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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Rna-Seq Of Borrelia Burgdorferi In Multiple Phases Of Growth Reveals Insights Into The Dynamics Of Gene Expression, Transcriptome Architecture, And Noncoding Rnas, William K. Arnold, Christina R. Savage, Catherine A. Brissette, Janakiram Seshu, Jonathan Livny, Brian Stevenson Oct 2016

Rna-Seq Of Borrelia Burgdorferi In Multiple Phases Of Growth Reveals Insights Into The Dynamics Of Gene Expression, Transcriptome Architecture, And Noncoding Rnas, William K. Arnold, Christina R. Savage, Catherine A. Brissette, Janakiram Seshu, Jonathan Livny, Brian Stevenson

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease, differentially expresses numerous genes and proteins as it cycles between mammalian hosts and tick vectors. Insights on regulatory mechanisms have been provided by earlier studies that examined B. burgdorferi gene expression patterns during cultivation. However, prior studies examined bacteria at only a single time point of cultivation, providing only a snapshot of what is likely a dynamic transcriptional program driving B. burgdorferi adaptations to changes during culture growth phases. To address that concern, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of B. burgdorferi cultures at early-exponential, mid-exponential, and early-stationary phases …


Optimization Of A Genomic Editing System Using Crispr/Cas9-Induced Site-Specific Gene Integration, Jillian L. Mccool Ms., Nick Hum, Gabriela G. Loots Aug 2016

Optimization Of A Genomic Editing System Using Crispr/Cas9-Induced Site-Specific Gene Integration, Jillian L. Mccool Ms., Nick Hum, Gabriela G. Loots

STAR Program Research Presentations

The CRISPR-Cas system is an adaptive immune system found in bacteria which helps protect against the invasion of other microorganisms. This system induces double stranded breaks at precise genomic loci (1) in which repairs are initiated and insertions of a target are completed in the process. This mechanism can be used in eukaryotic cells in combination with sgRNAs (1) as a tool for genome editing. By using this CRISPR-Cas system, in addition to the “safe harbor locus,” ROSAβ26, the incorporation of a target gene into a site that is not susceptible to gene silencing effects can be achieved through few …


Impacts From The Use Of Antibiotics In Livestock: Methods Of Transmission Of Antibiotic Resistance From Livestock To Humans, Kristin M. Walden May 2016

Impacts From The Use Of Antibiotics In Livestock: Methods Of Transmission Of Antibiotic Resistance From Livestock To Humans, Kristin M. Walden

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Antibiotic use in livestock production has been around since the 1950s. Antibiotic feed is used in livestock and other meat producing animals for three reasons: illness prevention, illness treatment, and growth promotion. Unfortunately, since the time that antibiotics were first invented, antibiotic resistant bacteria have become a threat to public health. There are many studies showing methods of transmission of antibiotic resistance from livestock to humans. Antibiotic resistance can spread from livestock to soil, water, insects, and food, which ultimately comes into contact with humans. A proposed study to measure antibiotic resistance when eliminating antibiotic feed will provide a hypothesis …


Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria In Natural Environments Within Kentucky., Steve Tran May 2016

Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria In Natural Environments Within Kentucky., Steve Tran

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses

Rates of antibiotic resistance in bacteria are rapidly rising; this is, in part, due to overuse of antibiotics resulting in a great burden on the U.S. healthcare system. With the rise of resistant bacteria, a large-scale outbreak of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections may also occur. Research on developing antibiotics has also decreased. Thus healthcare is at a great disadvantage in the arms race against bacteria. The environmental reservoirs of antibiotic resistance are currently being explored in Kentucky, in which bacteria have been collected from a broad spectrum of natural environments to analyze their antibiotic resistant capabilities and their interactions with …


A Study On The Dissolution Of Autunite Minerals By Facultative Bacteria In Bicarbonate Media, Sandra C. Herrera Landaez Apr 2016

A Study On The Dissolution Of Autunite Minerals By Facultative Bacteria In Bicarbonate Media, Sandra C. Herrera Landaez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Uranium (U) is a key contaminant at the Hanford site. The formation of uranyl-phosphate bearing minerals such as autunite as a result of tripoliphosphate injections has been used as a U immobilization strategy. Bacteria are known as key factors governing the fate and transport of soil contaminants. This research evaluated the interaction of facultative bacteria Shewanella Oneidensis MR-1 with autunite mineral in bicarbonate-amended media solutions. The concentration of several elements such as U, calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) released as a result of autunite mineral biodissolution were determined as a function of time; changes in cell density and protein assay …


An Analysis Of Bacterial Contamination Of Chicken Eggs And Antimicrobial Resistance, Holly Spitzer Apr 2016

An Analysis Of Bacterial Contamination Of Chicken Eggs And Antimicrobial Resistance, Holly Spitzer

