Summer Research Begins

The summer researchers are learning what to look for when isolating Dictyostelium discoideum from soil samples. Here we see some characteristics that are atypical for our species, D. discoideum, namely the branching of fruiting body structures and the slugs being held aloft on the stalks. 

We are also testing out some techniques to look at how efficiently the amoeba feed on bacteria. Here the students are measuring the rate that dicty (placed in the center) can clear the bacterial lines.