—The survey area consisted of two transects with a length of 120 meters. For each transect we establish points of reference 20 meters each (six in total). Temperature and relative humidity were taken in the beginning and at the end of each transect. When a snake was sighted we took the position, angle, distance and temperature of the snake. Drone aerial photos of the forest where taken every two months after the Hurricane Maria to analyze the percentage of area that was covered by trees and the areas exposed by the sun. With the time of each census and the number of participants combined with the number of snakes seen was used to determine the abundance.

Key results— A total of 55 census in 13 months were performed (October 2017 to March 2019). We observed 51 of Borikenophis portoricensis during the study period. Utilizing the number of snakes seen combined with the search effort the abundance estimate is of 0.4811 snake/hr. Our sampling area consisted of 1,680 m2 and with the total of snakes seen of 51 we estimated the density of 0.03036 snake/m2. The months of March and April were the ones with more sighting and the average in temperature was of 85 ˚C in both months.

Conclusions— With this results we can say that the sightings of the Puerto Rican Racer Snake were higher on March and April duo to the rising of the temperature and the reproductive season of the snake. The growth of the tree tops and the vegetation in general in the forest could have affected the sighting of the snake because of the declined area exposed to the sun that the snakes use for basking. In conclusion, the Puerto Rican Racer Snake was well represented in the forest after Hurricane Maria.

LITERATURE CITED

Tolson, Peter J., Henderson, Robert W. 2006. An overview of snake conservation in the West Indies. Applied Herpetology 3: 51.

Witmer, Gary W. 2005. Wildlife population monitoring: some practical considerations. Wildlife Research 32: 259

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Evaluation of the Use of Internet for Illegal Reptile Trade in Puerto Rico

Irtzia M. Ruiz Mora1, Sherihan Abdul-Hadi1, Alberto R. Puente Rolón1

1 Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez; irtzia.ruiz@upr.edu sherihan.abdulhadi@upr.edu alberto.puente@upr.edu

Premise of the study- The Internet is being used to introduce invasive and threatening

species of reptiles into Puerto Rico. These organisms pose a threat to our fauna, since they have the ability to compete for resources with endemic or native species, potentially causing the displacement or disappearance of these (Romero et.al. 2005). Monitoring the illegal wildlife trade on the Internet helps identify possible threats to our native and endemic species of reptiles, by identifying the most common illegal species being traded and the areas with the most activity around the island.

Methods- For date collection we visit “Clasificados Online” and search the reptile category. We also visit social media sites. Each site was surveyed every two weeks. Data has been recovered since 2015 on “Clasificados Online”, and since 2017 from the social media sites.The data that was collected was the species being advertised, vendor, pricing, location, and date.

Key results- For “Clasificados Onlines” we collected a total of 137 advertisements for lizards, 62 advertisements for snakes, and 68 advertisements for turtles. The price ranges for the advertisements were between $20.00 to $600.00. Meanwhile, on the social media site we collected a total of 74 advertisements for lizards, 47 advertisements for snakes and 21 for turtles. The price ranges were from $10.00 up to $250.00. The region with the most vendors was San Juan, with a total of 75 vendors, followed by Arecibo with a total of 26 vendors and Humacao in third position with a total of 10 vendors.

Conclusion- The study has confirmed the high activity of illegal reptile trade through the Internet on the island and has awaken concerns due to the fact that venomous species are being advertised. The information recollected on this type of commerce will allow to identify potential sites that are and can be occupied by non-native reptile species. Also, the results of this research will help bring focus into the main areas in which this illegal trade is being most developed to potentially stop it. Also, it is of great importance that future efforts focus on improving the regulations for wildlife trade over the Internet, to ensure that these non-native reptile species do not displace or compete with our native reptile species.

Literature Cited

Romero, I., A. Cuarón, and C. González. 2007. Distribution, abundance, anud habitat use of introduced Boa constrictor threatening the native biota of Cozumel Island,

México. Biodiversity Conservation 16: 1183–1195.

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Análisis Aero micológico de esporas fúngicas aeronavegantes en

la región suroeste de Puerto Rico

Sandra L. Maldonado Ramírez, PhD 1,2, Maite A. Zapata Ortiz 2,2

1Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagü ez; sandral.maldonado@upr.edu

2Maite A. Zapata Ortiz Premisa de estudio—La aerobiología es una rama de las ciencias que se centra en los organismos y partículas biológicas que están presentes en el aire: su diversidad, modos de vida, mecanismos de liberación, transporte y deposición, siempre ligados a su repercusión en el entorno, tal y como es en el impacto de la salud humana (Real 2008). El concepto de contaminantes ambientales ha impulsado nuevos métodos de muestreo con el propósito de poseer estándares de calidad de aire cada vez más precisos. Se han realizado muestreos de calidad de aire para ciudades, tales como San Juan, utilizando un muestreador continuo volumétrico instalado en la azotea del Recinto de Ciencias Médicas en Río Piedras. La lectura microscópica permite identificar los pólenes y esporas de hongos más abundantes en el aire de Puerto Rico con una frecuencia constante, las 24 horas, todos los días del año (Bolaños, 2015). Los muestreadores aerobiológicos utilizados son estacionarios por lo que limita la capacidad de muestreo. Es por eso, que se plantea la implementación de un muestreador aéreo que considere los factores climáticos que afectan la concentración de esporas, como el punto de rocío, la temperatura, humedad y velocidad del viento (Quintero, 2011).

