College of Science Postgraduate Seminar Series 29th July 2014

College of Science Postgraduate Seminar Series - Summer 2014 

28th July 2014 - 1pm - Zoology Museum (Wallace)

Speaker 1: Brenda Tysse

Seeing the Unseen: Accelerometry revealing human biology secrets

Abstract- pending

Speaker 2: Carly Manuel

How stress influences aggression in the insect pathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae 

Abstract

Fungal growth under stress conditions have been known to influence both fungal virulence and phenotypic traits. Conidia of the entomopathogenic fungi metarhizium anisopliae were exposed to a number of stress conditions and then examined for germination speed, virulence to insect host (Galleria mellonella, Greater wax moth larvae) and enzymatic activity as a response to stress. Fungal conidia were produced on a nutritive medium, under non-stress conditions (Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA)) or under stress conditions: Osmotic, SDA supplemented with potassium chloride, Oxidative: UV stress, heat shock (heat treatment of conidia on SDA at 40°C, 1hr) and nutritive (minimal media with no carbon source). Conidia were most virulent on day 4, with the starvation stress medium having the fastest germination rates. In addition, conidia exposed to UV stress, had an improved stress management than other stress conditions, which could indicate enzymes involved in stress management may become impaired when exposed to other stress conditions.