Our latest paper on snail microbiome is now out in Parasites and Vectors!
This is the first first-author paper by Stephanie, former PhD student in our lab! In this study, she investigated the impact of schistosome (blood fluke) infection on the microbiomes of the hemolymph (blood) and hepatopancreas (liver) of Biomphalaria glabrata snails. We previously demonstrated that these snails have specific microbiomes associated with their organs and hemolymph. Stephanie hypothesized that schistosome infection would disturb these microbiomes, specifically in the hemolymph, which bathes the parasite, and the liver, in which the parasites develop. To test this, she monitored two cohorts (one exposed and one non-exposed) and sampled snails weekly for 39 days. Surprisingly, she found that schistosome infection had no effect on bacterial density and only a minimal, transient impact on microbiome composition, mainly at key time points during the pre-patent period. The stability of these microbial communities my be the results of a highly adapted, long-term evolutionary relationship between the snail and the parasite.
Congrats to Stephanie and all the co-authors!