Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Investigating Potential Indicators Of Soil Health Through Microbiome Response To Environmental And Anthropogenic Stressors, Austin Cook
Theses and Dissertations
Traditionally, the analysis of soil health has overlooked the biological component of soil due to poor understanding of connections between the microbiome and empirically measured soil health indicators. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the soil microbiome, with the aim of identifying measurable soil biological indicators. Chosen soils were examined under distinct conditions to evaluate the effect of selected environmental and anthropogenic stressors on the microbiome. Soil biological responses were analyzed via enzymatic response, microbial functional genes, and microbial community. Environmental factors such as soil moisture and organic matter showed …
Effects Of Mass Death On Community Structure And Ecosystem Function, Abby Kimpton Jones
Effects Of Mass Death On Community Structure And Ecosystem Function, Abby Kimpton Jones
Theses and Dissertations
Death and decomposition are natural processes that are generally well-understood. However, large events of death, such as mass mortality events (MMEs) are increasing in frequency and their impacts on the ecosystem are largely unknown. These events may have both bottom-up effects from increased nutrient input as well as top-down effects from loss of an ecological functional group by the affected population. Different functional MMEs may result in different top-down effects, creating cascading effects. In Chapter 1, I test the hypothesis that scavenger and herbivore simulated MMEs generate novel bottom-up and top-down effects. Results indicate that MMEs have a significant effect …
Protective Effects Of Pigmentation In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Insights On Pyomelanin Production And Inhibition By Ntbc, Laura Marie Ketelboeter
Protective Effects Of Pigmentation In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa: Insights On Pyomelanin Production And Inhibition By Ntbc, Laura Marie Ketelboeter
Theses and Dissertations
Pyomelanin is an extracellular, reddish-brown pigment produced by several environmental and pathogenic bacteria and fungi. It is derived from the phenylalanine/tyrosine catabolism pathway and is produced when homogentisate (HGA) is secreted from the cell, auto-oxidized, and self-polymerized. Point mutations or chromosomal deletions in hmgA, which encodes homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, result in the accumulation of HGA and subsequent pyomelanin production. My work showed that the pyomelanogenic Pseudomonas aeruginosa clinical isolate PA1111 had a chromosomal deletion of hmgA, while a second pyomelanogenic clinical isolate, DKN343, had a loss of function mutation in HmgA. The 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (Hpd) inhibiting compound 2-(2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl)-1,3-cyclohexanedione (NTBC) has been …
Part 1: Screening Of Thirty-One Medicinal Plant Species Against Herpes Simplex Virus, Acetone And Methanol Extracts From The Root Tissue Of Kalanchoe Pinnata Interferes With Hsv Types 1 And 2 Dna Replication And Early And Late Gene Expression Preventing The Spread Of Hsv In Vitro. Part 2: Professional Development Curriculum: Integrating Molecular Biology And Microbiology Into The Existing Secondary Biology Curricula, Mary Ruth Greer
Theses and Dissertations
PART 1: Thirty-one medicinal plant species from Hawaii, Morocco, and the Sonoran Desert, USA have been shown in past studies to be highly inhibitory to pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and certain cancer cell lines. However, none were tested for antiviral activity. Acetone and methanol extracts from these species were bio-assayed for antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 (HSV 1 and HSV 2) and for cytotoxicity to the Vero C1008 cell line. Extracts from these species were tested in vitro for antiviral activity using an immunoperoxidase mini-plaque reduction assay to detect viral structural protein synthesis. Sulforhodamine B and …