Cane toad skin & gut microbiomes in two rearing groups, regarding lungworm infection

We sampled cane toads (Rhinella marina) raised at Middle Point, NT, Australia to describe interactions between microbiomes and lungworm (Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala) infection. Toads were raised in a semi-natural (dirty) or clean environment to create two groups with differing skin and gut diversity. Then, toads were exposed to L3 lungworm larvae for 12 hrs. Skin swabs were collected two days after lungworm exposure. Lungworms were allowed to mature in the toads over the next ~1 month, then toads were euthanized, lungworms were counted and colons collected for gut microbe sampling. DNA from skin and gut samples was extracted with Norgen's Microbiome Kit. Fastq data are of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons with the EMP 515F/806R primers, sequenced on Illumina MiSeq at the Australian Centre for Economics.