Seminar Details

Host-Vibrio interactions in natural and man-made marine eco-systems: Where are all the Vibrios?

Date

06/12/2018

Lecturers

Dr. Orr Shapiro - Dept. of Food Sciences, The Volcani Center

Abstract

Many marine Vibrio species are considered opportunistic pathogens of various marine organisms. Their hosts range from invertebrates such as corals, molluscs and crustaceans to sharks and fish, with some species also capable of infecting human hosts, with often fatal consequences. Vibrio sp. are thus considered a threat to both natural ecosystems, primarily coral reefs, and man-made systems used for aquaculture and mariculture operations, and ultimately may pose a risk to human populations exposed to affected seawater or under-cooked seafood. In my talk I will present results from a number of systems developed specifically to explore host-vibrio interactions under controlled laboratory settings, utilizing advanced microscopy and microfluidic tools. I will use the results from these experiments and from the literature to argue that the number of vibrio cells reported in the ocean is mostly too low to explain the widespread vibrio infections we observe, particularly in natural environments, and suggest one possible solution to this apparent discrepancy.

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