Georgia State University Research?

[David Grimes]

I have heard some rumors that GSU researchers have possibly found a biological antagonism that will permanently inhibit spore germination of G. Destructans. I heard that the info was in a BCI article but I cannot find anything about it on their website or anywhere else. Has anyone heard of this and if so could you post a link to your source.

[Phil Winkler]

David,

It might be a moot point since Hazel Barton has found it to be a different species then GD. Look at the other topic.

[wyandottecaver]

Actually, my understanding was GD no longer exists as a species. They simply reclassified the existing organisim into a different genera.

[PYoungbaer]

Dave,

The latest issue of the BCI newsletter featured an article on this research ("The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend"), which involves bacteria as a biological control. I've asked BCI if this has been published elsewhere so we can post the scientific link, but the key person is on vacation this week.

The article focuses on the work of GSU grad student Chris Cornelison, a microbiologist, and the bacterium Rhodococcus rhodochrous

It is a promising article, and the lab success is encouraging. The article concludes by saying that, if ultimately successful, bacterial mats may be able to be placed in hibernacula during hibernation season, keep the fungus at bay, and then be removed for the summer. They say the necessary precautionary things about needing to study the full effect on the cave environment before doing it in a cave. I would expect that, if the tests continue successfully, it may be tried in a mine hibernaculum first.

The fact that G.d has been renamed P.d. would be irrelevant, as they tested it on the actual G.d (now P.d.) fungus.

Peter

[trogman]

Dave,


The fact that G.d has been renamed P.d. would be irrelevant, as they tested it on the actual G.d (now P.d.) fungus.

Peter

In other words, "A rose by any other name..."

Trogman

[David Grimes]

Thanks Peter for the info, I had heard some very vague news about the article and I was really curious. Hopefully we are getting closer to some form of a "real" solution.

[PYoungbaer]

You're welcome, Dave. Just heard from Katie Gillies at BCI that the paper is Chris Cornelison's dissertation and is currently in press awaiting publication. If you have access to BCI's newsletter, BATS, it's the feature story this month. As with the on-line NSS News, however, BATS also has a year's delay in posting back issues on line.