Human Practices

Introduction

White-Nose Syndrome is a fungal infection spanning across the United States of America that infects bat species. Since 2016, this infection has spread at a rapid pace across Michigan, increasing the mortality of bat populations throughout the state. As a student-led organization, the Alma College iGEM team has used skills such as knowledge, resourcefulness, and community involvement to address this fatal disease.

Figure 1: The rapid spread of White-Nose Syndrome since 2020 and the affected United States counties1.

Expert Consultation with Bat Conservation International

On October 25th, 2025, our team had the privilege of talking with Tina Cheng, Ph.D, and Giorgia Auteri, Ph.D, from Bat Conservation International (BCI). Dr. Cheng serves as the Director of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) research, while Dr. Auteri is a Senior Research Scientist. BCI is a global non-profit conservation organization dedicated to preventing bat extinctions and conserving bat ecosystems. Our discussion with Dr. Cheng and Dr. Auteri helped reinforce our foundational understanding of Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd) and WNS, while also expanding our knowledge in areas where we previously lacked insight. We asked a range of questions, ranging from recent developments in WNS research to their thoughts on the feasibility and risks of our proposed solution.

A key takeaway was updated information about the origin of WNS in North America. Recent research suggests that the first case of WNS in New York in 2006 likely originated from Ukraine, which clarifies previous uncertainty about the source location in Eurasia. We also learned that after its introduction to North America, Pd has been primarily spread through two ways: bat-to-bat and human-mediated. However, research suggests that bat-to-bat spread is the primary way, as the documented spread of the fungus corresponds with the bats' migration patterns.

To monitor the disease, government agencies conduct annual winter population counts in known roosting sites. These are locations that bats reliably come and cluster for hibernation. However, we learned that monitoring is significantly more challenging in the western U.S. because bats tend to roost in small, isolated groups and the locations of their roosting sites are relatively unknown. This has led the researcher to integrate summer counts to avoid the inconsistency of monitoring bats in the winter. Despite federal efforts, limited funding continues to constrain WNS monitoring.

Figure 2: Logo of Bat Conservation International2

Feedback on Our Project Approach

Dr. Cheng and Dr. Auteri provided valuable feedback on the logistics and potential risks of our project. They described two general categories of treatment strategies: short-term and long-term, and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

● Short-term treatments, such as antifungal sprays, run less of a risk of environmental harm but require repeated applications and travel, making them costly and labor-intensive.

● Long-term treatments, including probiotics and our proposed bacterial spray, offer the advantage of natural spread and one-time application. However, they carry greater ecological risks as it is the release of live organisms in caves. Particularly, it has the potential to disrupt cave microbiomes, which are fragile ecosystems.

One major concern they raised was the possibility of non-target effects. They mentioned a previous attempt to use an antifungal spray, where the product was sprayed directly onto the bats, which coated the bats' wings and caused mortality. This highlights the importance of the application and consistency of our final product.

Furthermore, Dr. Cheng and Dr. Auteri referred to Pd as having ‘goldilocks’ temperatures and humidity that it grows in, and bats function similarly for choosing locations to hibernate in. Identifying hibernacula where these conditions overlap is critical for effective treatment. Based on the information and insight our team received from them, the most promising strategy appears to be treating Pd during the summer in prime hibernation sites. This approach avoids direct contact with bats during their vulnerable hibernation period while still targeting the fungus before it reaches harmful concentrations.

Figure 3: White-Nose Response Team member swabbing the wall of a hibernacula3.

Environmental Reservoirs and Alternative Approaches

Dr. Cheng highlighted the importance of environmental reservoirs on the persistence of Pd. These are locations in the environment where the pathogen can survive and potentially multiply outside of a host. It takes a few years for Pd to reach a level of growth where it can induce WNS in bats. They mentioned that an emerging tactic that is currently being pursued and might be worth looking at is slowing Pd’s growth, extending the time before it reaches the concentration needed to induce WNS.

Building Connections and Closing the Loop

Dr. Cheng and Dr. Auteri generously provided our team with additional contacts regarding bat and WNS experts in our region to aid us in the development and evaluation of our project. The connections include:

● The US Fish and Wildlife Service White-Nose Response Team, who holds a monthly stakeholder call.

● The Midwest Bat Working Group, a regional network dedicated to the conservation of bats and their habitats.

Connecting with these organizations would allow us to gather feedback on the feasibility and desirability of our approach. These experts are actively involved in monitoring and managing WNS, making them ideal partners for bridging the gap between our design and real-world conservation needs.

Figure 4: US Fish and Wildlife Service White-Nose Response Team logo3.
Figure 5: Midwest Bat Working Group logo, made by Elli Boisen4.

Citations

  1. [1]White-nose Syndrome map. FWS.gov. Available here.
  2. [2] BAT Conservation International / Ending Bat Extinctions Worldwide. (2025, September 30). Bat Conservation International. https://www.batcon.org/
  3. [3] White-Nose Response Team & U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. (n.d.). Home | White Nose Syndrome. White Nose Syndrome. https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/
  4. [4] Midwest Bat Working Group, MWBWG, mwbwg.org/. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.