35th Annual Student Research Conference
Motility of Soil Bacteria Bacillus subtilis In Vitro
Isaac J. Vilchis
Dr. Joyce Patrick, Faculty Mentor
The bacteria Bacillus subtilis is a soil bacteria associated with plant root protection of pathogenic bacteria. To colonize on these plant roots, B. subtilis utilizes swarming motility, a rapid and coordinated movement of flagellated bacteria over a surface. It is known that herbicides like neem oil, malathion, and pyrethrin inhibit growth rates of B. subtilis. This project will analyze how chemical signaling will be affected in vitro when compared to results in vivo. It will also analyze the chemical signaling of B. subtilis when exposed to herbicides such as neem oil, malathion, and pyrethrin. This project inoculates the roots of alfalfa seeds and corn seeds, and the seeds are exposed to the herbicides as the plants grow and the roots are analyzed. Results from other experiments combined with these methods promise new results and the discovery of the function of different genes in B. subtilis.
Keywords: Soil Bacteria, Bacillus Subtilis, Swarming Motility
Topic(s):Biology
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Environmental Studies
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Session: 2-11
Location: SUB Activities Room
Time: 3:00