Métodos— Como herramienta de muestreo se realizó un vuelo en avión (“American Champion Citabria") alrededor del municipio de Lajas, Puerto Rico. Al mismo se le incorporó un muestreador diseñado para tolerar las presiones atmosféricas a 2500 pies de distancia. El muestreador contaba con tres platos petris de agar de rosa de bengala los cuales eran expuestos en 3 rondas, teniendo un intervalo de tiempo de 15 minutos entre rondas, por aproximadamente 5 minutos.

Resultados clave— Luego de evaluar los cultivos colectados se encontraron 22 morfotipos, distribuidos en los géneros Cladosporium, Aspergillus y Penicillium.

Conclusiones— Los hallazgos colectados son consistentes con estudios previos. Este estudio es pionero en el uso de un avión con este tipo de muestreador en el área sur-oeste de Puerto Rico.

Literatura Citada  Bolaños, B. 2015. Ruta Aerobiológica en Puerto Rico. Galenus: Revista para médicos de

Puerto Rico. 13-16.  Real, M. 2008. Para saber más sobre... Aerobiología. Farmacia Profesional Vol. 22: 43.

       Quintero, 2011. Aerobiological studies in San Juan metropolitan area and Turabo Valley, Puerto Rico: Relationship of meteorological factors and environmental health. Aspergillus and Aspergillosis Website.  

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Body condition index of the invasive red-tail boa (Boa constrictor constrictor) in Puerto Rico

Mariela Bayrón del Valle1, Karla A. Raffucci Velázquez1, José E. Ramos Jiménez1, Rubén E. Díaz Matos2, Alberto R. Puente Rolón1

1Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; mariela.bayron@upr.edu, karla.raffucci@upr.edu, jose.ramos48@upr.edu,

alberto.puente@upr.edu 2Agricultural Sciences Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; ruben.diaz5@upr.edu

Premise of the study— In nature, animals must determine the subsequent allocation of their garnered resources among maintenance, growth, reproduction, and storage (Bonnet and Naulleau, 1996). Resource allocation in animals may be determined through the study of body condition index (BCI) (Green, 2001). Body condition influences many aspects, such as life-history characteristics, ecological relationships, and lifetime reproductive fitness (MacCracken and Stebbings, 2012). In snakes, the morphology employed facilitates a straightforward calculation of mass relative to length that can be used as a measure of energy storage. The objective of this study is to compare the body condition index in invasive red-tail boa (Boa constrictor constrictor) in Puerto Rico through a multiyear comparison carried out from 2011 to 2018.

Methods— Red-tail boa were obtained from the Department of Natural Resources, from

DRNA Mayagüez Regional Office and Cambalache facilities. Sex of each individual was determined by observing the tail length. This species presents sexual dimorphism with males exhibiting longer tails than females. Only adult snakes were used in the study (males larger than 0.9 meters and females larger than 1.2 meters). Gravid snakes were not considered. Snout-vent length (SVL) and total mass (M) were recorded for each individual. All data was transformed and a regression was performed in order to determine residuals and body condition index for the snakes.

Key results— A total of 379 snakes were measured and weighed for the project. Average

SVL for males was 138.43cm, and for females was 153.99cm. Average mass for males was 2562.73g, and for females was 2790.84g. Average body condition index for females was -1.98x10-6 (n=173). For males, average BCI was 3.63x10-7 (n=206).

Conclusions— Results show that both males and females have a good body condition index.

This means that they are obtaining sufficient necessary energy in order to grow and reproduce in Puerto Rico, and therefore are able to continue propagating. Males were found to have a better BCI than females.

LITERATURE CITED Bonnet X. and G. Naulleau. 1996. Are body reserves important for reproduction in male

dark green snakes (Colubridae: Coluber virdiflavus)? Herpetologica 52, 137-46. Green, A.J. 2001. Mass/length residuals: measures of body condition or generators of spurious

results? Ecology 82(5): 1473-1483. Stebbings, J. M. (2012). Test of Body Condition Index with Amphibians. Journal of

Herpetology, 46(3), 346-350.

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Aggressive Behavior of the Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis): a comparative study between urban and forest territories

Melanie L. Talavera-Arboniés Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; melanie.talavera@upr.edu

Premise of the study—Bird populations inhabiting urban locations have certain characteristics and adaptations that allows them to live and reproduce with all the stresses that these habitats entail. A tendency for urban species is to shift in song frequencies and to become more aggressive with territories. The objective of this study is to evaluate if there is a change in the territorial behavior of the Puerto Rican Woodpecker (Melanerpes portoricensis) between urban and forest territories. This species belongs to the Picidae family.

