Nemerteans. I have learned so much about this phylum of predatory ribbon worms in the past two weeks. The group is defined by the synapomorphy, or trait that all species within the group have, of an eversible proboscis which they use to capture prey. The nemertean everts the proboscis, which is covered in toxic mucus secretions, and wraps it around its prey. The prey is slowly paralyzed and is then swallowed whole by the nemertean. In one group of ribbon worm , the proboscis even has one ore more small spikes or stylets, that inflict an injury to the prey that allows the toxic secretions to work more quickly. There are approximately 1,300 described species, but likely several times that number exist. This is because they are not well-studied and because many of these worms look a lot alike but are actually genetically distinct species . That is, they are “cryptic” species! That is where Dr. Maslakova’ s work comes in. As I mentioned last week, my lab partner, Adrian, and I are working on a long-term project in the Maslakova lab aimed at quantifying the diversity of the phylum Nemertea in the Caribbean. The first step in that process is to extract DNA from the worms’ tissue.
This week, we mashed up worms. We have around one hundred ribbon worms that were collected in Colon, Panama. Each specimen has to be ground up and combined with an enzyme to help break down the tissue. From there, we are able to extract the worm’s DNA. We finished these extractions for all of our Nemerteans this week and will amplify a small segment or barcoding region of each worm’s DNA next week. Comparing those barcoding regions will help us to determine how many different species exist in the area. In non-lab news this week, my fellow interns and I have been taking full advantage of our beautiful surroundings. On Sunday, we spent the afternoon at nearby Bastendorff beach where we worked on our frisbee skills, looked at crab molts, and went for a quick swim. Yes, a few of a were brave enough to run all the way into the extremely cold ocean only to quickly retreat (twice). Our nights this week have been spent finding new trails in the woods and watching the sunset on beautiful new beaches. The constant chatter about research, and a shared love of marine invertebrates keeps us happy, busy, and excited for the weeks to come.
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AuthorHi! I’m Megan Powers, a fourth year Biology and Environmental Sciences student at the University of Iowa. Throughout my summer at OIMB, I will be working with the Maslakova lab to assess Nemertean diversity in the Caribbean. Archives
August 2019
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