Cracking the Case of the Resilient Oocyst (Cryptosporidium serpentis)
Advisor(s)
Dr. Dennis De Luca
Dr. Katherine Krynak
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Start Date
24-4-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
24-4-2026 10:50 AM
Abstract
Cracking the Case of the Resilient Oocyst (Cryptosporidium serpentis)
Violet Williams1, Masyn Ohler1, Maggie Kurtz1, Dustyn DeFoor1, Cora Neville1, Jacey Wonderly1, Jenna Given1, Clare Jaspers1, Patricia Dennis2, Doug Wynn3, Eileen Wyza4, Katherine Krynak1 , Dennis De Luca1
¹Ohio Northern University, Ada , OH, ²The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 3Contract Herpetologist, Russells Point, OH, 4Ohio Division of Wildlife, Columbus, OH
Cryptosporidium serpentis is an intermittently shed protozoan parasite specific to squamate hosts causing severe gastrointestinal inflammation and often death. Most of what is known about this parasite is based upon captive snakes. In situ studies are few in number and have been particularly challenging because the least invasive field sample collection method for detection of this parasite, cloacal swabbing, often results in a high rate of false negatives. This higher probability of false negatives is hypothesized to be due to the lysis-resistant shell of shed C. serpentis oocysts. In our study, we aim to show that by modifying the protocol by which oocyst lysis occurs prior to DNA extraction, we can lessen the probability of falsely negative quantitative PCR test results.
Recommended Citation
Williams, Violet; Ohler, Masyn; Kurtz, Maggie; DeFoor, Dustyn; Neville, Cora; Wonderly, Jacey; Given, Jenna; Jaspers, Claire; Wynn, Doug; Dennis, Patricia; Wyza, Eileen; De Luca, Dennis; and Krynak, Katherine, "Cracking the Case of the Resilient Oocyst (Cryptosporidium serpentis)" (2026). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 20.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2026/Posters/20
Restricted
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Cracking the Case of the Resilient Oocyst (Cryptosporidium serpentis)
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Cracking the Case of the Resilient Oocyst (Cryptosporidium serpentis)
Violet Williams1, Masyn Ohler1, Maggie Kurtz1, Dustyn DeFoor1, Cora Neville1, Jacey Wonderly1, Jenna Given1, Clare Jaspers1, Patricia Dennis2, Doug Wynn3, Eileen Wyza4, Katherine Krynak1 , Dennis De Luca1
¹Ohio Northern University, Ada , OH, ²The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 3Contract Herpetologist, Russells Point, OH, 4Ohio Division of Wildlife, Columbus, OH
Cryptosporidium serpentis is an intermittently shed protozoan parasite specific to squamate hosts causing severe gastrointestinal inflammation and often death. Most of what is known about this parasite is based upon captive snakes. In situ studies are few in number and have been particularly challenging because the least invasive field sample collection method for detection of this parasite, cloacal swabbing, often results in a high rate of false negatives. This higher probability of false negatives is hypothesized to be due to the lysis-resistant shell of shed C. serpentis oocysts. In our study, we aim to show that by modifying the protocol by which oocyst lysis occurs prior to DNA extraction, we can lessen the probability of falsely negative quantitative PCR test results.