Project:

Using Metabarcoding To Categorize Insect Microbiome Succession During Post-Mortem Decomposition

• Students:

• Xintong Chen, Qianqian Zhang, Yixin Yan

• School:

• Shanghai Pinghe Bilingual school; Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School; Shanghai Starriver Bilingual School, Suzhou, China

• Mentors:

• Xinyue Wang

Abstract:

The decomposition of insects, driven largely by microbial communities, is a critical process in ecosystems that occurs when insects die. This study investigates the changes in the diversity of microbiome species after insect death, aiming to explore microbial succession and their functional roles at different stages. During the process, we will use silica DNA isolation and PCR, to confirm the species of insect samples using CO1. Them, we will use Oxford Nanopore Technologies to sequence and identify bacteria using 16S DNA barcodes in insect carcasses preserved immediately after death compared to those after one day of decomposition under mimicked natural environment. Our results should show a distinct succession of microbial communities. In the initial postmortem stage, it is expected to see population growth in some bacterial species and population decline in others, which is driven by microorganisms' roles and metabolic activities during decomposition. These findings highlight the dy

Poster:

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Team samples: