Coral reefs are home to many species of single celled organisms known as Foraminifera, each of which contains within it multiple tiny single-celled algae. The presence of the algae has made it difficult to determine which genes are present in the foraminiferans because the algal genomes are hard to separate from those of their hosts. This research applies recent advances in genomic sequencing technology to overcome this problem by producing thousands of DNA sequences for the mixture of the foraminiferan (host) and the microalga (symbiont) together. Then the microalga will be grown separately and DNA sequences will be generated for it. Using a computer, the set of microalgal sequences can be subtracted from the set of foraminiferan sequences. The subtracted sequence data can then be used to determine the evolution of the two organisms in the symbiosis.
Foraminifera are bioindicators of global climate change, and maintaining their symbiosis with algae is critical to survival of the reef ecosystem. This research will help conservation of coral reefs by helping to identify genes associated with maintenance of the endosymbiotic condition. In addition, the symbiosis between foraminiferans and microalgae provides a model single-cell system to investigate basic biological phenomena such as cell-to-cell recognition. The project will also provide student training opportunities through the mentoring program at the American Museum of Natural History.
