IMAM-AquaRio - Rio de Janeiro Aquarium Research Center

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Bioengineering

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation

Helena D. M. Villela¹, Caren L. S. Vilela¹, Juliana M. Assis¹, Natascha Varona², Camille Burke², David A. Coil², Jonathan A. Eisen², Raquel S. Peixoto^1,2,3

¹LEMM, Laboratory of Molecular Microbial Ecology, Institute of Microbiology Paulo de Góes, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), ²Genome Center, University of California, Davis, ³IMAM-AquaRio - Rio de Janeiro Aquarium Research Center

Pollution affects all biomes. Marine environments have been particularly impacted, especially coral reefs, one of the most sensitive ecosystems on Earth. Bioremediation is the capacity of organisms to degrade contaminants. Here, we describe methodologies to isolate and test microbes presenting bioremediation ability and potential probiotic characteristics for corals.

Biology

Inducing Polyp Bail-out in Coral Colonies to Obtain Individualized Micropropagates for Laboratory Experimental Use

Pedro M. Cardoso¹, Ahmed A. Alsaggaf¹, Helena M. Villela¹, Raquel S. Peixoto¹

¹Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST)

Polyp bail-out is a process induced by acute stress, in which coral polyps digest the tissue connecting them to their colony and detach from it to live as individuals. The present protocol describes how to induce coral micropropagation by bail-out using hypersaline or calcium-free seawater treatments.