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Articles 1 - 7 of 7
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Impacts Of Bacterial Evolution On Host Lethality In Drosophila, Andrew Preston
Impacts Of Bacterial Evolution On Host Lethality In Drosophila, Andrew Preston
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
Evolution is the process by which species change their genetic traits, such as the pathogenicity of bacteria, over time in response to changes in their environment. Although the genetic mechanisms underlying many evolutionary processes have been revealed, it is still not well understood how opportunistic pathogens, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, become virulent. The overall goal of this thesis is to test the Coincidental Evolution Hypothesis, which proposes that the virulence of opportunistic pathogens evolves coincidentally as a by-product of their interaction with their natural predators. I hypothesized that the virulence of ancestral Pseudomonas aeruginosa changes over time if it co-evolves …
Nitrogen Availability In Dune Systems And Its Effect On Root Fungal Endophyte Communities., Haley E. Sage
Nitrogen Availability In Dune Systems And Its Effect On Root Fungal Endophyte Communities., Haley E. Sage
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
As global change persists, changes in resource availability can influence plant-microbe interactions. To understand how resource availability can influence these interactions and species diversity, I focused this research on how varying nitrogen (N) levels affect root endophyte communities in the plant species Ammophila breviligulata, an ecosystem engineer in the dune system. I analyzed the relationship between nitrogen addition and microbial community composition across 60 plots treated with three nitrogen addition levels (control, low, and high) in a long-term experimental field site in the Lake Michigan dunes. I identified Ammophila breviligulata's root endophyte community after creating a culture collection and …
Functional Characterization Of A Putative Alternative Oxidase In Sporisorium Reilianum F. Sp. Zeae., Emma A Lamb
Functional Characterization Of A Putative Alternative Oxidase In Sporisorium Reilianum F. Sp. Zeae., Emma A Lamb
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
Sporisorium reilianum is a pathogenic basidiomycete fungus with two formae speciales, each capable of infecting corn (SRZ) or sorghum (SRS), respectively. This fungus is also a dimorphic variety, meaning it can switch between its haploid, yeast-like sporidia and diploid teliospore stages over the course of its life cycle (Schirawski). When S. reilianum is found in a haploid state and conditions are favorable, it will mate with a compatible non-self mating type to begin filamentous growth and proliferation in the plant host (Zhao). S. relianum, like most fungi, utilizes the four classical components of the electron transport chain to produce …
Implementing Crispr-Cas9 Gene Editing System In Microbotryum., Stevana Reese Schauer
Implementing Crispr-Cas9 Gene Editing System In Microbotryum., Stevana Reese Schauer
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
Microbotryum dianthorum is a species of smut fungus which causes infection in plants in the Dianthus genus. The infection process is aided by small-secreted proteins known as effectors. Effectors may aid in the infection process because they are secreted by the fungus and can enter plant tissue, possibly to facilitate infection and/or manipulate the host. Thus, it is of interest to investigate the genes for these effectors to determine their role in the infection process. One method to study genes is through gene disruption, via the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system, but this has not yet been implemented in Microbotryum dianthorum …
The Effect Of Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia On Gram-Negative Cystic Fibrosis Pathogens., Joshua D Stewart
The Effect Of Stenotrophomonas Maltophilia On Gram-Negative Cystic Fibrosis Pathogens., Joshua D Stewart
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is the most common lethal genetic disorder in the Caucasian population with an incidence of 1 per 3,000 live births and a median predicted survival of only 47 years. Respiratory failure due to repeated pathological insults to lung tissue by infection is the ultimate cause of mortality in the majority of patients. The lung microenvironment created by CF highly favors colonization by opportunistic pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Burkholderia cenocepacia, and Achromobacter xylosoxidans. Biofilm formation by multiple bacterial species contributes to the chronic, persistent, and difficult to treat nature of CF infections. This study seeks …
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria In Water Environments In Louisville, Kentucky., Amy Priest
Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria In Water Environments In Louisville, Kentucky., Amy Priest
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
Antibiotic resistant bacterial strains are an increasing problem, particularly in clinical health care settings. As a result, bacterial infections are becoming increasingly challenging to treat with more cases becoming life threatening. Aquatic environments facilitate microbial diversity and the transfer of genetic elements and thus may serve as a reservoir for antibiotic resistant microbes. Human misuse of antibiotics may further facilitate the spread of resistance in water environments. With little known about the bacteria communities in local water environments, this study aimed to learn more about these populations through the following aims: 1) identify the microbial community composition from water environments …
Burkholderia Cenocepacia J2315-Mediated Destruction Of Staphylococcus Aureus Nrs77 Biofilms., Rachel Thompson
Burkholderia Cenocepacia J2315-Mediated Destruction Of Staphylococcus Aureus Nrs77 Biofilms., Rachel Thompson
College of Arts & Sciences Senior Honors Theses
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an inherited disorder that affects over 30,000 people in the US and more than 70,000 people worldwide. Recurring bacterial infections in CF patients result in tissue damage that dramatically lowers respiratory function and are ultimately fatal. The formation of bacterial biofilms in the mucus and on lung epithelial tissue allows pathogens to be protected from antibiotics and the host immune system, making treatment of infection difficult. The interactions between CF pathogens in co-culture biofilms are not well understood and were examined in this study. Staphylococcus aureus and Burkholderia cenocepacia, two common CF pathogens, were used …