South Dakota Entisol and Paleosol: Bacterial and Secondary Metabolite Identification and Comparison
Abstract
The Bouquet Table and the Red Dog Table, areas found in the Badlands region of South Dakota, offer diverse environmental settings due to their distinct topographical features and soil properties. The Bouquet Table soil is about 3,000 years old and is considered a young entisol. The Red Dog Table located in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota is unique and has a calibrated 14C age of 12,700 years. It is located close to an undisturbed area of temperate grasslands and has most likely not been touched by machinery for plowing.
We aim to investigate how specific soil conditions and age can influence microbial communities and their antibiotic production capabilities. Our hypothesis is that the distinct elevations and varying soil conditions of the Bouquet Table and Red dog table table soil samples may yield different microbial growth with the potential to produce antibiotics with distinct compositions. To this end, we will utilize next-generation sequencing to examine the microbial distribution in these soils, providing a comprehensive understanding of the microbial communities present. We have already analyzed the collected soil samples for microorganisms and assessed their ability to produce antibiotics against ESKAPE safe relatives, which are akin to the most common drug-resistant pathogens causing hospital-acquired infections. In our preliminary investigations, we have discovered that three bacterial strains isolated from the Bouquet Table soil samples exhibit antibiotic activity against M. smegmatis, while one strain demonstrates efficacy against A. Baylyi. Further, we plan to conduct chemical analyses of these compounds to determine their structure and composition. In collaboration with Tiny Earth, our objective is to identify microorganisms capable of generating novel antibiotic substances, potentially influenced by the unique interplay of elevation and soil conditions.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Aarti Raja, Dr. Paul Baldauf
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-3-2024 12:30 PM
End Date
4-4-2024 1:30 PM
South Dakota Entisol and Paleosol: Bacterial and Secondary Metabolite Identification and Comparison
Alvin Sherman Library
The Bouquet Table and the Red Dog Table, areas found in the Badlands region of South Dakota, offer diverse environmental settings due to their distinct topographical features and soil properties. The Bouquet Table soil is about 3,000 years old and is considered a young entisol. The Red Dog Table located in Pine Ridge Indian Reservation of South Dakota is unique and has a calibrated 14C age of 12,700 years. It is located close to an undisturbed area of temperate grasslands and has most likely not been touched by machinery for plowing.
We aim to investigate how specific soil conditions and age can influence microbial communities and their antibiotic production capabilities. Our hypothesis is that the distinct elevations and varying soil conditions of the Bouquet Table and Red dog table table soil samples may yield different microbial growth with the potential to produce antibiotics with distinct compositions. To this end, we will utilize next-generation sequencing to examine the microbial distribution in these soils, providing a comprehensive understanding of the microbial communities present. We have already analyzed the collected soil samples for microorganisms and assessed their ability to produce antibiotics against ESKAPE safe relatives, which are akin to the most common drug-resistant pathogens causing hospital-acquired infections. In our preliminary investigations, we have discovered that three bacterial strains isolated from the Bouquet Table soil samples exhibit antibiotic activity against M. smegmatis, while one strain demonstrates efficacy against A. Baylyi. Further, we plan to conduct chemical analyses of these compounds to determine their structure and composition. In collaboration with Tiny Earth, our objective is to identify microorganisms capable of generating novel antibiotic substances, potentially influenced by the unique interplay of elevation and soil conditions.