Methods—To evaluate the aggressive behavior on the Puerto Rican Woodpecker a series of simulated intrusions were made. A replica or the bird was placed 20 feet above the ground on a tree and a speaker was placed below it. A playback of the specie’s song was played for five minutes, every one minute. Following the methodology of S. Ali ad R. Anderson (2018), every physical or acoustic behavioral response of the bird was recorded or annotated. The categories of response used were flights, fly-bys, pecks, proximity to the tree, sex, songs and calls.

Key results—Urban populations of the Melanerpes portoricensis only appeared to defend their territories two out of seven times while forest populations appeared in all of them. The songs recorded in urban territories had high interference due to anthropogenic noise. The physical behaviors more distinguished in the defense of the individual’s territory were flights, pecks, and songs. Even though urban territories had lese appearance, when they did appear, they defended the territory in the same way that forest populations did.

Conclusions—The difference in appearance between territories can be explain with the anthropogenic noise masking. This noise interferes with the signal communication between individuals. This could explain why they did not show up, because they did not have the opportunity to hear the simulated intrusion. If the communication is failing due noise masking, this could have severe implications in the bird’s communication, reproduction and healthiness since they depend directly on vocalizations. Further studies are needed to understand and verify the stability of these populations.

LITERATURE CITED Ali, S., & Anderson, R. (2018). Song and aggressive signaling in Bachmans Sparrow. The

Auk,135(3), 521-533. doi:10.1642/auk-17-216.1

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Can be disrupted fear memory extinction by a combination of a high fat diet and a microglial activation with lipopolysaccharides (LPS)?

Nashaly Irizarry¹3, Joseph Noel¹, Lizmarie Tirado², Lubriel Sambolín², Anixa Hernández², and James T. Porter²

¹ UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO, MAYAGUEZ CAMPUS, Mayaguez, Puerto

Rico nashaly.irizarry@upr.edu ² PONCE HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY, PONCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, Ponce,

Puerto Rico 3 Presenting author

PTSD is a common stress disorder that may be develop after exposure to a specific

event. It is characterized by re-experiencing of the eliciting traumatic event, chronic hyperarousal, avoidance behaviors and negative alterations in cognition and mood. A traumatic event can be suppressed by fear memory extinction, which inhibits fear

expression. Cognitive impairments in fear extinction observed in PTSD patients may be caused by inflammation. However, peripheral inflammatory stimuli can cause microglia activation in central nervous system (CNS) and consequently the release of cytokines. It is known that the presence of a direct inflammatory stimuli, such as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and indirect one, as a high fat diet, can stimulate the activation of these cells. Yet it is not clear how the combination of these affect fear memory extinction. This project aims to test if the combination of a high-fat diet with the administration of LPS will induce a stronger PTSD phenotype of impaired fear extinction. We hypothesized that the combination of high fat diet will cause enhanced disruption of fear extinction and increased expression of the microglia marker (Iba-1) in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) compared to control. To test our hypothesis, Sprague dawley rats were subjected to a behavioral study to verify if fear extinction can be disrupted. Brain was extracted and preserved for an immunohistochemistry to quantify microglial marker (Iba-1) expression. Gene expression of (Iba-1), proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines on ventral hippocampus (VH) and infralimbic region (IL) were measure by a real-time PCR. Results on behavioral assessment suggest that the administration of an HFD has no effect on memory impairment, while LPS injection increased freezing. Preliminary results of immunohistochemistry showed no significant difference in the expression of microglia marker Iba-1 among treatments as confirmed with the mRNA levels in VH and IL tissues. Inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were assessed as well, IL-1β and IL-10, which showed no significant differences among treatments. To conclude, LPS impaired fear extinction while an addition of HFD did not. Also, the combination of HFD+LPS does not express pronounced iba-1 antibody microglia marker compare to control. Finally fear memory recall is not affected by peripheral inflammation.

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Sy2B-Hg: Synthetic Symbiosis Bio-remediator of Hg Nathan González Cordero1,4, Esteban G. Bermúdez Berrios2, Natalia M. Ortiz

Ramos2, Eryka Ríos Feliciano3 and Joel J. Montañez Crespo3 1Industrial Biotechnology Program, University of Puerto Rico-

Mayagüez; nathan.gonzalez@upr.edu 2Chemical Engineering Department, University of Puerto Rico-

Mayagüez; esteban.bermudez1@upr.edu, natalia.ortiz22@upr.edu 3Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez; erika.rios@upr.edu,

joel.montanez@upr.edu 4Presenting author

Premise of the study— Our prototype, Synthetic Symbiosis Bio-remediator of Hg (Sy²B-Hg), is a synthetic genetic circuit system that uses the standard components of the arabinose operon and mercury operon, plus some BioBricks®developedbypreviousyeariGEM. Although the prototype is a simple genetic construct, the interesting concept is the capability this operon offers as a symbiotic bio-remediation optimizer when inserted in Escherichia coli and paired with Acacia mangium.

Methods— The main idea is to develop a synthetic system capable of expressing Hg bioremediating parts, specifically merP, merT and merB, to achieve a precipitation of Hg and observe a colorimetric change as proof of proper function using amilCP in the acacia tree arabic gum. This system will be inserted into E. coli which will be inoculated on A. mangium.

Key results— The union between A. mangium and E. coli is theorized to result in a mutualistic symbiotic relationship. This can be proven by observing the change of the bioconcentration factor (BCF) of the tree and the colorimetric changes in the bark of the tree as time progresses. We expect to precipitate HgS in the arabic gum and achieve an increase in the overall Hg bioremediation.

Conclusions— With this prototype the boundaries of Synthetic Biology will be redefined. We are proposing the emergence of synthetic symbionts by exploiting the characteristics of A. mangium’s natural Hg phytoremediation process and its high gum arabica generation and content by pairing it with our host organism transformed with Sy²B-Hg.

LITERATURE CITED 1. Buelvas A. & Rodríguez G. (2017). Acacia Mangium capacity as a plant phytoremediation of soils contaminated with mercury. Retreieved from http://repositorio.unicordoba.edu.co/handle/123456789/474?show=full–205. 2. Denton, J., & Gokhale, C. S. (2018). Promoting synthetic symbiosis under environmental disturbances. Biorxiv. doi:10.1101/395426 3. Lim, J., Lee, D. H., & Heu, S. (2014). The Interaction of Human Enteric Pathogens with Plants. The Plant Pathology Journal,30(2), 109-116. doi:10.5423/ppj.rw.04.2014.0036 4. Dell, B., & Mccomb, A. (1979). Plant Resins—Their Formation, Secretion and Possible Functions. Advances in Botanical Research Advances in Botanical Research Volume 6,277-316. doi:10.1016/s0065-2296(08)60332-8 5. Ravichandran, M., Aiken, G. R., Reddy, M. M., & Ryan, J. N. (1998). Enhanced Dissolution of Cinnabar (Mercuric Sulfide) by Dissolved Organic Matter Isolated from the Florida Everglades. Environmental Science & Technology,32(21), 3305-3311. doi:10.1021/es9804058

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Biodiversity of Deep-sea Zooplankton off the Southwest Coast of Puerto Rico Patricia Rodríguez1,3, Camille A. Berrocal2, Giovanna González1, Govind Nadathur2, Nikolaos V.

Schizas2 1 Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico at

Mayaguez; patricia.rodriguez14@upr.edu, giovanna.gonzalez@upr.edu 2 Department of Marine Sciences, University of Puerto Rico at

Mayaguez; camille.amaro1@upr.edu, govind.nadathur@upr.edu, nschizas@upr.edu 3 Presenting author

Premise of the study — The vast majority of research in the Caribbean tailors towards the

coastal ecosystems because of the presence of coral reefs and the concerns about their rapid degradation rates.  There are other ecosystems that contain both high levels of biodiversity and could be susceptible to rapid changes such as the zooplankton. Our knowledge though is limited, especially the deeper zooplankton of the Caribbean, since efforts has been greatest in shallow, nearshore water (Miloslavich et al. 2010). Here, we report our ongoing studies on the biodiversity of deep-sea zooplankton from a sample collected off the southwest coast of Puerto Rico during 2016-2017.  

Methods — We collected a wide array of zooplankton using nets of various mesh sizes at approximately 500-600m depth during night. With the use of a dissecting microscope, the samples were sorted by taxa. Ninety-six specimens were selected to conduct DNA extraction and PCR amplification of Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit 1 (CO1) marker. Photographic evidence of each selected specimen was recorded.

Key results — The most abundant taxon was the Calanoida copepods, followed by chaetognath, decapod larvae, ostracods, amphipods, mysids and isopods, among others. We are developing a photographic catalogue that will be accompanied by DNA barcoding information to unambiguously assign species names, especially to juvenile stages of zooplankton.

Conclusions — Our study is focusing in highlighting the rich zooplankton biodiversity of the deep-sea of Puerto Rico and develop a visual learning guide for the students of zooplankton biology.

