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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

The Catalytic Urease Subunit Urec Is Critical For Bifidobacterium Longum Urea Utilization, Yang Lyu Oct 2019

The Catalytic Urease Subunit Urec Is Critical For Bifidobacterium Longum Urea Utilization, Yang Lyu

Doctoral Dissertations

In the first study, we investigated the utilization of a human milk nitrogen source, urea, by Bifidobacterium. Urea accounts for ~15% in human milk, which is an abundant non-protein nitrogen (NPN). Some bifidobacteria are found to harbor urease gene clusters that potentially enable their hydrolysis of the human milk urea. However, the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. To incisively link the urease gene cluster with bifidobacterial urea utilization, chemical mutagenesis (i.e. ethyl methanesulfonate) was performed on the urease-positive Bifidobacterium longum subsp. suis UMA399. Mutants were selected on differential media and genetic lesions were identified using whole genome sequencing. …


Dietary Oligosaccharides Are Differentially Metabolized By Commensal Microbiota Within In Vitro Model Systems, Ezgi Özcan Oct 2019

Dietary Oligosaccharides Are Differentially Metabolized By Commensal Microbiota Within In Vitro Model Systems, Ezgi Özcan

Doctoral Dissertations

Our diet contains indigestible carbohydrates that are available for microbial metabolism within the gastrointestinal tract. These carbohydrate sources are oligosaccharides found in plants and human milk. Oligosaccharide utilization phenotypes are often consistent with the ecological niche that microbes occupy (e.g. adult gut, infant gut, plants). This study represents an in-depth metabolic analysis for utilization of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) including lacto-N-tetraose (LNT) and lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT), and cranberry oligosaccharides (i.e. xyloglucans) within in vitro modeled systems. These model systems include microplate systems for pure cultures as well as an adapted bioreactor system to mimic microbial interactions within the gut. Infant-colonizing Bifidobacterium …


The Efficacy Of Atp Monitoring Devices At Measuring Organic Matter On Postharvest Surfaces, Kristin Lane Oct 2019

The Efficacy Of Atp Monitoring Devices At Measuring Organic Matter On Postharvest Surfaces, Kristin Lane

Masters Theses

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), specifically the Produce Safety Rule (PSR), requires growers to clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces to protect against produce contamination. The ATP monitoring device is a potential sanitation tool to monitor the efficacy of an on-farm cleaning and sanitation program that could help growers meet regulatory expectations mandated by PSR. The ATP device uses bioluminescence to detect all ATP (found in bacteria and produce matter cells) from a swabbed surface. Little work has been done to test the efficacy of these tools under postharvest conditions. The present study evaluated ATP measurement for postharvest surface cleanliness …


Influence Of Shipping Container Upon Temperature, Relative Humidity, And Bacterial Growth On Broccoli, Nicholas Berus Mar 2019

Influence Of Shipping Container Upon Temperature, Relative Humidity, And Bacterial Growth On Broccoli, Nicholas Berus

Masters Theses

Temperature and relative humidity of produce throughout the cold chain can greatly affect the quality and safety of the food product. Different packaging systems or containers can provide better cooling environments for food products that could decrease temperature abuse and ultimately safety risks. In this study we compiled temperature and relative humidity profiles of broccoli packed in different shipping containers throughout the produce supply chain. The shipping containers looked at were the wax corrugated box, reusable plastic containers (RPC), and Eco Pack Green Box with and without a lid. Large differences were seen in the temperature profiles of each package …