Date of Submission
Fall 2024
Academic Program
Division of Science, Mathematics, and Computing; Biology
Project Advisor 1
Robert Todd
Project Advisor 2
Felicia Keesing
Abstract/Artist's Statement
Understanding intrinsic behavior is essential for deciphering the fundamental principles of how organisms interact with their environments, particularly in response to stressors such as pathogens. Using Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organism, this study explores how exposure to different bacterial strains affects survival, aiming to shed light on how innate behaviors contribute to host-pathogen dynamics. Survival assays were conducted by exposing C. elegans to non-pathogenic E. coli OP50 (control), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Serratia marcescens, with survival monitored over time and analyzed using Kaplan-Meier kill curves and log-rank tests. The results showed a significant reduction in survival for worms exposed to both pathogenic bacteria, with S. marcescens causing the most rapid mortality, followed by P. aeruginosa which caused a more gradual decline. Worms maintained on E. coli OP50 exhibited normal survival patterns as expected. These findings highlight the varying pathogenicity of the bacteria and the importance of intrinsic responses in modulating survival outcomes. This work advances the understanding of innate behavior and host-pathogen interactions, emphasizing the role of conserved immune pathways like the p38/MAPK cascade in response to environmental stressors. These insights not only enhance existing knowledge of microbial pathogenesis and immune evolution but also pave the way for future research exploring behavioral responses to pathogens in C. elegans and other organisms.
Open Access Agreement
On-Campus only
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Krasniqi, Artin, "Understanding Intrinsic vs. Learned Behavior in the Roundworm C. elegans" (2024). Senior Projects Fall 2024. 31.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_f2024/31
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