Metagenomic Analysis to Determine Habitat and Abundance of Helicosporidium

Metagenomic Analysis to Determine Habitat and Abundance of Helicosporidium

Helicosporidium are parasitic, non-photosynthetic green algae shown to have potential in providing biological control against mosquito larvae. By determining whereHelicosporidium resides, this organism can be more abundantly studied to gain a better understanding of its life cycle, transmission, and potential effects as biological control agents. Therefore, the isolation and study of Helicosporidium shows promise in the fields of biology and environmental science. In this research project, environmental water samples were obtained and analyzed to determine if any Helicosporidium inhabited the sample. Using a metagenomics approach, DNA extraction of all the microorganisms residing in the water samples were conducted followed by Polymerase chain reactions. Primers that specifically target a nucleotide sequence unique to the Helicosporidiumspecies were used to amplify the 18S rDNA gene from several metagenomic DNA preparations. Through these molecular techniques, the presence of Helicosporidiumspecies in the water samples was determined.