The innovation engine for new materials

Faeben Wossenseged

Faeben Wossenseged, Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara

Major: 

Biological Sciences

Mentor(s): 

Anna James

Faculty Sponsor(s): 

Elizabeth Wilbanks

Faculty Sponsor's Department(s): 

Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology

Project Title: 

Role of Antibiotics in Shaping Kelp Microbiome

Project Description: 

Host-microbe interactions play a critical role in host development and health. The symbiotic relationship between a host and the collection of microbes that constitute the ‘host microbiome’ can be studied in kelp in order to better understand the function of these tiny organisms in relation to kelp’s physiological state. Antibiotics are influential in shaping the kelp microbiome and can be produced by the kelp itself, or by specific bacterial populations in an attempt to minimize competition for space and resources on the kelp surface. The aim of this project is to develop antibiotic resistance profiles of different kelp bacteria strains to better understand how antibiotics are utilized to keep kelp blades healthy. Antibiotic sensitivity tests were performed on six different kelp bacteria strains using five different antibiotics: chloramphenicol, gentamicin, ampicillin, kanamycin, and neomycin. The chosen kelp bacteria showed high levels of susceptibility to chloramphenicol and high levels of resistance to gentamicin, indicating that future studies are required to understand these potentially critical antibiotics in shaping kelp-microbe interactions.