Undergraduate Morgan Gustin’s vision for her Animal and Veterinary Science major derails from the conventional notion that all members of this discipline must end up in the veterinary profession. Morgan’s adventurous spirit has led her pursue a project that resonates deeply with her passion to help animals at the micro level. To incorporate her love of both animals and biology, Morgan has spent the past year working in the Weber research lab, utilizing the surplus of lobster shells found in Maine to potentially solve the issues of failing anti-parasitic drugs. The idea for this revolutionary solution came from the brilliant minds of Robert (Bob) Bayer, a professor at UMaine’s Lobster Institute, and Dr. James Weber, an on campus professor and head of the Weber Lab, which conducts research involving parasitology. If successful, Morgan will not only fulfill her capstone and Honors thesis, but also be a key participant in the founding of a new, inexpensive resource to treat ruminant species such as sheep and cattle.
Use of chitin contained within the shells of crustaceans–such as shrimp–has been known to successfully kill off certain plant and soil parasites, and may even help restore various plants’ health. Parasites found within ruminant populations, such as the sheep at the Witter Research and Teaching Center, are ingested by animals on pasture and then infect the individuals, severely impacting the health of the host animals and potentially leading to death. These parasites are becoming resistant to current anthelmintic drugs, resulting in an ongoing problem that must be addressed. Throughout the course of this research, one particular parasite, Haemonchus contortus, became the focal point of Morgan’s experimentation. Among other results, the experiments yielded larval viability counts of HC larvae cultured and grown from Witter sheep fecal samples, treated with assorted chitin-based compounds. Morgan’s overall objective was to assess the efficacy of Maine lobster shell as a treatment for parasitic nematodes in sheep, particularly the HC parasite. Crustacean shells are a viable option in the fight against parasites because of their chitin-based structure. Since lobster is a crustacean rarely studied for the purpose of eliminating harmful parasitic nematodes, this experiment was build entirely from the ground up. All designs, processes, standards, and objectives had to be taken into consideration by Morgan in her research project.
Morgan was awarded a CUGR Fellowships as well as a Charlie Slavin Research Fund to aid in her research. These grants were used to purchase the specific and expensive materials to be used in the Weber lab by Morgan and her team. Prior to taking part in this opportunity, Morgan had limited lab experience outside of UMaine courses, leading to a steep but rewarding learning curve. Morgan’s portion of this research project will conclude in April with her thesis defense, followed shortly by graduation in May. After college, Morgan hopes to explore various options for careers, including a veterinary technician position or returning to her love for horses in a more professional manner.
Haemonchus contortus larvae are avid blood-feeders, infecting their hosts and causing severe anemia, hemorrhagic gastritis, and acute infections, among other pathologies. High egg counts per day produced by the females allows for population explosions and consequent disease outbreaks that are devastating to small ruminant populations such as sheep. Furthermore, Haemonchus contortus parasites—among other GI nematodes—are developing drug resistance at alarming speeds. For the sheep industry in particular, anthelmintic resistance is quickly becoming one of the most pressing problems to be addressed. The project involves assessment of a new promising source of anthelmintic: lobster shell. Lobster shell contains a significant source of chitin, which has demonstrated nematicidal effects on plant parasitic nematodes in previous studies. This study will assess whether similar effects are exhibited when this chitin-based product is applied to small ruminant parasitic nematodes such as Haemonchus contortus.