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CIliates as NAtural Reservoir of potentially PATHOgenic BACTERia: an ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation

Final Report Summary - CINAR PATHOBACTER (CIliates as NAtural Reservoir of potentially PATHOgenic BACTERia: an ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation)

The aim of 7FP IRSES project “CIliates as NAtural Reservoir of potentially PATHOgenic BACTERia: an ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation” (CINAR PATHOBACTER) was to set up an international research network that, starting from the collection of novel isolates especially from tropical regions, would perform an ecological, functional and evolutionary genomic investigation on symbiotic bacteria retrieved from ciliates showing phylogenetic affinities to pathogenic ones.
Throughout the four years of the project we have developed research interactions and exchanges, both at an intra-European level and between European and non-European countries, pursuing our aims to promote and coordinate interrelationships and joint projects among the units. Several young researchers have been trained in foreign laboratories. The interest aroused by CINAR PATHOBACTER network attracted external researchers from non-European countries that initially participated to our internal meetings, and officially joint the network as partners (University of Montreal, Canada) during the third year.
At a scientific level, the network has achieved most of its original aims in terms of deliverables and milestones reached. In detail, we performed a systematic sampling in many countries including tropical ones, especially India. We performed many cultivation attempts on retrieved ciliates whose morphological, molecular and ultrastructural characterization has been performed and is still in progress. Newly sampled ciliates were also screened for the presence of bacterial symbionts whose multidisciplinary characterization has been performed and is still in progress. An evolutionary genomic analysis of the available genome sequence of the bacterial symbiont of ciliates Polynucleobacter necessarius was completed and published. Genomic sequencing of another symbiont, Holospora caryophila, is on the way to be finished and the genomic sequencing of other three symbionts characterized during the project is in process. Eco-physiological and evolutionary epidemiological studies on ciliates and their symbionts were also performed. A total of sixteen extended publications have been already produced by CINAR PATHOBACTER network and several others are either submitted or in preparation.
Obtained results and their possible developments are of potential interest for aquaculture and related industries. Other potentially interested industries could involve those dealing with wastewater and sanitation treatment systems.