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

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

This work is protected by a Creative Commons license. Any use not permitted under that license is prohibited.

Bard Off-campus Download

Bard College faculty, staff, and students can login from off-campus by clicking on the Off-campus Download button and entering their Bard username and password.

Share

COinS