Life Sciences Commons^™

Exploring Representation In Microbiology Introductory Courses Can Encourage A More Inclusive And Inspiring Environment For Students And Instructors, Jill A. Mikucki, Elizabeth Fozo

Feminist Pedagogy

Microbiology has a relatively brief history where significant discoveries are often linked with major events in human history - from disease outbreak to industrialization to climate change. The founders of key microbiological principles span across continents, genders, ethnicities, and socioeconomic status. However, the portrait described in many introductory textbooks center around a lone, typically white male scientist. Such narratives not only are misleading regarding the development of key principles in microbiology but can also reinforce inappropriate stereotypes as to whom belongs in microbiology. In our introductory microbiology course, we designed group work for Zoom break-out rooms to help engage students …

How Clean Is The Clean Room?, Erik J. Mcfarland

STAR Program Research Presentations

In order to limit contamination and protect the integrity of search-for-life missions, spacecraft assembly clean rooms should be free of microorganisms to the extent that planetary protection guidelines require of the mission. This study monitored the bioburden of the clean room in which the Mars-destined InSight lander was being assembled. Samples of ten locations inside the clean room and one location outside were taken at monthly intervals, starting in March 2014 and scheduled to end in September 2014.

Bioburden was determined using qPCR and ATP analyses with qPCR targating 16S rRNA gene copy number and ATP targating metabolic activity of …

Characterization Of Bacillus Bacterial Strains; Optimum Growth Temperature, Proteolytic And Lipolytic Activity, Jamie Anne Boring

STAR Program Research Presentations

Characterization of Bacillus bacterial strains is an important step in identifying and removing biofilms contaminating processing equipment. These biofilms lead to large amounts of spores in the final product. Strains that produce spoilage enzymes cause off-flavors, structural defects and reduced shelf life of milk products. Using four treatments, we determined the best growth protocol for each strain to use in future experiments. Treatment 1: 80 ^o C heat shock and 32 ^o C 24hr incubation, Treatment 2: 80^o C/ 55 ^o C, Treatment 3: 100 ^o C/ 32 ^o C, Treatment 4: 100 ^o C/ 55 ^o C. Our …

Detection Of Viable Microorganisms Using Propidium Monoazide, Erik J. Mcfarland, Adrian Ponce Dr.

STAR Program Research Presentations

Propidium monoazide (PMA) is a molecular tool used to assess viability of microorganisms. Currently, PMA is thought to discern viability through membrane permeability; PMA enters only membrane compromised cells, irreversibly crosslinks to theirDNAand precipitates theDNAout of solution, preventing it from being amplified during polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Using PMA on a sample of live and dead microorganisms results in only theDNAof living organisms being amplified and identified. Therefore, a comparison ofPCRresults with and without PMA allows one to determine the live fraction and total population, respectively.

Current literature provides conflicting evidence as to the effectiveness of the technique. Our research …