In addition to the water column, the MOVE project studies the sediments of the Chesapeake Bay. Only a modest amount of information is currently known about abundance, diversity and activity of viruses in aquatic sediments. We study not only the
characterization of marine sediment viruses (abundance,
morphology and genetic diversity), but also what role
sediment viruses play within the marine sediment environment.
This gives a more complete understanding of the carbon and
nutrient flux through marine microbial communities, thus
helping scientists to comprehend the
considerable role that viruses.
Team Members:
Eric Wommack - PI
Rebekah Helton - Ph.D. Candidate (2001 - present)
Publications:
Helton R.R., L. Liu, and K.E. Wommack. 2006. Assessment of factors influencing direct enumeration of viruses within estuarine sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:4767-4774.
Presentations:
Helton, R.R., and K.E. Wommack. 2006. The methodology of viral extraction from sediments. The Scientific Committee for Oceanographic Research (SCOR)-working group on marine viruses., The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Submitted. Poster presentation.
Helton, R.R., and K.E. Wommack. 2006. Examination of Viral Diversity in Chesapeake Bay Sediments. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Summer Meeting, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Submitted. Oral presentation.
Helton, R.R. 2006. The unseen and the undead: viruses of marine and estuarine sediments. Delaware Biotechnology Institute Student Luncheon Seminar. Delaware Biotechnology Institute, Newark, DE. Oral presentation.
Helton, R.R., and K.E. Wommack. 2005. Exploring the nanoworld of marine and estuarine sediment viruses. Plant and Soil Science Graduate Student Symposium, University of Delaware, Newark, DE. Oral presentation.
Helton, R.R., K. Wang, J. Kan, D.M. Winget, and K.E. Wommack. 2005. What Lies Beneath: Chesapeake Bay Viriobenthos Diversity and Abundance. American Society for Microbiology, Atlanta, GA. #N-021. Poster presentation.
Helton, R.R., and K.E. Wommack. 2004. Bacteriophages of the Chesapeake Bay sediments: abundance and morphologies of the most copious form of microbial life. International Symposium for Microbial Ecology, Cancun, Mexico. Abstract page #63. Poster presentation.
Helton, R.R., J.E. Maier, and K.E. Wommack. 2004. Extraction of virus like particles (VLPs) from sediments from oligohaline, mesohaline and polyhaline zones within the Chesapeake Bay. American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, LA. #N-214. Poster presentation.