LITERATURE CITED Miloslavich P, Diaz JM., Klein E, Alvarado JJ, Diaz C, et al. (2010). Marine Biodiversity in the

Caribbean: Regional Estimates and Distribution Patterns. PLoS ONE, 5(8): e1916. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011916

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Microbial bioelectrochemistry applied in the creation of a biobattery prototype as an alternative form of energy

Alondra De Jesús1, Andrea Guilloty2, Elba González3, Paula M. Mañán4 and Erik Vélez5

Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez 1alondra.de@upr.edu, 2andrea.guilloty@upr.edu, 3elba.gonzalez5@upr.edu, 4paula.manan@upr.e

du, 5erik.velez@upr.edu Premise of study: A prototype of a bio-battery has been created based on a microbial fuel cell whose mechanism is similar to a conventional alkaline battery. The purpose of this model is to provide an alternative form of energy that uses organic matter and it is easier to dispose off. Studies have reported that certain microorganisms, like Geobacter sulfurreducens, have the capability to transfer electrons to the outer membrane of the cell. This is possible because of the presence of c-type cytochromes that transport the electrons from the interior to the outer membrane of the cell. The c-type cytochromes work together with a type IV pili to transport the electrons to the electrode by direct contact. The flow of electrons through the electrode will generate a current and a voltage that will function as a source of energy for devices of common use. Methods: To have enough electrons for the production of energy, the function of the C-type cytochromes will be maximized in G. sulfurreducens. This will be done by inserting a plasmid with the omcS and omcZ genes, which are native to this bacteria. A biofilm of G. sulfurreducens is also needed to get a high concentration of electrons. To develop an electroactive biofilm, it has to be produced on a polarized electrode by making it the final electron acceptor. To create the biofilm, the culture of bacteria is placed in a biofilm reactor in a medium that lacks a final electron acceptor which is then placed in the anode. The electrode potential will change due to the oxidation-reduction as a result of the transfer of electrons. Key results: This is a prototype, therefore it has not been tested in the laboratory. Conclusions: Hypothesis to be proven. Literature cited: Butler, J. E., Young, N. D., & Lovley, D. R. (2010). Evolution of electron transfer out of the

cell: Comparative genomics of six Geobacter genomes. BMC Genomics, 11:40. Park, I., & Kim, B. (2011). Homologous overexpression of omcZ, a gene for an outer surface c-

type cytochrome of Geobacter sulfurreducens by single-step gene replacement. Biotechnology Letters, 33, 2043-2048. Schrott, G. D., Bonanni, P., Robuschi, L., Esteve-Nuñez, A., & Busalmen, J. (2011). Electrochemical insight into the mechanism of electron transport in biofilms of Geobacter sulfurreducens. Electrochimica Acta, 56, 10791-10795. Strycharz, S. M., Glaven, R. H., Coppi, M. V., Gannon, S. H., Perpetua, L. A., Liu, A., Lovley, D. R. (2011). Gene expression and deletion analysis of mechanisms for electron transfer from electrodes to Geobacter sulfurreducens. Bioelectrochemistry, 80, 142-150. Romero Mejía, A. A., Vásquez, J. A., & González, A. L. (2012). Bacterias, fuente de energía para el futuro. Tecnura, 16, 118-143.

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Hongos contaminantes en obras de arte del Museo de Arte de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Mayagüez

Stephanie S. González Martínez1,2, Shaina M. Santiago Vargas1 y María M. Vargas1 1Departamento de Biología, Universidad de Puerto Rico

Mayagüez; stephanie.gonzalez36@upr.edu, shaina.santiago1@upr.edu, mariam.vargas@upr.edu

2 Presentador Premisa de estudio: Uno de los mayores retos en un museo de arte es evitar la contaminación por hongos debido a la capacidad de estos para afectar la integridad de una obra dependiendo del material con el que se elaboró la pieza. Ante la amenaza de contaminación fúngica y deterioro de las obras se toman varias medidas preventivas tales como el manejo de temperatura, porcentaje de humedad, cantidad de iluminación que recibe una pieza; las obras son monitoreadas periódicamente con un reporte de condición donde se evalúa exhaustivamente el estado de la obra. Además de la utilización de material de conservación para el manejo y transporte de las mismas. Según la NPS, “National Park Service”, en su Manual para Museos de 1999 la temperatura en la que se debe mantener una sala de un museo debe estar en un rango de 60-70OF mientras que la humedad debe mantenerse en un rango de 40-60%. Para este estudio se buscó indentificar los posibles hongos aparentes en el Museo de Arte del Recinto, estableciendo como áreas bajo investigación obras de arte como esculturas y planchas de grabado, relacionando de este modo la posible presencia o ausencia fungica con la humedad, temperatura e iluminación controlada especifico de un museo. Metodos: El proyecto fue dividido en dos fases: exposición de platos y muestreo directo en obras que habían sido previamente identificadas como potencialmente contaminadas con hongos, ya sea por una corrosión en el material o de pigmentos. El medio de cultivo utilizado fue “Potato Dextrose Agar” con y sin cicloheximida para inhibir crecimiento bacteriano. Las obras fueron muestreadas con un hisopo estéril, se inoculó en PDA con y sin ácido láctico. Resultados claves: Se ha registrado crecimiento de los siguientes géneros: Penicillium, Aspergillus, Mucor, Rhizopus, Paecilomyces y Cladosporium. Conclusiones: La fase de identificación no ha sido finalizada aún dado a que se encuentran algunos organismos en cámaras húmedas para lograr obtener un arreglo morfológico que permita su identificación

LITERATURA CITADA National Park Service. 1999. NPS Museum Handbook, Part I, Museum

Collections. <<https://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/MHI/mushbkI.html>> accesado: 12 abril 2019

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Coli Ctrl: Characterized ligth-responsive plasmid in Escherichia coli applied in integrated plague management.

