• Skip to Content
  • Skip to Main Navigation
  • Skip to Search

Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington IU Bloomington

Open Search Menu

The College of Arts & Sciences

Department of Biology

  • Home
  • About
    • Message from the Chair
    • Faculty
    • Research Associates & Postdocs
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • Administration
    • Offices & Centers
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Outreach
    • History
    • Job Openings
    • About Bloomington
  • Undergraduate
    • Biology
    • Biotechnology
    • Microbiology
    • Molecular Life Sciences
    • Research & Teaching Opportunities
    • Honors Program
    • Advising
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Student Experience
    • Graduate & Professional Program Preparation
    • Career Preparation
  • Graduate
    • Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior Ph.D.
    • Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology Ph.D.
    • Microbiology Ph.D.
    • Biotechnology M.S.
    • Multidisciplinary & Affiliated Programs
    • Advising
    • Financial Support
    • Awards & Fellowships
    • Career Preparation
    • How to Apply
    • Life Assistance
  • Research
    • Research Faculty
    • Associated Research Faculty
    • Research Strengths
    • Centers, Instrumentation, & Resources
    • Faculty Awards
  • News & Events
    • Seminars
    • Discussion Groups & Journal Clubs
    • Named Lectures
    • Newsletters
    • Annual Microbiology Retreat
    • News
    • Events
  • Alumni & Giving
  • Search
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
  • Donate
  • Seminars
  • Discussion Groups & Journal Clubs
  • Named Lectures
  • Newsletters
  • Annual Microbiology Retreat
  • News
  • Events
  • Home
  • News & Events
  • News
  • 2022 News
  • New Indiana University coral facility receives funding to study how pathogen infects coral

New Indiana University coral facility receives funding to study how pathogen infects coral

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

Pocillopora damicornis: pink SPS coral on floor of Red Sea.
Pocillopora damicornis, also known as cauliflower coral, is seen in this photo on the floor of the Red Sea. It can be pink, green, or brown in color. It is native to tropical and subtropical parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Because it is an incredibly hardy coral species suitable for aquaculture experiments, it will be used in the new IU facility. Adobe Stock photo 450381539

Excitement was in her voice as Victoria Lydick, who oversees the new coral facility at IU Bloomington, explained the purpose of the tanks and other equipment in the lab. Lydick is a research associate in the laboratory of Julia van Kessel, an associate professor in the IU College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biology.

The National Science Foundation and its internationally funded Binational Science Foundation have awarded a grant to van Kessel and colleagues to study the coral reef ecosystem. Specifically, the researchers hope to gain a better understanding of how to help maintain coral reefs by learning how the coral pathogen Vibrio coralliilyticus interacts with its environment in a coral host.

About half of the world’s total coral reef cover has been lost since the 1950s due to many causes—including anthropogenic climate change, disease outbreaks, destructive fishing practices, and pollution. Increases in ocean temperature due to climate change correlate with increased disease incidence and outbreaks in coral.

Julia van Kessel--a white woman with long, straight, brown hair--smiles for the portrait photo.
Julia van Kessel. Photo by Sandee Milhouse
Victoria Lydick--a white woman with long, wavy, dark brown hair and wearing glasses--smiles in the portrait photo.
Victoria Lydick. Photo by Terri Greene

The bacterium V. coralliilyticus is a primary and opportunistic pathogen that infects numerous species of coral and causes bleaching and tissue loss, as well as potentially exacerbating the effects of other diseases.

The van Kessel lab—which specializes in quorum sensing, a cell-cell communication signaling process used by some bacteria—and colleagues hypothesize that quorum sensing signaling and temperature variations control virulence genes of V. coralliilyticus that are critical to the bacteria’s ability to infect coral. They will investigate how temperature, other bacteria, and communications between V. coralliilyticus populations alter the ability of the pathogens to cause coral diseases. The researchers will identify and examine virulence factors controlled by primary systems that respond to the environment as well as examine how each of these systems influences coral colonization and disease progression in a live coral infection model and its microbiome.

With guidance from Blake Ushijima, an assistant professor at University of North Carolina Wilmington, and his graduate students, Lydick continues to prepare the IU facility for the coral.

“We’ll be using the coral species Pocillopora damicornis for our research,” said Lydick. “This species is a branching coral which makes it important for reef structure in coastal reefs. It is an incredibly hardy coral species which makes it suitable for aquaculture experiments.”

