by Amanda Rioux
In the last post, I discussed a little background about biofilms, the area of focus for many of the biology students. Today, I will write a little bit about copepods. “Copepods” is a word you will see come up a lot in the interviews with many of the scientists.
What is a copepod? A copepod is a microscopic crustacean (an animal with a segmented body and hard outer surface known as an exoskeleton) that live in almost every fresh or salt water habitat.
Copepods are of great interest to Ryan, who is interested in studying how they interact, and the types of bacteria that grow on their bodies.
Some of the bacteria found on their body are harmful to humans, such as Vibrio cholerae. This bacteria can cause gastrointestinal issues, and can sometimes be fatal.
Because copepods and the bacteria that grow on them can impact humans as well as marine creatures, Ryan wishes to know more about how they function.