Biotic Interactions
Start by reading the introduction, and answer questions 1-3.
Then read the results down to the bottom of page 4. We will focus on Figures 1 and 2, so you'll also need to read those figure legends but don't worry about all the statistical test information.
Finally, you'll need to look at some of the methods for the results in Fig. 1 and 2. You can skip the rest of the results and the discussion.
Define biotic interactions.
The authors state that one group of bacteria are very common in cheese samples. What is this group? What is coagulase, and what does coagulase-negative mean? Name the genus, and the four species they study in this work.
What main question is the paper trying to answer, 1-2 sentences?
In 1-2 sentences, describe the methods they used in Fig. 1C to determine the percentage of each species in the cheese samples. Include the word metagenomics in your description. You will need to look at the methods. Note: California companies provide this exact service, e.g. https://www(dot)zymoresearch(dot)com/pages/microbiome-analysis-services
In ~2 sentences, what does Fig. 1C show--include what each axis is?
In 1-2 sentences, describe what Fig. 2A shows on the Y and X axis, and how the CFU were measured.
In 1 sentence, how did they change the experiment in Fig. 2B compared to 2A?
In 1 sentence, describe how the approach in Fig. 2D is similar to that in Fig. 2B, and in another sentence, describe how they differ.
Reading Discussion
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May 30, 2023
1 Biotic interactions refer to the interactions or relationships between living organisms in an ecosystem. These interactions can be beneficial, detrimental, or neutral, and they can influence species' distribution, abundance, and behavior.
2 The group of bacteria that is very common in cheese samples is the coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) group. Coagulase is an enzyme that helps form blood clots, and "coagulase-negative" means that these bacteria do not produce coagulase. The genus studied in this work is Staphylococcus, and the four species investigated are Staphylococcus equorum, Staphylococcus succinus, Staphylococcus saprophyticus, and Staphylococcus pasteuri.
3 The paper's central question is to understand how biotic interactions shape the ecological distributions of Staphylococcus species. Specifically, the authors aim to investigate the factors influencing Staphylococcus species' abundance and distribution patterns in cheese environments.
4 In Fig. 1C, the authors used metagenomic analysis to determine the percentage of each Staphylococcus species in the cheese samples. Metagenomics involves studying the genetic material (DNA) extracted directly from environmental samples, such as chees...