Building the coral facility, aka "coral corral"

Victoria Lydick, a research associate in the van Kessel lab in the IU Department of Biology, is responsible for assembling and then maintaining the facilty. Lydick explains that the facility is divided into four areas:

  • Water reservoir: 100-gallon tank to store artificial seawater (ASW). The ASW is made in the facility and the reservoir has a closed-circuit system for filtering and sterilizing our seawater.
  • Quarantine tank: The coral shipped from a distributor will initially be housed in a quarantine tank for an isolation period. It needs to acclimate to such conditions as light intensity, temperature, and water flow used in our facility to mimic the natural environment. Additionally, we must ensure the coral is not carrying parasites or diseases that could infect the coral already in our facility.
  • Mother tank: This tank stores the healthy coral fragments and is not exposed to experimental conditions. This setup has its own seawater sterilizing system to keep the coral healthy.
  • Experimental tanks: Two identical tank setups will be used for running experiments. Inside the large tubs, smaller tanks will be organized to hold coral that will be exposed to the bacterial strains created from the project. These experiments are called Infection Assays.

Scroll through the slides to get a glimpse of the preparation of the new coral facility.

Julia van Kessel, a woman, uses an electric drill to secure the ends of two boards coming together at a right angle as she builds large plywood shelves.
(1/8) Julia van Kessel uses a power drill to assemble the shelves that will hold the coral tanks.
Victoria Lydick, a woman, kneels one knee on a plywood shelf as she bends over and cuts a strip from the end of the shelf with a hand saw.
(2/8) Victoria Lydick trims a plywood shelf with a hand saw.
Victoria Lydick uses a compound miter saw or "chop saw" to cut even sections of white, approximately 2-inch PVC pipe.
(3/8) Victoria Lydick uses a compound miter saw (or "chop saw") to cut even pieces of PVC piping that will be used as structural support for the tank tables.
A 60-pound box of "Instant Ocean" sea salt used to create seawater for the coral tanks.
(4/8) "Instant Ocean" sea salt will be mixed with water to create artificial seawater (ASW) for the coral tanks.
A tall, cylindrical, white, 100-gallon tank that holds the artificial seawater for the coral tanks is connected to three filter containers on a shelf next to the tank.
(5/8) A 100-gallon tank stores the artificial seawater (ASW) made at the facility. The reservoir has a closed-circuit system for filtering and sterilizing the ASW.
The three filtering containers connected to the 100-gallon tank that stores the artificial seawater for the coral tanks.
(6/8) A closeup of the artificial seawater filtering system.
An approximately 30-gallon, empty, glass-sided aquarium tank sits on a plywood shelf.
(7/8) New coral arriving at the facility will be kept in the quarantine tank to acclimate it to conditions in the facility and to ensure that it is not infected before introducing it to the other tanks.
An empty "mother tank" (approxiately 50-gallon glass-sided aquarium tank) and two empty "experimental tanks" (long, blue plastic tubs slightly larger than the "mother tank") sit side-by-side on a plywood table.
(8/8) The mother tank (glass sides) will store healthy coral fragments. Bacterial strains will be introduced to the coral in the experimental tanks (blue tubs).

The researchers are eager to share with the public how global warming specifically affects coral, their natural microbiomes, coral pathogens, and the animals that inhabit coral reefs. As their research evolves, they plan to showcase connections between bacterial pathogens and coral disease by using a live coral exhibit and live bacterial cultures in public outreach exhibits.

“In addition to corals, the Vibrio bacteria are pathogenic to fish, shellfish, and urchins; thus, discoveries from our work will contribute to a fundamental understanding of Vibrio pathogenesis and extend to other research programs,” said van Kessel. “Bacteria have intimate and influential interactions with the environment in many ways that are relevant to society. It is critical that we enable people in our communities to connect with science and observe basic research to understand how it impacts their daily lives.”

Collaborating with the van Kessel lab on the project are the Ushijima lab, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and the laboratory of Dor Salomon, Tel Aviv University.

  • Faculty + Staff Intranet

Department of Biology social media channels

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • College of Arts & Sciences
  • Department of Biology

