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The Role Of Tumor Suppressor Dear1 In The Acquisition Of Mammary Stem/Progenitor Cell Properties, Uyen Le
The Role Of Tumor Suppressor Dear1 In The Acquisition Of Mammary Stem/Progenitor Cell Properties, Uyen Le
Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women in America. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), one of the earliest pre-invasive forms of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), has a 30-50% risk of progressing to IDC. Understanding the mechanisms regulating progression from DCIS to IDC would help identify biomarkers to stratify patients at higher risk of progression or metastasis. Cumulative literature suggests the earliest phase of dissemination from the primary tumor is driven by the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program. DEAR1 is a tumor suppressor gene which is mutated, undergoes loss of heterozygosity in breast cancer, and is downregulated in DCIS …
Random Genetic Drift And Selective Pressures Shaping The Blattabacterium Genome, Austin Alleman, Kate L. Hertweck, Srini Kambhampati
Random Genetic Drift And Selective Pressures Shaping The Blattabacterium Genome, Austin Alleman, Kate L. Hertweck, Srini Kambhampati
Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations
Estimates suggest that at least half of all extant insect genera harbor obligate bacterial mutualists. Whereas an endosymbiotic relationship imparts many benefits upon host and symbiont alike, the intracellular lifestyle has profound effects on the bacterial genome. The obligate endosymbiont genome is a product of opposing forces: genes important to host survival are maintained through physiological constraint, contrasted by the fixation of deleterious mutations and genome erosion through random genetic drift. The obligate cockroach endosymbiont, Blattabacterium – providing nutritional augmentation to its host in the form of amino acid synthesis – displays radical genome alterations when compared to its most …
Genetics Of A De Novo Origin Of Undifferentiated Multicellularity, Matthew D. Herron, William C. Ratcliff, Jacob Boswell, Frank Rosenzweig
Genetics Of A De Novo Origin Of Undifferentiated Multicellularity, Matthew D. Herron, William C. Ratcliff, Jacob Boswell, Frank Rosenzweig
Biological Sciences Faculty Publications
The evolution of multicellularity was a major transition in evolution and set the stage for unprecedented increases in complexity, especially in land plants and animals. Here, we explore the genetics underlying a de novo origin of multicellularity in a microbial evolution experiment carried out on the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We show that large-scale changes in gene expression underlie the transition to a multicellular life cycle. Among these, changes to genes involved in cell cycle and reproductive processes were overrepresented, as were changes to C. reinhardtii-specific and volvocine-specific genes. These results suggest that the genetic basis for the experimental evolution …
Genetic Basis For Elevated Rheumatic Heart Disease Susceptibility In Samoa, John Bowen Allen
Genetic Basis For Elevated Rheumatic Heart Disease Susceptibility In Samoa, John Bowen Allen
Theses and Dissertations
Rheumatic heart disease is an inflammatory heart disease that affects millions of people around the world. Especially high rates of the disease can be found in Oceania, including the island nation of Samoa. Genetic studies of immune response genes have provided insight into a possible genetic link to increased susceptibility to rheumatic heart disease, including the genes that code for the toll-like receptor (TLR) protein family. One of the functions of TLR proteins is to recognize the presence of bacteria via identification of bacterial flagella. My evaluation of a Samoan family identified a variant in the TLR-5 gene that would …
Light-Induced Expression Of A Blue Coral Protein In An Industrial Fungus, Lindsay Tomczak
Light-Induced Expression Of A Blue Coral Protein In An Industrial Fungus, Lindsay Tomczak
Honors Theses
The ultimate goal of this research project is to improve the growth and structural characteristics of an Ecovative Design LLC (Green Island, NY) production strain to produce commercial biomaterials for packaging. These biomaterials are produced from renewable resources and can be easily broken down after they fulfill their purpose, unlike the commonly used materials today (such as Styrofoam). In an effort to quantify the light-reactivity of the fungus, a codon-optimized DNA sequence coding a blue chromoprotein was introduced and utilized as a visual reporter gene. Transcriptional controlling sequences were identified from orthologs to specific light-regulated genes and were combined with …
Sequencing And Analysis Of Centromere Protein B In Wallaby And The Rapid Evolution Of The Centromere, Alexander Tedeschi
Sequencing And Analysis Of Centromere Protein B In Wallaby And The Rapid Evolution Of The Centromere, Alexander Tedeschi
Honors Scholar Theses
