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Articles 1 - 14 of 14
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Sequencing An Inserted Concatemer In Caenorhabditis Elegans Strain Hlh-29::Gfp, Simon T. Anderson
Sequencing An Inserted Concatemer In Caenorhabditis Elegans Strain Hlh-29::Gfp, Simon T. Anderson
Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current
Hairy/Enhancer of Split (HES) proteins and their homologs play vital roles in the development of animals, and in the regulation of cancer and other diseases. HLH-29 is an REF-1 family protein and a Caenorhabditis elegans homolog of human HES proteins. A transgenic animal model has been developed to facilitate analyses of this protein, containing an inserted concatemer of the green fluorescent protein reporter gene, regulated by the hlh-29 promoter, and a mutant rol-6 allele. Though the strain has been used previously, the location and structure of the insertion has been unknown. Sequencing of the whole hlh-29::gfp genome with high-molecular weight …
Analyzing The Effect Of Apoptotic Mutations On The State Of The Nascent-Polypeptide Associated Complex In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Monica Gerber
Analyzing The Effect Of Apoptotic Mutations On The State Of The Nascent-Polypeptide Associated Complex In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Monica Gerber
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Cells experiencing misfolded protein stress can become debilitated and die, contributing to the onset of disease. The nascent polypeptide-associated complex (NAC) is a heterodimeric translational chaperone that protects against misfolded protein stress by mediating proper protein folding and localization during translation. Depletion of this complex results in misfolded protein accumulation in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). To determine the importance of the NAC to proteostasis, we have previously depleted the complex in C.elegans via RNA interference and observed numerous dose-dependent effects, including apoptosis of neuronal cells and changes in gene expression of hypodermal cells. While we have observed these cell-specific responses …
Examining The Effect Of Interstitial Space On Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea Virginica): Applications Of Photogrammetry And Three-Dimensional Modeling, Bailie Lavan
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
Global oyster populations have decreased by as much as 99% in the past century. Oysters are known ecosystem engineers, providing benthic habitat for macrofauna, linking benthic and pelagic food webs, improving water quality, and mitigating shoreline erosion. Restoration efforts are critical in re-establishing native oyster populations. In the Chesapeake Bay, where oyster loss is primarily due to severe over harvest, artificial substrates with geometric shapes are widely used in restoration efforts. However, natural oyster reefs form emergent shapes with a high degree of aggregation and many interstitial spaces (three-dimensional volumetric spaces between oysters within a reef). The lack of interstitial …
In Vitro Propagation Of A Critically Endangered African Violets (Saintpaulia Rupicola B.L. Burtt), Thomas W. Lowry Iii
In Vitro Propagation Of A Critically Endangered African Violets (Saintpaulia Rupicola B.L. Burtt), Thomas W. Lowry Iii
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
The in vitro propagation is a promising method for the production of plants in species that are endangered, commercially valuable, and/or otherwise difficult to propagate through traditional horticultural methods. Leaf and petiole explants of critically endangered African violets (Saintpaulia rupicola B.L. Burtt) were cultured on a chemically defined medium that was supplemented with six different concentrations of thidiazuron (TDZ). The concentrations were used for either an induction medium on which the explants remained throughout development, or an induction medium on which the explants remained for 10 days followed by a basal growth medium for the remainder of the 12 …
Structure/Function Analysis Of Fega And Fhua In Bradyrhizobium Sp., Alexander James Herd
Structure/Function Analysis Of Fega And Fhua In Bradyrhizobium Sp., Alexander James Herd
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Bradyrhizobium japonicum is a Gram-negative soil bacterium commonly known for its agriculturally significant mutualistic relationship with soybean. In this symbiosis, the bacteria and plant undergo complex molecular signaling characterized by sent and received signals resulting in the formation of infection threads and root nodules. This research aimed to compare two related bacterial outer membrane proteins, FegA and FhuA, associated with the molecular signaling between the bacteria and plant. Previous work has led to the hypothesis that the N-terminal domain (NTD) of FegA in B. japonicum is needed for a functional symbiosis to occur. Recombinant bacterial strains expressing altered FegA proteins …
Evolution Of Bordetella Pertussis Genome May Play A Role In The Increased Rate Of Whooping Cough Cases In The United States, Kevin Loftus
Evolution Of Bordetella Pertussis Genome May Play A Role In The Increased Rate Of Whooping Cough Cases In The United States, Kevin Loftus
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Bordetella pertussis is the bacterium responsible for pertussis, a disease commonly referred to as whooping cough. Recently, pertussis has made a resurgence in the U.S. despite high-vaccination coverage. Possible causes of the increased number of pertussis cases include genetic evolution of B. pertussis, increased awareness of the disease, better laboratory diagnostics, and the switch from a whole-cellular (wP) vaccine to an acellular vaccine (aP) in the 1990s. Fortunately, just as B. pertussis is evolving, so is the arsenal of technologies used to understand and combat this pathogenic bacterium. Whole genome sequencing is one technology that helps researchers better understand …
Identifying A B. Thuringiensis Var. Kurstaki Receptor Binding Protein For Bacteriophage Riley, Rachel Carson
Identifying A B. Thuringiensis Var. Kurstaki Receptor Binding Protein For Bacteriophage Riley, Rachel Carson
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
With the rapid emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria affecting people around the world, research into new therapies using bacteriophages (phages) is increasing in the United States. Phages are viruses that can only infect bacteria and are able to co-evolve alongside the bacteria they infect. A researchers’ ability to pinpoint which phage to use in the therapy is important to combat an infection effectively. To do so, the genes that control the interaction between phages and the bacteria they infect, such as receptor binding proteins on the surface of a bacterial cell, need to be identified. Transposon mutagenesis was used in …