LucíaColónRamos1,5,NathanCorderoGonzález2,ClaudiaMañánMejías3,AlondradeJesúsRamos2,LuisMontalvoGonzález1,EstebanBermúdezBerrios3,NataliaOrtizRivera3,Dr.Carlos

RíosVelázquez1,Dra.PatriciaOrtizBermúdez4

1Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez; lucia.colón@upr.edu, luis.montalvo7@upr.edu, carlos.rios5@upr.edu

2Department of Industrial Biotechnology nathan.gonzalez@upr.edu, alondra.de@upr.edu

3Department of Chemical Engineering claudia.manan@upr.edu, esteban.bermudez1@upr.edu, natalia.ortiz22@upr.edu

4Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico- Mayagüez; patricia.ortiz3@upr.edu

5Presenting Author Premise of the study— Bacteria naturally respond to different stimuli in their environment

with the use of an innate signal pathway known as Two-Component Systems (TCS), a sensorprotein or better known as histidine kinase (HK)-response regulator (RR) circuit. Through amechanism of phosphorylation between these proteins a message is delivered and thus theactivation of genes. Recent studies have demonstrated that if modified, this sensor protein canrespond to light, giving it an optogenetic property (Siya 2017). In this studywehavedecided tocreate a controllable, customizable and optimized gene expression circuit using this optogeneticapproachasourstimulus.

Methods— Here we expand on previous studies by generating a plasmid with all the building blocks necessary to become a predictable light-responsive gene expression system that can be expressed in Escherichia coli. Using Cph1, a light sensing domain, from Cyanobacteria Synechocystis and Narx-NarL as our TCS of choice, as our fundamental building blocks. In addition, we incorporated multiple cloning sites (MCS) in strategic places to make this circuit customizable. To further demonstrate the capability of this prototype, we plan to test it with an application in Integrated Plague Management (IPM) of phytopathogens like Xanthomonas campestris (Xcc) in food crops such as Capsicum annuum (peppers) and Eryngium foetidum (Vietnamese coriander). Key results— We expect that by applying a specific wavelength to a reengineered natural sensor from a TCS, then gene expression will be induced resulting in the controllable and predictable production of a determined byproduct.

Conclusions—N/A

LITERATURECITED

Siya,M,etal.2017.Re-engineeringthetwo-componentsystemsaslight-regulatedinEscherichiacoli.UniversityofScienceandTechnologyofChina.J.BiosciVol.42,No.4,pp565-573.DOI:10.1007/s12038-017-9711-8

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SynthesisandCharacterizationofChitosan/TiO2asaBiocideCompositeResearch

GénesisReyesVega1,KarlaJ.RomeroPacheco2,JohnE.LópezCalero3,ArianaTorresRivera4,EdwinJ.RamosMercado5,OscarMarceloSuarez6

1,7BiologyDepartment,UniversityofPuertoRico-Mayagüez,genesis.reyes9@upr.edu

2ChemicalEngineering,UniversityofPuertoRico–Mayagüez,karla.romero2@upr.edu3Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez, johnny.lopez1@upr.edu

4ChemicalEngineering,UniversityofPuertoRico–Mayagüez,ariana.torres4@upr.edu

5CivilEngineering,UniversityofPuertoRico–Mayagüez,edwin.ramos19@upr.edu

6EngineeringSciencesandMaterialsDepartment,UniversityofPuertoRico–Mayagüez,oscarmarcelo.suarez@upr.edu

7BiologyDepartment,UniversityofPuertoRico-Mayagüez,genesis.reyes9@upr.edu

Premiseofthestudy—Dangeroussuperbugsthatpossesthemultidrugresistantgene(MDR)areemerging, thereforeanewinnovativemethodtocounteract thewidespreadgrowth isneeded.Assuch,thisresearchwillemployanovelbiocompositefilmthatuseschitosanandtitaniumdioxidenanoparticles (NP) for the growth reduction of bacteria as an effective, economic and accessiblemethod.Chitosanisanorganicpolysaccharidethatpossessantibacterialpropertiesanditisanon-toxic andbiodegradable substance.TiO2 is aphotocatalyticmaterial activatedbyultraviolet (UV)light,andwhenirradiateditreleasesreactiveoxygenspeciesthatdisruptbacterialcellmembranes,therefore amplifies the effect of chitosan. Using the gram method, two common representativebacteriaofeachgroupwerechosen;agramnegative,EscherichiaColi (E. coli)andgrampositive,Staphylococcusaureus(S.aureus).

