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Articles 1 - 19 of 19
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Real-Time Qpcr Assay Development For Detection Of Bacillus Thuringiensis And Serratia Marcescens Dna And The Influence Of Complex Microbial Community Dna On Assay Sensitivity, Jonathan Segal
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time qPCR) assays are an effective technique to detect biological warfare agents and surrogate organisms. In my study, primers were designed to detect chromosomal DNA of biological warfare agent surrogates B. thuringiensis and S. marcescens (representing B. anthracis and Y. pestis, respectively) via real-time qPCR. Species-level specificity of the primers was demonstrated through comparisons with a bacterial strain panel and corroborated by qPCR data. Additionally, the primer efficacy was tested when template DNA was spiked into metagenomic DNA extracted from clinical lung microbiome samples. The results showed that while detection of B. thuringiensis or …
Bivalve Omics: State Of The Art And Potential Applications For The Biomonitoring Of Harmful Marine Compounds, Victoria Suárez-Ulloa, Juan Fernández-Tajes, Chiara Manfrin, Marco Gerdol, Paola Venier, José M. Eirín-López
Bivalve Omics: State Of The Art And Potential Applications For The Biomonitoring Of Harmful Marine Compounds, Victoria Suárez-Ulloa, Juan Fernández-Tajes, Chiara Manfrin, Marco Gerdol, Paola Venier, José M. Eirín-López
Department of Biological Sciences
The extraordinary progress experienced by sequencing technologies and bioinformatics has made the development of omic studies virtually ubiquitous in all fields of life sciences nowadays. However, scientific attention has been quite unevenly distributed throughout the different branches of the tree of life, leaving molluscs, one of the most diverse animal groups, relatively unexplored and without representation within the narrow collection of well established model organisms. Within this Phylum, bivalve molluscs play a fundamental role in the functioning of the marine ecosystem, constitute very valuable commercial resources in aquaculture, and have been widely used as sentinel organisms in the biomonitoring of …
Acclimatization Of The Tropical Reef Coral Acropora Millepora To Hyperthermal Stress, Anthony John Bellantuono
Acclimatization Of The Tropical Reef Coral Acropora Millepora To Hyperthermal Stress, Anthony John Bellantuono
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The demise of reef-building corals potentially lies on the horizon, given ongoing climate change amid other anthropogenic environmental stressors. If corals cannot acclimatize or adapt to changing conditions, dramatic declines in the extent and health of the living reefs are expected within the next half century. The primary and proximal global threat to corals is climate change. Reef-building corals are dependent upon a nutritional symbiosis with photosynthetic dinoflagellates belonging to the group Symbiodinium. The symbiosis between the cnidarian host and algal partner is a stress-sensitive relationship; temperatures just 1°C above normal thermal maxima can result in the breakdown of …
Okadaic Acid Meet And Greet: An Insight Into Detection Methods, Response Strategies And Genotoxic Effects In Marine Invertebrates, María Verónica Prego-Faraldo, Vanessa Valdiglesias, Josefina Méndez, Jose M. Eirin-Lopez
Okadaic Acid Meet And Greet: An Insight Into Detection Methods, Response Strategies And Genotoxic Effects In Marine Invertebrates, María Verónica Prego-Faraldo, Vanessa Valdiglesias, Josefina Méndez, Jose M. Eirin-Lopez
Department of Biological Sciences
Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) constitute one of the most important sources of contamination in the oceans, producing high concentrations of potentially harmful biotoxins that are accumulated across the food chains. One such biotoxin, Okadaic Acid (OA), is produced by marine dinoflagellates and subsequently accumulated within the tissues of filtering marine organisms feeding on HABs, rapidly spreading to their predators in the food chain and eventually reaching human consumers causing Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) syndrome. While numerous studies have thoroughly evaluated the effects of OA in mammals, the attention drawn to marine organisms in this regard has been scarce, even though …
Farnesyl Phosphatase, A Corpora Allata Enzyme Involved In Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis In Aedes Aegypti, Pratik Nyati, Marcela Nouzova, Crisalejandra Rivera-Perez, Mark E. Clifton, Jamie G. Mayoral, Fernando G. Noriega
Farnesyl Phosphatase, A Corpora Allata Enzyme Involved In Juvenile Hormone Biosynthesis In Aedes Aegypti, Pratik Nyati, Marcela Nouzova, Crisalejandra Rivera-Perez, Mark E. Clifton, Jamie G. Mayoral, Fernando G. Noriega
Department of Biological Sciences
