BRC-BIO: Community Assembly and Transmission of Puerto Rican Reptile Microbiomes: Evolutionary, Ecological, and Pathogen Implications

University Of Puerto Rico Mayaguez, Mayaguez PR

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to advance scientists understanding of reptile microbiomes in natural environments, filling critical gaps in knowledge of how microbes influence their animal hosts. While animal host-microbiome research has focused on captive mammals, the diversity of wild reptile species and populations have been largely neglected. This project will investigate the acquisition, assembly, and function of microbial communities within Puerto Rican reptiles, spanning all twelve families native to the island. Long-term monitoring sites will be established where entire reptile communities can be regularly surveyed and will contribute genetic samples and voucher specimens to track community changes over time. Beyond scientific advancement, the project entails broader impacts that foster diversity and inclusion in STEM fields. Undergraduate students from traditionally underrepresented groups will gain training and experience in fieldwork and molecular methods, as well as animal care and experimental design thereby broadening participation in science and preparing students for STEM careers. The project will establish course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, offering hands-on field and laboratory training. Outreach efforts will extend to K-12 schools and local communities, providing real-time demonstrations and opportunities for high school students to engage in summer research assistantships. Ultimately, this research will contribute not only to scientific understanding of microbiome function and host conservation but also to the cultivation of a more inclusive scientific community. There are currently no community-wide microbiome surveys of reptile hosts, and this project will fill this critical knowledge gap. The project seeks to address questions that reveal the roles of host ecology, evolutionary history, and geographic location in shaping reptile microbiomes, the mechanisms of microbiome transmission and impacts of emergent pathogens through data collection from next generation DNA sequencing. Sampling from natural populations will test whether both epithelial ectodermal and endogenous (gut) microbiome communities from reptile host species assemble predictably according to island size. Hosts’ microbiomes will be analyzed to determine whether ecological drivers, like niche specialization, geographic distribution, diets and captive environments, or evolutionary (phylogenetic) history are strongly correlated with variation among associated microbiome communities. Laboratory experiments will test whether the mode of acquisition of microbiomes by reptile species differs between oviparous and viviparous life histories. The role of the microbiome in host-pathogen dynamics in captive and wild populations will be assessed along with monitoring of emergent disease in reptiles of Puerto Rico. The project not only informs host-microbiome dynamics of Puerto Rican reptiles but will provide baseline data for species with high invasion potential, thus informing conservation strategies on a global scale. This project is jointly funded by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and the Divisions of Environmental Biology and Biological Infrastructure. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.