Presentation description

Shipworms are wood-digesting marine bivalves that rely upon symbiotic bacteria for cellulose digestion. These bacteria, which grow intracellularly in the gills, produce cellulases and, hypothetically, antibiotics that are transported to the shipworm's cecum to aid in digestion and prevent glucose scavenging. Lab culturing conditions play a large role in the production of these antibiotics, and manipulating them can induce the production of novel secondary metabolites.