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Articles 1 - 8 of 8
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The Design And Validation Of A Qpcr-Based Approach To Cell Quantification Of Fungal-Algal Symbioses, Isabelle Katherine Garlotte
The Design And Validation Of A Qpcr-Based Approach To Cell Quantification Of Fungal-Algal Symbioses, Isabelle Katherine Garlotte
Honors Theses
Symbiotic relationships are extremely common in virtually all species. These relationships between organisms, particularly mutualistic symbioses, can have an incredibly large impact and can greatly affect the evolution of the species involved. Of particular interest is the suspected mutualistic relationship between green algae and fungi that may hold key evidence of how terrestrial plants evolved. In this experiment we established a method of quantifying the cells of each species involved in these symbioses through qPCR analysis to determine if the relationships are truly mutualistic. We developed a system for using DNA copies as a proxy for cell count in co-cultures …
Investigation Of Bax-Vdac Interactions And Their Role In Apoptosis, Marie Merrell
Investigation Of Bax-Vdac Interactions And Their Role In Apoptosis, Marie Merrell
Honors Theses
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death. Increasing knowledge of this biological process can lead to understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and cancer alike. In mammals, this process occurs through mechanisms that are localized to the mitochondria. The release of cytochrome c is from the mitochondrial outer membrane (MOM) is regulated by pro and anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins. If the latter are successful, then cytochrome c’s release into the cytosol activates a caspase cascade, resulting in apoptosis of the cell. Pro-apoptotic Bax is present in complexes that contain voltage dependent anion channels (VDACs). We hypothesized that in healthy cells, VDACs …
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi And Effects Of Soil Microbes Associated With Slash Pine Encroachment Into Native Longleaf Pine Habitat, Madison Brooke Woodruff
Ectomycorrhizal Fungi And Effects Of Soil Microbes Associated With Slash Pine Encroachment Into Native Longleaf Pine Habitat, Madison Brooke Woodruff
Honors Theses
Biological invasions can cause substantial changes to the environment: indigenous species can be reduced or even eliminated, soil characteristics shifted, and nutrient cycles altered. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are thought to be key biological controllers of some plant invasions, especially benefiting Pinus species in invasions at exotic sites, but less is understood about the role of ECM fungi and other soil microbes in encroachment by one plant species into the habitat of another in their native ranges. In this study, soil was collected from three habitats in southern Mississippi, USA: native slash pine maritime forest, longleaf pine savanna encroached by slash …
Population Genetics Of A Recent Range Expansion By The Southern Pine Beetle, Dendroctonus Frontalis, Into The Northeastern United States, Megan Stubbs
Honors Theses
Population genetics as a field of study aims to determine the genetic variation among individuals in a population, and differences among populations. Certain population genetic analyses can provide such information and be used to better understand the biological aspects to a species’ expansion beyond its native range. The southern pine beetle (SPB), Dendroctonus frontalis, has become an invasive pest to pine forests in northeastern United States with its recent range expansion. Nine microsatellite loci were first developed and then used in analyses. To determine what the genetic variation is among individuals in SPB populations across its entire range, including …
The Relationship Between Glucocorticoids And The Humoral Immune Response To Mycoplasma Gallisepticum Challenges In Eastern Bluebirds, Joshua Smith
Honors Theses
Numerous studies have examined relationships between adrenal glucocorticoids and the immune system’s ability to fight disease. The relationship can vary, with glucocorticoids having either stimulatory or inhibitory effects. The pathogenic bacterium Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) elicits an adaptive immune response in birds, in which B cells produce MG-specific antibodies to fight the infection and prevent reoccurrence. Previous research found that Eastern Bluebirds that produce the most antibodies in response to MG infection also have the highest glucocorticoid levels. This finding led to the current study investigating whether corticosterone, the primary glucocorticoid in birds, stimulates production of antibodies in response to immune …
Effects Of Invasion By Plants And Beetles On Roots And Mycorrhizal Fungi Of Plantation Scots Pines In Poland, Meghan M. Van
Effects Of Invasion By Plants And Beetles On Roots And Mycorrhizal Fungi Of Plantation Scots Pines In Poland, Meghan M. Van
Honors Theses
Biological invasions can cause significant changes to the environment in which they occur. One of the main changes that is caused is how invasive species can disrupt mutualisms between native species in ecosystems. The mutualism between mycorrhizal fungi and plants is one of the most important mutualisms that a plant forms. This mutualism is very important because it is the source of many nutrients that the plant needs. This study took place in a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) plantation in northeastern Poland, and aimed to determine the effects of plant and beetle invaders on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi and …
Assessment Of Oral Motor Activity Variables During Consumption Of Chocolate Using Surface Electromyography: Effects Of Variation In Cocoa Solid Content, Kara Elizabeth Cook
Assessment Of Oral Motor Activity Variables During Consumption Of Chocolate Using Surface Electromyography: Effects Of Variation In Cocoa Solid Content, Kara Elizabeth Cook
Honors Theses
The aim of this experiment is to assess how a wide range of cocoa content in different types of chocolate samples effects oral motor activity for mastication events, along with the time between consumption and swallowing. A prior study assessed individual oral motor activity using surface electromyography (sEMG) for mastication events while eating four different chocolate samples, and this information was used to determine which aspects of the masticatory process underlie differences in individual chewing behavior as well as whether subjects retain their general characteristic eating behavior across a variety of chocolate samples. The study found that with chocolate samples …
Variability In Antibacterial Activity In The Caribbean Sponge Amphimedon Compressa, Mackenzie Reilly
Variability In Antibacterial Activity In The Caribbean Sponge Amphimedon Compressa, Mackenzie Reilly
Honors Theses
Coral reefs are essential ecosystems that provide an abundance of natural resources. Sponges, common reef inhabitants, produce a diversity of secondary metabolites that are known to serve as chemical defenses. Secondary metabolites often have ecological functions, such as antipredator and antibacterial activities. I studied the common Caribbean sponge species, Amphimedon compressa, which is known to be chemically defended. Samples were collected from three sites in Belize, two sites in Grand Cayman, and three sites in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. To determine whether antibacterial activity varied across broad or local geographic scales, sponge extracts were tested against four bacterial strains …