Background: The juvenile hormones (JHs) are sesquiterpenoid compounds that play a central role in insect reproduction, development and behavior. The late steps of JH III biosynthesis in the mosquito Aedes aegypti involve the hydrolysis of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to farnesol (FOL), which is then successively oxidized to farnesal and farnesoic acid, methylated to form methyl farnesoate and finally transformed to JH III by a P450 epoxidase. The only recognized FPP phosphatase (FPPase) expressed in the corpora allata (CA) of an insect was recently described in Drosophila melanogaster (DmFPPase). In the present study we sought to molecularly and biochemically characterize the …
Native Predators Do Not Influence Invasion Success Of Pacific Lionfish On Caribbean Reefs, Serena Hackerott, Abel Valdivia, Stephanie J. Green, Isabelle M. Cote, Courtney E. Cox, Lad Akins, Craig A. Layman, William F. Precht, John F. Bruno
Native Predators Do Not Influence Invasion Success Of Pacific Lionfish On Caribbean Reefs, Serena Hackerott, Abel Valdivia, Stephanie J. Green, Isabelle M. Cote, Courtney E. Cox, Lad Akins, Craig A. Layman, William F. Precht, John F. Bruno
Department of Biological Sciences
Biotic resistance, the process by which new colonists are excluded from a community by predation from and/or competition with resident species, can prevent or limit species invasions. We examined whether biotic resistance by native predators on Caribbean coral reefs has influenced the invasion success of red lionfishes (Pterois volitans and Pterois miles), piscivores from the Indo-Pacific. Specifically, we surveyed the abundance (density and biomass) of lionfish and native predatory fishes that could interact with lionfish (either through predation or competition) on 71 reefs in three biogeographic regions of the Caribbean. We recorded protection status of the reefs, and abiotic variables …
Transcriptional Activation Of C3 And Hsp70 As Part Of The Immune Response Of Acropora Millepora To Bacterial Challenges, Tanya Brown, David Bourne, Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty
Transcriptional Activation Of C3 And Hsp70 As Part Of The Immune Response Of Acropora Millepora To Bacterial Challenges, Tanya Brown, David Bourne, Mauricio Rodriguez-Lanetty
Department of Biological Sciences
The impact of disease outbreaks on coral physiology represents an increasing concern for the fitness and resilience of reef ecosystems. Predicting the tolerance of corals to disease relies on an understanding of the coral immune response to pathogenic interactions. This study explored the transcriptional response of two putative immune genes (c3 and c-type lectin) and one stress response gene (hsp70) in the reef building coral, Acropora millepora challenged for 48 hours with bacterial strains, Vibrio coralliilyticus and Alteromonas sp. at concentrations of 106 cells ml-1. Coral fragments challenged with V. coralliilyticus appeared healthy while fragments challenged with Alteromonas sp. showed …
Intraspecific Relationships In Paracalanus Quasimodo [Calinoideae] And Temora Turbinata [Calinoideae] Along The Southeastern Coast Of The United States, Richard Y. Chang
Intraspecific Relationships In Paracalanus Quasimodo [Calinoideae] And Temora Turbinata [Calinoideae] Along The Southeastern Coast Of The United States, Richard Y. Chang
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Paracalanus quasimodo and Temora turbinata are two calanoid copepods prominent in the planktonic communities of the southeastern United States. Despite their prominence, the species and population level structure of these copepods is yet unexplored. The phylogeographic, temporal and phylogenetic structure of P. quasimodo and T. turbinata are examined in my study. Samples were collected from ten sites along the Gulf of Mexico and Florida peninsular coasts. Three sites were sampled quarterly for two years. Individuals were screened for unique ITS-1 sequences with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Unique variants were sequenced at the nuclear ITS-1 and mitochondrial COI loci. Sampling sites …
Flying Fruit Flies Correct For Visual Sideslip Depending On Relative Speed Of Forward Optic Flow, Stephanie Cabrera, Jamie Theobald
Flying Fruit Flies Correct For Visual Sideslip Depending On Relative Speed Of Forward Optic Flow, Stephanie Cabrera, Jamie Theobald
Department of Biological Sciences
As a fly flies through its environment, static objects produce moving images on its retina, and this optic flow is essential for steering and course corrections. Different types of rotation and translation produce unique flow fields, which fly brains are wired to identify. However, a feature of optic flow unique to translational motion is that adjacent images may move across the retina at different speeds, depending on their distance from the observer. Many insects take advantage of this depth cue, called motion parallax, to determine the distance to objects. We wanted to know if differential object speeds affect the corrective …
Flying Fruit Flies Correct For Visual Sideslip Depending On Relative Speed Of Forward Optic Flow, Stephanie Cabrera, Jamie Theobald
Flying Fruit Flies Correct For Visual Sideslip Depending On Relative Speed Of Forward Optic Flow, Stephanie Cabrera, Jamie Theobald
Department of Biological Sciences