Using a combination of Sanger sequencing and RNA-seq data, this project aims to determine the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of Centromere Protein B (CENP-B), an important protein involved in the assembly of the kinetochore protein complex at the centromere, in several species of marsupials, specifically wallabies. Despite their recent evolutionary history, these species have been shown to have surprisingly divergent centromeric DNA sequences. Through comparative analysis of these sequences, this project, along with analysis of several other CENPs, aims to determine if this divergence extends to the proteins closely associated with these sequences and possibly even further into the …
Regional Distribution, Non-Invasive Detection, And Genetic Diversity Of The Black-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus Meridionalis), Evan A. Bare
Regional Distribution, Non-Invasive Detection, And Genetic Diversity Of The Black-Spotted Newt (Notophthalmus Meridionalis), Evan A. Bare
Theses and Dissertations
The Black-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus meridionalis ) is one of three a salamander species native to Gulf Coast prairies of Texas and Mexico, with respective state and federal protections. This species has been neglected by the scientific community despite concerns of dramatic population declines and a globally endangered status, with the most recent work being conducted in the early 1990’s going unpublished. This study presents the most recent examination of the species providing probabilistic distribution maps, descriptions of three novel populations, assessments of surveying techniques, and the first known examination of intrapopulation genetics including the first documented genetic examination of …
Regulation Of The Tubulin Homolog Ftsz In Escherichia Coli, Monika S. Buczek
Regulation Of The Tubulin Homolog Ftsz In Escherichia Coli, Monika S. Buczek
Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
Escherichia coli is a well-known pathogen, and importantly, a widely used model organism in all fields of biological sciences for cloning, protein purification, and as a model for Gram-negative bacterial species. And yet, researchers do not fully understand how this bacterium replicates and divides. Every year additional division proteins are discovered, which adds complexity to how we understand E. coli undergoes cell division. Due to their specific roles in cytokinesis, some of these proteins may be potential targets for development of antibacterials or bacteriostatics, which are much needed for fighting the current global antibacterial deficit. My thesis work focuses on …
Genetic Diversity And Distinctness Of Wild Nebraska Hops And Hop Cultivars (Humulus Lupulus L.), Megan Franklin
Genetic Diversity And Distinctness Of Wild Nebraska Hops And Hop Cultivars (Humulus Lupulus L.), Megan Franklin
Honors Theses
Background Commercial hop (Humulus lupulus) cultivars that are being grown in the Midwest are not performing as successfully as when they are grown in the Pacific Northwest, the region to which they are adapted. To increase adaptation to the Midwest environment, one strategy is to draw from the genetic pool of wild native Midwest hops, which have developed genes that allow them to grow successfully in this environment. Wild hop plants that are genetically distinct from commercial cultivars are likely to have more adaptations, such as pest/disease resistance and drought tolerance, which can be bred into commercial lines. The …
The Genetics Of Adhd: A Review Of Polymorphisms In Neurotransmitter System Genes, Ada Spahija
The Genetics Of Adhd: A Review Of Polymorphisms In Neurotransmitter System Genes, Ada Spahija
Olin Prize for Undergraduate Library Research
No abstract provided.
Natural And Anthropogenic Drivers Of Tree Evolutionary Dynamics, Brandon M. Lind
Natural And Anthropogenic Drivers Of Tree Evolutionary Dynamics, Brandon M. Lind
Theses and Dissertations
Species of trees inhabit diverse and heterogeneous environments, and often play important ecological roles in such communities. As a result of their vast ecological breadth, trees have become adapted to various environmental pressures. In this dissertation I examine various environmental factors that drive evolutionary dynamics in threePinusspecies in California and Nevada, USA. In chapter two, I assess the role of management influence of thinning, fire, and their interaction on fine-scale gene flow within fire-suppressed populations of Pinus lambertiana, a historically dominant and ecologically important member of mixed-conifer forests of the Sierra Nevada, California. Here, I find evidence …
Crispr Genetic Editing: Paths For Christian Acceptance And Analysis Of In Vivo And In Vitro Efficiency, Mandeep Sandhu
Crispr Genetic Editing: Paths For Christian Acceptance And Analysis Of In Vivo And In Vitro Efficiency, Mandeep Sandhu
Scripps Senior Theses
With advancements in CRISPR-cas9 broadening the potential paths for clinical usage of genetic editing, conversations about genetic editing have grown to outside simply scientific communities and into mainstream conversations. This study focuses specifically on Christian discourse of genetic editing and locates four major tensions for many Christians when they think about genetic editing: beginning of life, Creator-human relationship, imago Dei, and stewardship. With these major concerns in mind, I identify epigenetics, somatic cell genetic editing, and in vivo genetic editing research as important research paths to pursue as they can potentially produce techniques that more Christian individuals would feel comfortable …