Next Thursday 30 November 2023 12:00 am on the Seminar Room - SS6 (Institutes building floor -1), Dr Haseeb Randhawa (University of Iceland) will give a Seminar on "Do micronutrient profiles of parasites match those of their hosts? A case study of elasmobranchs and their tapeworms"
SEMINAR(i):
Do micronutrient profiles of parasites match those of their hosts? A case study of elasmobranchs and their tapeworms.
WHO?: Dr Haseeb Randhawa
University of Iceland
LANGUAGE?: English
WHEN?: Thursday 30/11/2023 - 12:00 am.
WHERE?: Seminar Room - SS6 (Institutes building floor -1)
ABSTRACT:
Chemical analyses, such as stoichiometry and stable isotope analyses, are used increasingly to shed light on host-parasite interactions and trophic ecology. These methods can reveal the flux of energy from host to parasites and provide key insights into the trophic position of the latter. However, the extent to which micronutrient profiles of parasites, such as essential fatty acids (FA) and amino acids (AA), mirror those of their host remains unknown. Here, I compare the FA and AA ratios from tapeworms relative to their elasmobranch hosts using gas chromatography. The results suggest that FA and AA profiles differ between elasmobranchs and their respective tapeworm parasites. Additionally, host nutrition seems to affect micronutrient profiles of parasites. The implications of differing profiles for individual parasite fitness remain largely unexplored.
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