Dr. Clarissa Sit

Webinar Link

Join us on Zoom: https://sfu.zoom.us/j/65943481659?pwd=dThUdWdsL0VvOWRvdmRPTzNnS1hGdz09

Webinar ID: 659 4348 1659

Passcode: 461928

Abstract

Bat White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a highly infectious disease that has killed 99% of the affected little brown bat populations since its introduction to North America in 2006. WNS is caused by a strain of the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans that is native to continental Europe. Interestingly, WNS has a far lower fatality rate amongst infected European brown bats, even though studies have demonstrated that the bats’ immune responses are not responsible for their increased survival. We propose that commensal microorganisms could aid in defending little brown bats against WNS. This talk will describe our approach to screening bat commensals against P. destructans using pairwise assays and extract-supplemented media assays. It will also discuss our findings with regards to the nature of the activity exhibited by the anti-fungal strains, and the natural products we have elucidated to date.