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The Distribution Of Fitness Effects Of Spontaneous Mutations In Vibrio Fischeri, Chelsea K. Jones
The Distribution Of Fitness Effects Of Spontaneous Mutations In Vibrio Fischeri, Chelsea K. Jones
Honors Theses and Capstones
Mutations are the ultimate source of the biological diversity on which natural selection acts, but the vast majority of these mutations are harmful. As such, mutations lead to disease states like cancer, extinction of small populations, and can drive pathogen evolution. Unfortunately, because mutations are rare and past studies have been subject to detection biases, very little is known about the distribution of fitness effects from naturally occurring mutations. In this study, we used mutation accumulation and full genome sequencing to capture naturally occurring mutations before they were exposed to the sieve of natural selection in Vibrio fischeri. We …
Investigating The Interactions Between Cyanobacteria And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Caroline E. Ward
Investigating The Interactions Between Cyanobacteria And Vibrio Parahaemolyticus, Caroline E. Ward
Honors Theses and Capstones
One well-known pathogen that has been the topic of many recent studies is Vibrio parahaemolyticus, which causes thousands of foodborne illnesses a year, mostly from the ingestion of raw or undercooked oysters. It has been shown cyanobacteria can act as a long-term reservoir of Vibrio cholerae, another pathogenic Vibrio, by encasing the cells within mucilaginous sheaths during which Vibrios enter a viable but non-culturable state. In this study we investigated the interaction of V. parahaemolyticus with cyanobacteria to determine whether cyanobacteria aid in the longevity and survival of V. parahaemolyticus. We found that non-pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus …
The Pleiotropic Effects Of Beneficial Mutations Of Adapted Escherichia Coli Populations, Brian Scott Van Dam
The Pleiotropic Effects Of Beneficial Mutations Of Adapted Escherichia Coli Populations, Brian Scott Van Dam
Honors Theses and Capstones
Mutations that improve fitness in one environment can often be beneficial, deleterious, or neutral in alternative environments. When a single mutation effects fitness in multiple environments, it is said to be a pleiotropic, which can have important consequences for niche specialization, niche expansion, speciation, and even extinction in the face of environmental change. While previous studies have revealed that pleiotropy is nearly universal, the role of adaptive history in the spectrum of pleiotropic effects has yet to undergo detailed experimental observation. Using experimental evolution we gathered beneficial mutations in a previously adapted strain of Escherichia coli growing in the same …