DISEASE SCREENING IN AMPHIBIANS USING NIRS (LAB AND FIELD BASED)

Disease screening in amphibians using Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS)
30 hours per week
Salary:  $8.00/hr


DESCRIPTION: 
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is a zoosporic fungus that causes chytridiomycosis in amphibians. The rapid global spread of chytridiomycosis has decimated amphibian populations and threatens the Memphis Zoo’s amphibian collection as well. Detection of Bd is labor-intensive and traditionally confirmed histologically or using quantitative polymerase-chain reaction (qPCR) assays to confirm presence of fungal DNA. We propose the development of a rapid, cost effective and noninvasive Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) screening for Bd to prevent widespread infection of amphibians in the Memphis Zoo’s collections and build foundations for Bd detection using the Zoo’s collections to generate discriminative NIRS spectral libraries for healthy verses Bd infected amphibians across multiple species. We will calibrate NIRS spectra against qPCR Bd diagnoses to conduct immediate Bd screening of new additions to the Zoo’s amphibian collection and research colony. We will study 20 amphibian species currently housed at the Herpetarium, as well as the research colony and local wild populations of Fowler’s toads, Anaxyrus woodhousei fowleri. PURPOSE:  We intend to use the existing collection of amphibians at the Memphis Zoo to generate a comparative NIRS spectral library based on healthy and Bd infected amphibians for multiple species and  develop a novel cost-effective and immediate Bd screening assay for the Zoo’s current and future amphibian collections.


OBJECTIVES:

1. Evaluate the Bd infection status of all amphibians currently housed at the Memphis Zoo using qPCR analysis and generate associated NIRS reference spectra.
   
2. 
   
3. Determine Bd status of research colony of Fowler’s toads (A. w. fowleri) and long-term evaluation of Bd status of all amphibians in the herpetarium collection.
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5. Assess the Bd infection status of all additions to the Memphis Zoo’s amphibian collections using qPCR analysis and generate associated NIRS reference spectra.  A) Evaluate Bd status and generate a GIS map of the local distribution of Bd in wild populations of Fowler’s toads from ten local field locations used to maintain the research colony. B) Establish Bd status for newly arrived amphibians, which often come from wild populations, while temporarily quarantined at the veterinary hospital upon arrival to the zoo.
6. 
   
7. Couple the qPCR data obtained from skin swabs with NIRS calibration spectra from Objectives 1 and 2 to build a noninvasive, rapid, and cost effective screening method for Bd detection in both in-situ and ex-situ applications.

DUTIES:

1. Care and husbandry of research colony of toads;
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3. Field trips to local ponds and lakes for DNA swabbing for PCR, and NIRS scanning of wild toad populations;
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5. Scan animals in research and herpetarium collections for NIRS library developments and generate calibration equations across multiple species;
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7. Conduct discriminant analysis correlated to animal disease status from PCR analysis using chemometric methods;
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9. Perform data entry, analysis and write up of research; and
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11. Present results at the Western section of Tennessee Academy of Sciences Collegiate Annual Meeting.

QUALIFICATIONS:
Undergraduate students majoring in fields of, or related, to biology or chemistry, with a strong interest in research are encouraged to apply. Experience with field surveys or animal handling preferred but not necessary. Experience in spectroscopic methods (undergraduate laboratory coursework), basic mathematical analysis and/or statistics are preferred but not required. Excellent verbal and writing skills, basic computer literacy and the ability to operate, write and keep records independently are a must. Interns should be available to work 30 hrs per week starting near the beginning of June through the middle of August.  


APPLICATION PROCESS:
Send cover letter, CV, college transcripts (unofficial and electronic are accepted), and contact information for three references—including affiliation, address, phone number, and email address (please indicate how they know you) to Human Resources Department, Memphis Zoo, 2000 Prentiss Place, Memphis, TN 38112 c/o Dr. Carrie Vance, Disease screening in amphibians using NIRS.