As a fly flies through its environment, static objects produce moving images on its retina, and this optic flow is essential for steering and course corrections. Different types of rotation and translation produce unique flow fields, which fly brains are wired to identify. However, a feature of optic flow unique to translational motion is that adjacent images may move across the retina at different speeds, depending on their distance from the observer. Many insects take advantage of this depth cue, called motion parallax, to determine the distance to objects. We wanted to know if differential object speeds affect the corrective …
The Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi On Four Legume Hosts In South Florida Pine Rockland Soils, Klara Scharnagl
The Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi On Four Legume Hosts In South Florida Pine Rockland Soils, Klara Scharnagl
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study addressed the effects of salinity and pot size on the interaction between leguminous plant hosts and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in four pine rockland soils using a shade house trap-plant experiment. Little is known about the belowground diversity of pine rocklands and the interactions between aboveground and belowground biota – an increased understanding of these interactions could lead to improved land management decisions, conservation and restoration efforts. Following twelve weeks of growth, plants were measured for root and shoot dry biomass and percent colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Overall, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi had positive fitness effects on the four …
The Role Of Teleost Grazers In A Relatively Pristine Seagrass Ecosystem, Cindy Bessey
The Role Of Teleost Grazers In A Relatively Pristine Seagrass Ecosystem, Cindy Bessey
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Trophic downgrading of ecosystems necessitates a functional understanding of trophic cascades. Identifying the presence of cascades, and the mechanisms through which they occur, is particularly important for seagrass meadows, which are among the most threatened ecosystems on Earth. Shark Bay, Western Australia provides a model system to investigate the potential importance of top-down effects in a relatively pristine seagrass ecosystem. The role of megagrazers in the Shark Bay system has been previously investigated, but the role of macrograzers (i.e., teleosts), and their importance relative to megagrazers, remains unknown. The objective of my dissertation was to elucidate the importance of teleost …
Effects Of Multiple Ecological Drivers On Recruitment And Succession Of Coral Reef Macroalgal Communities, Alain Duran
Effects Of Multiple Ecological Drivers On Recruitment And Succession Of Coral Reef Macroalgal Communities, Alain Duran
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The study evaluated the effects of herbivory pressure, nutrient availability and potential propagule supply on recruitment and succession of coral reef macroalgal communities. Recruitment and succession tiles were placed in a nutrient-herbivory factorial experiment and macroalgal abundances were evaluated through time. Proportional abundances of macroalgal form-functional groups on recruitment and succession tiles were similar to field established communities within treatments, evidencing possible effects of adult macroalgae as propagule supply. Macroalgal abundance of recruitment tiles increased with nutrient loading and herbivory reduction combined whereas on succession tiles nutrient loading increased abundance of articulated-calcareous only when herbivores were excluded. Macroalgal field established …
What Google Maps Can Do For Biomedical Data Dissemination: Examples And A Design Study, Radu Jianu, David H. Laidlaw
What Google Maps Can Do For Biomedical Data Dissemination: Examples And A Design Study, Radu Jianu, David H. Laidlaw
School of Computing and Information Sciences
Background: Biologists often need to assess whether unfamiliar datasets warrant the time investment required for more detailed exploration. Basing such assessments on brief descriptions provided by data publishers is unwieldy for large datasets that contain insights dependent on specific scientific questions. Alternatively, using complex software systems for a preliminary analysis may be deemed as too time consuming in itself, especially for unfamiliar data types and formats. This may lead to wasted analysis time and discarding of potentially useful data. Results: We present an exploration of design opportunities that the Google Maps interface offers to biomedical data visualization. In particular, we …
Relative Roles Of Dispersal Dynamics And Competition In Determining The Isotopic Niche Breadth Of A Wetland Fish, Robin N. Abbey-Lee, Evelyn E. Gaiser, Joel C. Trexler
Relative Roles Of Dispersal Dynamics And Competition In Determining The Isotopic Niche Breadth Of A Wetland Fish, Robin N. Abbey-Lee, Evelyn E. Gaiser, Joel C. Trexler
FCE LTER Journal Articles
1. The niche variation hypothesis predicts that among-individual variation in niche use will increase in the presence of intraspecific competition and decrease in the presence of interspecific competition. We sought to determine whether the local isotopic niche breadth of fish inhabiting a wetland was best explained by competition for resources and the niche variation hypothesis, by dispersal of individuals from locations with different prey resources or by a combination of the two. We analysed stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen as indices of feeding niche and compared metrics of within-site spread to characterise site-level isotopic niche breadth. We then evaluated …
Nutrient Supply From Fishes Facilitates Macroalgae And Suppresses Corals In A Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystem, Deron E. Burkepile, Jacob E. Allgeier, Andrew A. Shantz, Catherine Pritchard, Nathan P. Lemoine, Laura H. Bhatti, Craig A. Layman
Nutrient Supply From Fishes Facilitates Macroalgae And Suppresses Corals In A Caribbean Coral Reef Ecosystem, Deron E. Burkepile, Jacob E. Allgeier, Andrew A. Shantz, Catherine Pritchard, Nathan P. Lemoine, Laura H. Bhatti, Craig A. Layman
Department of Biological Sciences
On coral reefs, fishes can facilitate coral growth via nutrient excretion; however, as coral abundance declines, these nutrients may help facilitate increases in macroalgae. By combining surveys of reef communities with bioenergetics modeling, we showed that fish excretion supplied 25 times more nitrogen to forereefs in the Florida Keys, USA, than all other biotic and abiotic sources combined. One apparent result was a positive relationship between fish excretion and macroalgal cover on these reefs. Herbivore biomass also showed a negative relationship with macroalgal cover, suggesting strong interactions of top-down and bottom-up forcing. Nutrient supply by fishes also showed a negative …
The Chromevaloa Database: A Resource For The Evaluation Of Okadaic Acid Contamination In The Marine Environment Based On The Chromatin-Associated Transcriptome Of The Mussel Mytilus Galloprovincialis, Victoria Suárez-Ulloa, Juan Fernández-Tajes, Vanessa Aguiar-Pulido, Ciro Rivera-Casas, Rodrigo González-Romero, Juan Ausio, Josefina Méndez, Julián Dorado, Jose M. Eirin-Lopez
The Chromevaloa Database: A Resource For The Evaluation Of Okadaic Acid Contamination In The Marine Environment Based On The Chromatin-Associated Transcriptome Of The Mussel Mytilus Galloprovincialis, Victoria Suárez-Ulloa, Juan Fernández-Tajes, Vanessa Aguiar-Pulido, Ciro Rivera-Casas, Rodrigo González-Romero, Juan Ausio, Josefina Méndez, Julián Dorado, Jose M. Eirin-Lopez
Department of Biological Sciences
Okadaic Acid (OA) constitutes the main active principle in Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP) toxins produced during Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), representing a serious threat for human consumers of edible shellfish. Furthermore, OA conveys critical deleterious effects for marine organisms due to its genotoxic potential. Many efforts have been dedicated to OA biomonitoring during the last three decades. However, it is only now with the current availability of detailed molecular information on DNA organization and the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of genome integrity, that a new arena starts opening up for the study of OA contamination. In the present work …
Does Landscape Context Affect Habitat Value? The Importance Of Seascape Ecology In Back-Reef Systems, Lauren Yeager
Does Landscape Context Affect Habitat Value? The Importance Of Seascape Ecology In Back-Reef Systems, Lauren Yeager
FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Seascape ecology provides a useful framework from which to understand the processes governing spatial variability in ecological patterns. Seascape context, or the composition and pattern of habitat surrounding a focal patch, has the potential to impact resource availability, predator-prey interactions, and connectivity with other habitats. For my dissertation research, I combined a variety of approaches to examine how habitat quality for fishes is influenced by a diverse range of seascape factors in sub-tropical, back-reef ecosystems. In the first part of my dissertation, I examined how seascape context can affect reef fish communities on an experimental array of artificial reefs created …
Diurnal Patterns Of Gas-Exchange And Metabolic Pools In Tundra Plants During Three Phases Of The Arctic Growing Season, Rajit Patankar, Behzad Mortazavi, Steven F. Oberbauer, Gregory Starr
Diurnal Patterns Of Gas-Exchange And Metabolic Pools In Tundra Plants During Three Phases Of The Arctic Growing Season, Rajit Patankar, Behzad Mortazavi, Steven F. Oberbauer, Gregory Starr
Department of Biological Sciences
Arctic tundra plant communities are subject to a short growing season that is the primary period in which carbon is sequestered for growth and survival. This period is often characterized by 24-h photoperiods for several months a year. To compensate for the short growing season tundra plants may extend their carbon uptake capacity on a diurnal basis, but whether this is true remains unknown. Here, we examined in situ diurnal patterns of physiological activity and foliar metabolites during the early, mid, and late growing season in seven arctic species under light-saturated conditions. We found clear diurnal patterns in photosynthesis and …