The College of Arts & Sciences

Indiana University

Copyright © 2023 The Trustees of Indiana University

Accessibility | Privacy Notice

  • About
    • Message from the Chair
    • Faculty
      • Tenured + Tenure-Track Faculty
      • Teaching Faculty
      • Research Scientists
      • Faculty Emeriti
      • Faculty Affiliates
    • Research Associates & Postdocs
    • Staff
    • Graduate Students
    • Administration
    • Offices & Centers
    • Diversity & Inclusion
      • DEI Committee
    • Outreach
      • K-12 Educators
        • Biology Summer Institute
      • K-12 Students
        • Holland Summer Science Programs
          • Jim Holland Summer Enrichment Program in Biology (SEP)
          • Jim Holland Summer Science Research Program (SSRP)
          • Jim Holland Research Initiative in STEM Education (RISE)
      • Lessons
      • Outreach Activities
      • Outreach Coordinators
    • History
      • Faculty Emeriti
      • Historical Materials
    • Job Openings
    • About Bloomington
  • Undergraduate
    • Biology
      • Biology Learning Goals
      • Biology B.S.
        • Areas of Concentration
          • Biology of Disease
          • Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics
          • Integrative and Organismal Biology
      • Biology B.A.
      • B.S. for Pre-Professional Students
      • Biology Minor
    • Biotechnology
      • Biotechnology Learning Goals
        • Biotechnology BS Learning Goals
        • Biotechnology BA Learning Goals
        • Biotechnology Minor Learning Goals
      • Program Design & Resources
      • Biotechnology B.S.
      • Biotechnology B.A.
      • Biotechnology B.S./M.S.
      • Biotechnology Minor
      • Demand and Employment Analysis
    • Microbiology
      • Microbiology B.S.
      • Microbiology B.A.
      • Microbiology Minor
    • Molecular Life Sciences
    • Research & Teaching Opportunities
      • Research Programs
      • Biology X490 Independent Study
      • Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
    • Honors Program
    • Advising
    • Awards & Scholarships
    • Student Experience
    • Graduate & Professional Program Preparation
    • Career Preparation
  • Graduate
    • Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior Ph.D.
      • Steps to become EEB student
      • Curriculum
      • EEB Faculty
    • Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology Ph.D.
      • Steps to become GCDB student
      • Curriculum
      • GCDB Faculty
    • Microbiology Ph.D.
      • Steps to become Microbiology student
      • Curriculum
      • Microbiology Faculty
    • Biotechnology M.S.
      • Program Plan + Curriculum
      • Financial Support
      • Biotechnology Faculty
    • Multidisciplinary & Affiliated Programs
    • Advising
    • Financial Support
    • Awards & Fellowships
    • Career Preparation
    • How to Apply
    • Life Assistance
  • Research
    • Research Faculty
    • Associated Research Faculty
    • Research Strengths
      • Behavior
      • Chromatin, chromosomes, and genome integrity
      • Developmental mechanisms and regulation in eukaryotic systems
      • Ecology
      • Eukaryotic cell biology, cytoskeleton, and signaling
      • Evolution
      • Genomics and bioinformatics
      • Microbial cell biology and environmental responses
      • Microbial interactions and pathogenesis
      • Plant molecular biology
      • Virology
    • Centers, Instrumentation, & Resources
      • Drosophila Research Resources
    • Faculty Awards
  • News & Events
    • Seminars
    • Discussion Groups & Journal Clubs
      • Microphiles
    • Named Lectures
      • Distinguished Alumni Award Lecture
      • James P. Holland Lecture Series
      • Carlos O. Miller Lecture Series
      • Hermann J. Muller Award Lecture
      • Norman R. Pace Lecture Series
      • Tracy M. Sonneborn Lecture Series
      • Joan Wood Lecture
    • Newsletters
      • BioNews Fall 2022
      • BioNews Archive
    • Annual Microbiology Retreat
      • Micro-lympics
    • News
    • Events
  • Alumni & Giving
  • Contact
  • Student Portal
    • Undergraduate
      • Biology
        • Biology B.S.
        • Biology B.A.
        • Special B.S. for Pre-Professional Students
        • Biology Minor
      • Biotechnology
        • Biotechnology B.S.
        • Biotechnology B.A.
        • Biotechnology B.S./M.S.
        • Biotechnology Minor
      • Microbiology
        • Microbiology B.S.
        • Microbiology B.A.
        • Microbiology Minor
      • Molecular Life Sciences
      • Courses
        • Course Scheduling
        • Biology X490 Independent Study
        • FAQs
      • Advising
      • Research Opportunities
      • Teaching Assistants
      • Honors Program
        • Eligibility
        • Honors Courses
        • Honors Thesis
        • Honors Faculty Advisors
        • How to Apply
      • Internships
    • Graduate
      • Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior Ph.D.
      • Genome, Cell, and Developmental Biology Ph.D.
      • Microbiology Ph.D.
      • Biotechnology M.S.
      • Multidisciplinary and Affiliated Programs
      • Courses
      • Transfer credits
      • Awards + funding
      • Financial Support
      • Teaching Support
      • Dissertation & Thesis Support
      • Services & Outreach
      • Submit News to Biology
      • Facilities & Resources
        • Computing Services
        • Constant Temperature Rooms
        • Dry Ice
        • Lactation Room
        • Room Reservations
          • All Rooms
          • Biology Bldg. 123
          • Biology Bldg. 248
          • Biology Bldg. A310
          • Biology Bldg. 422
          • Myers Hall 115
          • Myers Hall 209
          • Myers Hall 311
      • Student Academic Appointments
      • Bias incident reporting
      • Title IX incident reporting
    • Seminars
    • Ombudsperson
  • Donate

The College of Arts & Sciences