Life Sciences Commons^™

The Genomic Landscape Of Molecular Responses To Natural Drought Stress In Panicum Hallii., John T. Lovell, Jerry Jenkins, David B. Lowry, Sujan Mamidi, Avinash Sreedasyam, Xiaoyu Weng, Kerrie Barry, Jason Bonnette, Brandon Campitelli, Chris Daum, Sean P. Gordon, Billie A. Gould, Albina Khasanova, Anna Lipzen, Alice Macqueen, Juan Diego Palacio-Mejía, Christopher Plott, Eugene V. Shakirov, Shengqiang Shu, Yuko Yoshinaga, Matt Zane, Dave Kudrna, Jason D. Talag, Daniel Rokhsar, Jane Grimwood, Jeremy Schmutz, Thomas E. Juenger

Biological Sciences Faculty Research

Environmental stress is a major driver of ecological community dynamics and agricultural productivity. This is especially true for soil water availability, because drought is the greatest abiotic inhibitor of worldwide crop yields. Here, we test the genetic basis of drought responses in the genetic model for C4 perennial grasses, Panicum hallii, through population genomics, field-scale gene-expression (eQTL) analysis, and comparison of two complete genomes. While gene expression networks are dominated by local cis-regulatory elements, we observe three genomic hotspots of unlinked trans-regulatory loci. These regulatory hubs are four times more drought responsive than the genome-wide average. Additionally, cis- and trans-regulatory …

Rnai Targeting Of Manduca Sexta Using Chloroplast-Encoded Long Dsrna, William Burke

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Pest management strategies are crucial for reducing insect crop damage, and methods with species-specific effect are particularly desirable. Expressing dsRNA with sequence complementarity to a vital gene of feeding pests is a strategy that has shown potential. I modified the chloroplast genome of cultivated tobacco, Nicotiana tabacum, by adding a sequence encoding a 2222 base pair dsRNA complementary to the vacuolar-type H⁺-ATPase subunit A mRNA of Manduca sexta and demonstrated expression of the product in leaves of the plants. Although feeding this same dsRNA that was synthesized in vitro to larvae knocked down expression of the target …

Agricultural Contamination Impacts Antibiotic Resistance Gene Abundances In River Bed Sediment Temporally, Rachelle E. Beattie, Michael P. Walsh, Mercedes Cecilia Cruz, L. Rex Mcaliley, Laurel Dodgen, Wei Zheng, Krassimira R. Hristova

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Kewaunee County, Wisconsin is an agricultural area dominated by concentrated animal feeding operations and manure fertilized cropland. The objective of this study was to characterize chemical and antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) profiles of 20 surface water locations in Kewaunee County to better understand relationships between agricultural contamination and ARG abundance over one year. Surface water (n = 101) and bed sediment (n = 93) were collected from 20 sites during five timepoints between July 2016 and May 2017. Samples were analyzed for six genes (erm(B), tet(W), sul1, qnrA, intI1 and 16S rRNA) and water chemistry …

Long-Term Trends Of Stream Fish Community Assemblages In Southern Missouri With Contemporary Land Use Impacts, Stephanie Marie Sickler

MSU Graduate Theses

Stream fish communities in the Ozarks are structured via a number of different mechanisms, including basin, stream size, and human land use. The purpose of this study was to understand the structuring mechanisms of stream fish communities in southern Missouri. I compiled 48 years of historical fish collections performed by the Ichthyology class at Missouri State University consisting of 140 sites. I resampled 45 of these sites in summer of 2016. First, I tested whether communities are different between basins and stream size. Next, I tested associations of land use at three spatial scales to local fish communities. Last, I …

Animal Agriculture And American Health: The Search For Sustainable Protein, Britta Brinkmann

Biology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

This study examines the impact large-scale animal agriculture has on the environment. It links the environment and health. The goal is to find protein sources that are sustainable and nutritious in order to replace typical meat and dairy products. A study is proposed to measure the impact of the typical American diet, a vegan diet, an insect-supplemented diet and a diet heavy in seafood.

Solution & Effects Of Agricultural Practices, Ryan Talusan '20, Caitlyn Castillo '20

UN Sustainable Development Goals Infographics

A potential solution of vertical farming

• PROFITABLE
• SCALABLE
• YEAR-ROUND

Agricultural Practices Destroying The Environment, Ayan Mallik '20, Ethan Talreja '20

UN Sustainable Development Goals Infographics

• 50% of the world's habitable land has been converted for farming (Farming: Habitat Conversion, 2017)
• Indonesia rain forests have been cleared for the construction of palm oil plantations
• This threatens the habitats of endangered species such as the Asian elephant

No Farm Is An Island: Pollinators And Pollination In Agricultural Landscapes, Charles C. Nicholson

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Productive, resilient and sustainable agricultural systems are required to meet the immediate needs of a burgeoning human population, while avoiding ecosystem collapse. Agriculture provides food, fiber, fuels and other products for our current population of 7 billion and is still the major livelihood for 40% of people worldwide. By replacing natural habitat and employing chemical inputs, agriculture also negatively impacts biodiversity and impairs the provision of ecosystem services. This poses a challenge for agriculture as these impacted services are often those required for high yielding and high-quality crop production. Evidence is accumulating that agricultural management can safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem …