Project:

Parasite X: Exploring parasite diversity in the New Granada cross-banded tree frog (Smilisca phaeota) pet trade individuals

Students:

Zannat Totini, Umma Mozumder, Aongkita Biswas

Institution:

St. John's University, Queens

Mentors:

Genrietta Yagudayeva

Abstract:

This study investigates Smilisca phaeota, a tree frog species native to neotropical regions, which was found to have an unknown liver parasite, likely a nematode, discovered during the dissection of field-collected specimens acquired in the pet trade. Our study aims to identify and analyze the parasite identity within the seemingly unknown host-parasite relationship. Using transcriptomics, we will focus on isolating the host frog and the unknown parasite mitochondrial COX1 gene to determine its origin and potential impact on the frog and its surroundings biologically and ecologically. We also plan to use tissue samples from the affected frog’s liver and skin, the whole parasite, and the liver and skin of a non-affected frog of the same species and run a transcriptomics pipeline (RNA extraction, sequencing, assembly/annotation) followed by mitogenomic and phylogenetic analyses. These methods will allow us to examine the connections present and the parasite’s genetic makeup. By study

Poster:

Team samples: