Leveraging the SEA-PHAGES program to study cyanophages and support Indigenous communities

Abstract:

The Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomic and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program is a discovery-based undergraduate resource course that nearly 200 different institutions participate in from across the United States, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Beginning with simply digging in the soil to find new viruses, students are involved in an authentic research project to discover, name, and characterize viruses through a variety of microbiology techniques; students then continue for an optional second semester to complete complex genome annotations and bioinformatics analyses before their genomes are published in GenBank. The SEA-PHAGES program provides a wealth of support for faculty and students, from trouble-shooting, funding for faculty to attend trainings, and support to bring both faculty and students to an annual research symposium where students present their findings to their peers. However, the SEA-PHAGES program can be challenging to implement at tribal colleges simply because most tribal colleges require that educational programs have a cultural connection to the tribal nation that sponsors the institution. Here we present our success with the SEA-PHAGES program at Northwest Indian College and our plans to further develop the program to include cyanophages. Cyanophages infect cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) that are found in both freshwater and saltwater environments; they may aid in the prevention of harmful algal blooms (HABs) caused by certain species of cyanobacteria. Staff at the Salish Sea Research Center on NWIC’s main campus have ongoing, community-driven research on HAB species, as these regularly cause shellfish closures for both commercial and subsistence harvesters. In addition, as climate change progresses, so too does the occurrence of HABs, threatening the livelihood and culture of Coast Salish peoples. Incorporating research on cyanophages leverages the training and support provided by the SEA-PHAGES program with a direct cultural connection and benefit for Coast Salish peoples.