Methods—TheKirby-Bauertechniquealongwithagrowthcurveanalysisallowedassessingtheextent of the antibacterial properties of the film. The chitosan / TiO2 composite films werecharacterized and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infraredspectroscopy,andx-raydiffraction.

Keyresults—Theresults showthat thebiocomposite isable to lower thebacteriapopulation inthesamples,especiallywhencombinedwithUV-lightexposure.

Conclusions— Although chitosan already has an antimicrobial effect, using it as a matrix for TiO2 was able to enhance its effects. Films made with 1.5% TiO2 proved to be most effective. Antibacterial effects were further improved after exposing films to U-V. U-V irradiated TiO2 was overall proven to be effective against E. coli and S. aureus. Aside from some inconsistencies, the methods chosen were effective in synthesizing and eradicating bacteria.

LITERATURECITED

Mantravadi,H.B.2017.EffectivityofTitaniumOxideBasedNanoparticlesE.colifrom ClinicalSamples.Journalofclinicalanddiagnosticresearch:JCDR,11(7),DC37.

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Fungi associated to the skin of Boa constrictor in Puerto Rico Crystal J. Lara, Gabriela A. Herrero, Priscilla M. Alonso, Bárbara I. Sánchez and Alberto R. Puente

University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus: crystal.lara1@upr.edu, gabriela.herrero@upr.edu, priscilla.alonso@upr.edu, barbara.sanchez4@upr.edu, alberto.puente@upr.edu

Premise of the study—Fungal flora can be present as part of the snakes micoflora. Recently

a snake fungal disease, caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola, threatens snake’s populations in both Europe and the US. This fungal disease is considered frightening because it attacks in a systematic way. It is a potential danger to our own specie, Chilabothrus inornatus, enlisted as an endangered species. The objective of this study is to evaluate the fungi on the skin of Boa constrictor species in Puerto Rico.

Methods—Skin swabs were used to sample different parts of the body of four Boa constrictors. They were inoculating in SDA to promote the growth of fungi. Potato Dextrose Agar was used to growth and stimulate sporulation of fungi isolated at 25ᵒC. Fungi were identified by macro and microscopic characteristics.

Key results—At the moment, a total of 39 morphotypes were isolated. From those, 15.4% were yeasts like on the dorsal part and 84.6% presented as mycelium between the head, dorsal, central and tail areas. The less-growing areas were the head and ventral areas compared to the dorsal where most microorganisms grew, including yeasts.

Conclusions—The snake that presented the least amount of isolated morphotypes was the first one sampled, C#000; this is because it was kept in captivity and not on the wild like the other three specimens. Further research is being made to fully identify all the fungi morphotypes that were isolated.

LITERATURE CITED BUSTOS, M. L., SANCHEZ, M. N., PEICHOTO, M. E., & TEIBLER, G. P. (2017). PRIMER REGISTRO DE

ENFERMEDAD FUNGICA EN UNA SERPIENTE SUDAMERICANA: CARACTERISTICAS CLINICAS Y PATOLOGICAS.

LAST, L. A., FENTON, H., GONYOR- MCGUIRE, J., YABSLEY, M. J., & MATHEW, M. (2016). SNAKE

FUNGAL DISEASE CAUSED BY OPHIDIOMYCES OPHIODIICOLA IN FREE RANGING MUD SNAKE. VETERINARY DIAGNOSTIC INVESTIGATION, 709-713.

NICJOLS, D. K., WEYANT, R. S., LAMIRANDE, E. W., SIGLER, L., & MASON, R. T. (1999). FATAL

MYCOTIC DERMATITIS IN CAPTIVE BROWN TREE SNAKES. JOURNAL OF ZOO AND WILDLIFE MEDICINE, 111-118.

PARE, J. A., & JACOBSON, E. R. (N.D.). MYCOTIC DESEASES OF REPTILES. 527-570. SAMPATH, S., LESHME, Y. Y., & KENDRICK, B. (2011). FUNGI: ECOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE AND

IMPACT ON HUMANS. CHAP. THOMPSON, N. E., LANKAU, E. W., & ROGALL, G. M. (2017). SNAKE FUNGAL DISEASE IN NORTH

AMERICA. US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SCIENCE FOR A CHANGING WORLD

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Monitoring the antibiosis production potential of cultivable mycoprospects isolated from water and soil samples from the center under the 305m reflector plate of the Arecibo Observatory using radial

methods

Angélica M. González Martínez1,2, Flavio C. Rodriguez Polanco1 and Carlos Ríos Velázquez1 1Microbial Biotechnology and Bioprospecting Laboratory, Biology Department, University of

Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, angelica.gonzalez15@upr.edu, flavio.rodriguez@upr.edu and carlos.rios5@upr.edu

2 Presenting author

Premise of the study: The Arecibo Observatory (AO) contains one of the largest radio telescopes in the world and is also one of the most important research centers in Puerto Rico. It is important this area that we will be studying, since under the reflector dish of the Arecibo Observatory there is no evidence of research on the biomedical or biotechnological activities of the microbial biota present, specially fungi. The need of antibacterial drugs has increased during the last decade, due to the antibiotic’s resistance develops from the pathogens and the production of novel anti-microbial drugs specially from fungi. This motivated the search and screening new environment in order to find potential secondary metabolite producers with biomedical application. This research focus on assessing the antibiosis potential activity of the mycological bioprospecting present on water samples and soil collected from the center under the 305 m reflecting plate of the Arecibo observatory. The radar produces a radiation of 50mHz-1,000mHz, which can have an effect the microorganisms that once were on top of the dish and were later washed under the plate.

