Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/C001214/1
Food vacuole processing in marine heterotrophic flagellates
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr JD Parry, Lancaster University, Biological Sciences
- Grant held at:
- Lancaster University, Biological Sciences
- Science Area:
- Marine
- Overall Classification:
- Marine
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Science Topics:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Environmental Physiology
- Abstract:
- Bacteria are found everywhere and their major predators are single-celled protozoa which come in three forms, i.e. amoebae, ciliates and flagellates. It is often assumed that every bacterial cell ingested by a protozoan is digested, and models of global carbon cycling have been built on such assumptions. But it is now being realised that not all ingested bacteria are digested, particularly those that can cause disease in humans and which can be present in coastal waters e.g. E. coli in Morecambe Bay!! What this highlights, is the fact that we know absolutely nothing about what happens to a bacterial cell after it has been eaten by a protozoan. We know volumes about protozoan taxonomy, diversity, global distribution etc., but nothing about their digestive processes. All we know is that bacterial prey are placed in a food vacuole within the cell, this food vacuole probably lasts for a given period of time, presumably during which digestive processes occur, and then any waste material is defecated. We do not know how efficient the digestive process is, or whether it is influenced by the type of bacterium ingested. This study will evaluate the processing of bacteria within their major predators in marine systems, the flagellates, which are only 0.005 / 0.02 mm is size. It will determine how long food vacuoles exist inside the flagellate, how efficient the digestive system is and what proportion of ingested material is excreted. This will provide basic, biological knowledge of the cellular events occurring in one of the most abundant groups of organisms in marine systems.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/C001214/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Small Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Small Grants
This grant award has a total value of £30,840
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Staff | Total - Other Costs | Total - Indirect Costs |
|---|---|---|
| £20,241 | £1,288 | £9,311 |
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