Page 106 - Marine Research

The Story for Coral Bacteria in Taiwan

Sen-Lin Tang

Research Fellow, Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica

ABSTRACT

Bacteria are the most abundant and diverse members in coral holobiont; they
play an important role in coral health, disease and nutrient supply. Because of the
limitation of technology, it waited until two decades ago when PCR, molecular and
sequencing techniques being available and some started investigations into the
composition of and change in coral bacteria. The development for the study of
coral-associated bacteria was much late in Taiwan. In 2006, we established the first
laboratory of coral microbiology in Taiwan, and started the study of bacterial
composition in corals at Kenting, South Taiwan using traditional culture-
independent molecular cloning technique and Sanger-based sequencing. In 2010,
we became the first group in the world to enable detection of temporal dynamics
and changes in coral-associated bacterial community using next generation
sequencing. After 2016, we identified functions of coral-associated bacteria using
genomics, biochemistry and stable isotope approaches. Now we are one of the few,
iconic laboratories of coral microbiology in Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific Ocean.
Our main research was focused on a coral-health-associated bacterial group, called
Endozoicomonas, and its interactions with coral hosts or environments. And we
also uncovered several Endozoicomonas genomes and identified important
metabolic functions and abilities of Endozoicomonas. Over the effort of 15 years,
we have established the largest laboratory of Endozoicomonas collection in the
world. We anticipate investigations into the molecular interactions between
Endozoicomonas and coral, and furthermore hope to develop coral probiotics for
applications on coral cultivation, health maintenance and restoration.

事 台灣珊瑚 細菌紀

Key words: Coral-associated bacteria, endozoicomonas, coral probiotics.

* Corresponding author, E mail:sltang@gate.sinica.edu.tw

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