Methods: The water and core samples below the AO reflective plate were collected aseptically. The samples were serially diluted and inoculated into Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) with chloramphenicol. A soil sample was taken from a region outside the AO and processed as a control. The diluted samples were incubated at 25 ° C for 4-7 days and the isolated fungi characterized macro and microscopically. The antibiosis potential of the isolated mycoprospects was determined using the radial methods of antimicrobial monitoring. The certified bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella aerogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella diarizonae were used as targets. The procedure consisted in inoculating the fungus in the center of the Petri dish, and after incubation for 2 days at 25 °C, the bacteria were inoculated as equidistant lines toward de inoculated fungi and allowed to grow for 2 to 3 days at 25 °C.

Key results: To date, several mycoprospects showed moderate inhibition to S. aureus, B. cereus and P. aeruginosa, being the last two strains, the more inhibited by the isolates. There are work in progress to test the inhibition potential of more mycoprospects to E. faecium, K. aerogenes, K. pneumoniae and S. diarizonae and determining the molecular source of inhibition.

Conclusions: A total of 74 bioprospects were isolated and distributed as follows: 31 present in the control area, 11 in the center of the reflector plate and 32 in a water tank below the reflector plate. It was observed in the radial method how the fungi reacted with the bacteria in the form of interaction, inhibition or no reaction (neutral).

Literature Cited:

SRI, UMET and USRA. “Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico” (2015). The Observatory. 11 February 2017 <websites.suagm.edu/ao/?q=the-observatory>.

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Assessing copper resistant mycological bioprospects isolated from peripheral soil samples under the 305m reflector plate of the Arecibo Observatory

Flavio C. Rodriguez Polanco1,2 , Angélica M. González Martínez1 and Carlos Ríos Velázquez1 1Microbial Biotechnology and Bioprospecting Laboratory, Biology Department, University of

Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, angelica.gonzalez15@upr.edu, flavio.rodriguez@upr.edu and carlos.rios5@upr.edu

2 Presenting author

Premise of the study: At the Arecibo Observatory (AO), several investigations have been carried out in the astronomical branch and radar, but no research has been documented in the area of microbiology, especially such as mycology, which can provide bioprospecting activities with biomedical and biotechnological applications. Price et al., 2001, suggest that a concentration of copper higher than 20 mM is required for growth inhibition; but it is known that fungi can tolerate heavy metals. In previous studies, the mycological flora from water and the soil samples underneath the AO were isolated and some of them belong to those groups of fungi most tolerant to heavy metals. Therefore, this research aims to identify the mycologic flora present at the soil samples under the 305 m reflector plate of the AO are capable of growing in metal supplemented media such as copper.

Methods: In the laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology and Bioprospecting of the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez, samples were taken from different areas of the Arecibo Observatory Radio Telescope. Samples of soils were collected under the reflector plate of the AO aseptically, serially diluted and inoculated on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) with chloramphenicol. After incubation at 25 °C for 4 to 7 days, a total of 158 bioprospects were isolated from the soil samples. The heavy metals tolerance test, the isolated fungi, were grown on Czapek Yeast Extract Agar (CYEA) medium to which copper (II) sulphate pentahydrate (CuSO4·5H2O) was added at different concentrations (0mM, 4mM, 6mM, 15mM, 25mM, 35mM, and 50mM). Fungal isolates were inoculated in the media and incubated at 25 °C for 3-7 days.

Key results: Until now, the mycological flora tested have been able to grow to a concentration of 50mM of copper. When increasing the concentration, different macroscopic changes in the pigmentation were observed, such as blue-green, white edges, brown exudates, texture similar to cotton, halos and in reverse, blue, white, yellow and black spots.

Conclusions: The purpose of this investigation was to observe if the mycological flora present in the soil samples under the reflective plate of 305 m of the AO can grow in a medium with heavy metals, such as copper. In the heavy metal tolerance test, 82 samples capable of growing at Cu of 35 mM and 63 samples capable of growing at 50 mM of 158 samples were found. By studying the mycological prospects capable of growing in high concentration of metals at a molecular level more thoroughly, potential activities and strategies with applications in metal bioremediation can be developed.

Literature Cited:

Price M.S., Classen J.J., Payne G.A. 2001. Aspergillus niger absorbs copper and zinc from swine wastewaters. Bioresources Technology. 77: 41-49.