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Chicken eggs are a major component of American diets, with an average yearly consumption of approximately 250 eggs per person (American Humane Society). While highly nutritious, eggs are also one of the leading causes of food poisoning and food borne illness in the United States. Eggs may become contaminated by a number of different types of bacteria during production, including Salmonella, a group of bacteria that, according to the CDC, causes more than 1.2 million cases of food borne illness in the United States every year. In an effort to decrease the frequency of bacterial contamination, many food producers …


The Signature Of God In Medicine And Microbiology An Apologetic Argument For Declarative Design In The Discoveries Of Alexander Fleming, Alan L. Gillen, Michael Cargill Mar 2016

The Signature Of God In Medicine And Microbiology An Apologetic Argument For Declarative Design In The Discoveries Of Alexander Fleming, Alan L. Gillen, Michael Cargill

Faculty Publications and Presentations

In logic and reasoning, a signature indicates the presence of an author; likewise, the characteristics of staphylococci indicate the presence of a Creator. Staphylococci and its “kind” are common bacteria, particularly in colonized people.1 Staphylococcus aureus has a complex molecular mechanism of assembling its golden pigment, staphyloxanthin. The biosynthesis of staphyloxanthin is a stellar example of irreducible complexity. Similar to staphylococci, the life and works of Alexander Fleming show the fingerprints of Providence. The so-called “serendipitous” achievements of Fleming have contributed to modern medicine, convincing Fleming and others that God was at work in his life. Fleming recognized that …


Isolation And Characterization Of Microbial Community Associated With Diadumene Lineata, The Orange-Striped Sea Anemone, Tiffany Lin, Andrew Weir Jan 2016

Isolation And Characterization Of Microbial Community Associated With Diadumene Lineata, The Orange-Striped Sea Anemone, Tiffany Lin, Andrew Weir

Student and Faculty Research Days

The orange-striped sea anemone, Diadumene lineata, is a marine invertebrate that can be found in the Northern Hemisphere. Distribution of Diadumene lineata ranges from Japan to the Gulf of Argentina. This invasive anemone originated from the Pacific Coast of Asia and serves as a host for a diverse microbial community including a photosynthetic alga. The epiphytic bacteria adhere to the outer surface as well as to the gastrovascular cavity of the host. The microbial community associated with Diadumene lineata is relatively unknown. This study attempted to isolate and identify bacteria commonly associated with this invasive marine invertebrate. Diadumene lineata was …


A Comprehensive Benchmarking Study Of Protocols And Sequencing Platforms For 16s Rrna Community Profiling, Rosalinda D’Amore, Umer Zeeshan Ijaz, Melanie Schirmer, John G. Kenny, Richard Gregory, Alistair C. Darby, Migun Shakya Jan 2016

A Comprehensive Benchmarking Study Of Protocols And Sequencing Platforms For 16s Rrna Community Profiling, Rosalinda D’Amore, Umer Zeeshan Ijaz, Melanie Schirmer, John G. Kenny, Richard Gregory, Alistair C. Darby, Migun Shakya

Dartmouth Scholarship

In the last 5 years, the rapid pace of innovations and improvements in sequencing technologies has completely changed the landscape of metagenomic and metagenetic experiments. Therefore, it is critical to benchmark the various methodologies for interrogating the composition of microbial communities, so that we can assess their strengths and limitations. The most common phylogenetic marker for microbial community diversity studies is the 16S ribosomal RNA gene and in the last 10 years the field has moved from sequencing a small number of amplicons and samples to more complex studies where thousands of samples and multiple different gene regions are interrogated. …


The Loss Of Methanol Utilization In Methylobacteria, Justin T. Skariah Jan 2016

The Loss Of Methanol Utilization In Methylobacteria, Justin T. Skariah

Theses and Dissertations

Methylobacteria primary uses Cl substrates as a carbon and energy source. This experiment was performed to see if Methylobacteria would lose the ability to use Cl compound methanol after prolonged exposure to multi-carbon substrates. To determine this, the bacteria was grown on MR2A3 (multi-carbon substrates) and MOM (single-carbon substrates) for multiple generations and tested for loss of function on a series of generations. These tests include streaking plates of MOM and R2A with bacteria from MR2A3 then getting a bacterial colony count and also toothpick transfers of the colonies to verify findings. After 20 generations there were no significant decrease …


Isolation And Identification Of Bacterial Endosymbionts In The Brooding Brittle Star Amphipholis Squamata, Abbey Rose Tedford Jan 2016

Isolation And Identification Of Bacterial Endosymbionts In The Brooding Brittle Star Amphipholis Squamata, Abbey Rose Tedford

Honors Theses and Capstones

Symbiotic associations with subcuticular bacteria (SCB) have been identified and studied in numerous echinoderms, including the SCB of the brooding brittle star, Amphipholis squamata. These SCB, however, have not been studied using current next generation sequencing technologies. Previous studies on the SCB of A. squamata placed these bacteria in the genus Vibrio (γ-Proteobacteria), but subsequent studies suggested that the SCB are primarily composed of α-Proteobacteria. The present study examines the taxonomic composition of SCB associated with A. squamata from the Northwest Atlantic. DNA was extracted using a CTAB protocol and 16S rRNA sequences were amplified …