This project will investigate the emergence of pathogenic strains of microbes, using Vibrio vulnificus, which is an important bacterial component of the aquatic coastal ecosystem that is abundant in summer months in sea sediment, zooplankton, and molluscs. V. vulnificus is a fish pathogen that causes the disease vibriosis and is an opportunistic pathogen of humans. Many Vibrio species thrive in warmer waters and both their local abundance and their geographic range have expanded in the last decade, as ocean temperatures have increased. Some environmental isolates of V. vulnificus cause severe disease with mortality rates over 50%, but how and why these strains develop is an enigma. This project will apply an array of modern molecular genetic approaches, ranging from phylogeographic analyses to ecological genomics, to advance understanding of the genetic events that allow virulent isolates to emerge and to evaluate the association of such events with climate change.
This study will advance the still rudimentary understanding of microbial evolution and adaptation to the changing aquatic environment. It will develop V vulnificus as a model organism for understanding the emergence of pathogenic microbes and the role of global environmental change in this process. This CAREER project includes extensive outreach and educational contributions, including the mentoring and research-based training of many high school and undergraduate students, two PhD students, a post-doctoral researcher, and K-12 teachers. Additionally, a public website will be developed to disseminate research results and other information on Vibrio.
