The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $189,772 Project Grant under the Integrative Activities (IA) program to the University of Puerto Rico Research and Development Center Division, Mayaguez Campus. This grant, awarded on June 1, 2024, aims to advance scientists' understanding of reptile microbiomes in natural environments, filling critical knowledge gaps on how microbes influence their animal hosts.
The key products and services to be delivered through this 3-year grant include:
- Establishing long-term monitoring sites to regularly survey entire reptile communities in Puerto Rico, collecting genetic samples and voucher specimens to track microbiome community changes over time.
- Providing hands-on field and laboratory training in microbiome research methods for undergraduate students, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented groups, through course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez.
- Extending outreach efforts to K-12 schools and local communities to provide demonstrations and summer research assistantships for high school students.
- Conducting laboratory experiments to test how the mode of microbiome acquisition differs between oviparous and viviparous reptile species, and assessing the role of microbiomes in host-pathogen dynamics in captive and wild reptile populations.
This project will contribute to scientific understanding of microbiome function and host conservation, while also cultivating a more inclusive scientific community.
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