Construction Of A Heterologous Vaccine Against Bordetella Avium And Campylobacter Jejuni Utilizing The B. Avium Transporter, Baa1, Rachel Korba
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
A Gram negative species of bacteria, Campylobacter jejuni, is the leading cause of food poisoning worldwide. Humans often contract food poisoning after ingesting contaminated poultry. Detecting the presence of C. jejuni in poultry is difficult because it is part of the natural flora and does not cause symptomatic infection. In a related manner, Bordetella avium is a Gram negative species of bacteria that causes bordetellosis in poultry. This disease is similar to whooping cough caused by the related pathogen of humans, B. pertussis. Though the mortality rate for bordetellosis is low, it weakens the birds’ immune systems, often …
Topical Administration Of Lacritin Peptide For The Treatment Of Canine Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, Eliza A. Gaylord
Topical Administration Of Lacritin Peptide For The Treatment Of Canine Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, Eliza A. Gaylord
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), also known as dry-eye disease, causes a deficiency of tears in both humans and canines. Due to the lack of effective therapeutics for the treatment of dry-eye disease, there is a market potential for a novel secretion enhancing factor. Lacritin, a naturally occurring tear glycoprotein, increases basal tearing in rabbits when topically applied to the ocular surface and shows potential as a dry-eye therapeutic. This study aims to characterize Lacritin as a biomarker of dry-eye disease in canines with KCS. A total of 46 canine tear samples, 24 normal and 22 diagnosed with KCS, were obtained through …
Survey Of Microbial Urea Degrader Diversity In Two Freshwater Ecosystems: Lake Shenandoah And The Shenandoah River, Naomi E. Gilbert
Survey Of Microbial Urea Degrader Diversity In Two Freshwater Ecosystems: Lake Shenandoah And The Shenandoah River, Naomi E. Gilbert
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
One of the primary drivers of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) in freshwater systems is nutrient loading, particularly of nitrogen and phosphorus. There has been an increased focus on assessing the role of nitrogen (N) in freshwater lakes and rivers that suffer cHABs. Urea, a widely-used, N-rich fertilizer, is a source of interest due to its abundance in freshwater ecosystems, primarily caused by anthropogenic nutrient loading. While recent work has shown that cHAB population succession may favor the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis in urea-rich waters, the diversity of the associated bacterial community capable of degrading urea has yet to be determined. …
Impact Of Burkholderia Phytofirmans Strain Psjn On The Ex Vitro Acclimatization And In Vitro Propagation Of Tissue Cultured Dionaea Muscipula (Venus Fly Trap), Peter L. Riley
Masters Theses, 2010-2019
Dionaea muscipula, Venus fly trap, is an endangered plant that is propagated primarily through tissue culture. Tissue cultured plants must be acclimatized to their new environments when removed from their test tubes and the ensuing stress can result in plant mortality. A plant growth promoting rhizobacterium, Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN, has been utilized in biotic hardening of tissue cultured plants and in the amelioration of stresses, particularly drought stress in potted plants. We investigated whether this bacterium could improve either propagation or acclimatization of tissue cultured Venus fly traps. Standardized inoculations were performed by adjusting cell density of inoculant …
Clinical Study Of Canine Tear Lacritin As A Treatment For Dry Eye, Katherine E. Kelly
Clinical Study Of Canine Tear Lacritin As A Treatment For Dry Eye, Katherine E. Kelly
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), the deficiency of tears also known as dry eye, is a prevalent disease that affects both humans and canines. The current treatment for dye eye, cyclosporine (Restatis®), only provides temporary relief, is often associated with discomfort and is inconsistently effective. Lacritin is a naturally occurring tear glycoprotein secreted from the human and canine lacrimal glands. It has been shown that lacritin stimulates basal tearing in rabbits when applied topically. This study characterized the amount and form of lacritin found in the tears of dogs with healthy and dry eyes—information which may be applied to the development of …
Characterization Of Cell-Type Specific Responses In C. Elegans Experiencing Misfolded Protein Stress: How Do Some Cells Save Themselves While Others Die?, Courtney A. Matson, Erin N. Wallace
Characterization Of Cell-Type Specific Responses In C. Elegans Experiencing Misfolded Protein Stress: How Do Some Cells Save Themselves While Others Die?, Courtney A. Matson, Erin N. Wallace
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
To maintain viability, cells must resolve misfolded protein stress; the inability to do so often triggers cell death, most notably in neurons during neurodegenerative disease. The NAC is a highly conserved translational chaperone essential for protein folding and localization to organelles throughout the cell. In C. elegans, depletion of the NAC initiates misfolded protein stress specifically in the endoplasmic reticulum, inducing a response that upregulates the HSP-4 chaperone in an attempt to prevent cell death. This upregulation is robust but not uniform, and deficient in regions containing neurons. We are characterizing this non-uniform stress response to determine if HSP-4 upregulation …
Tricistronic Lentivirus Vector Construction Using Scar-Less Dna Assembly Methods And Web-Based Software J5 To Help Study Grk4, Christophe Langouet-Astrie
Tricistronic Lentivirus Vector Construction Using Scar-Less Dna Assembly Methods And Web-Based Software J5 To Help Study Grk4, Christophe Langouet-Astrie
Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019
About one third of the world’s population is affected by hypertension, or high blood pressure, which increases an individual’s risk for cardiovascular disease. A major contributor to hypertension is dietary sodium intake. To assess an individual’s risk for hypertension, patients are put on a low sodium diet. However, research has shown that low salt intake can also have different and potentially harmful effects. Because of this, a genetic screen for salt sensitivity is needed to asses an individual’s salt sensitivity classification before testing and these results matched to a recommended dietary change. The kidney regulates the body’s fluid volume, so …