Tardigrade Chemotaxis
Start Date
2023 4:00 PM
Location
Alter Hall Poster Session 2 - 2nd floor
Abstract
Tardigrades are often thought to be lumbering organisms that are not capable of seeking out nutrients or demonstrating chemotaxis, the movement of an organism in response to a particular substance. We suspected that tardigrades possessed the ability to recognize foods and poisons and to move up or down concentration gradients appropriately. We constructed testing arenas and established a concentration gradient of variable substances and observed tardigrade movement in the arena. The tardigrade movement was filmed and digitized to quantify chemotaxis patterns. We tested multiple substances including expected attractants and repellents. Patterns were inconsistent, but trends suggest that tardigrades can sense and respond to chemical signals in their environments. Movement away from repellents was more pronounced than movement toward attractants. We are continuing to optimize our arena design in ongoing research, and eventually plan to monitor chemotaxis in situ in more realistic environments.
Tardigrade Chemotaxis
Alter Hall Poster Session 2 - 2nd floor
Tardigrades are often thought to be lumbering organisms that are not capable of seeking out nutrients or demonstrating chemotaxis, the movement of an organism in response to a particular substance. We suspected that tardigrades possessed the ability to recognize foods and poisons and to move up or down concentration gradients appropriately. We constructed testing arenas and established a concentration gradient of variable substances and observed tardigrade movement in the arena. The tardigrade movement was filmed and digitized to quantify chemotaxis patterns. We tested multiple substances including expected attractants and repellents. Patterns were inconsistent, but trends suggest that tardigrades can sense and respond to chemical signals in their environments. Movement away from repellents was more pronounced than movement toward attractants. We are continuing to optimize our arena design in ongoing research, and eventually plan to monitor chemotaxis in situ in more realistic environments.
