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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Analysis And Optimization Of Colorimetric Nanosensors For Rapid Detection Of Microbes In Water, Ruby A. Lang Jun 2020

Analysis And Optimization Of Colorimetric Nanosensors For Rapid Detection Of Microbes In Water, Ruby A. Lang

Master's Theses

Access to safe water is a basic human right recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010 (WHO, 2020). However, a least 2.2 billion people globally still are without safely managed water services meaning they use a drinking water source that can be contaminated with faeces (WHO, 2020). With such a pressing global health issue, it is clear that improvement to water systems is important and required in the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, to improve water systems and prove they are safe water sources, water quality testing must occur. A solution to this issue is the …


Senior Project: An Investigative Study Into The Bacterial Contamination Of Little Black Creek, Margaret I. Brenneman Apr 2020

Senior Project: An Investigative Study Into The Bacterial Contamination Of Little Black Creek, Margaret I. Brenneman

Honors Projects

An investigation of Escherichia coli concentrations in a west Michigan stream was conducted to determine sources of fecal contamination that impact water quality. Little Black Creek (LBC) is located in Muskegon County and discharges into Lake Michigan at the P.J. Hoffmaster Campground Beach. Often referred to as an “indicator bacteria,” water contaminated with E. coli has a high probability to contain other enteric pathogens as well. Beach water testing in 2020 using Colilert-18 methods revealed E. coli levels of 579 cfu/100mL in the creek discharge area that exceeded total body contact criteria of 300 cfu/100mL. A follow-up study of the …


Diatom Voucher Flora And Comparison Of Collection Methods For Biodiversity Hotspot Upper Three Runs Creek, Katie M. Johnson Mar 2020

Diatom Voucher Flora And Comparison Of Collection Methods For Biodiversity Hotspot Upper Three Runs Creek, Katie M. Johnson

Biology Theses

Surface freshwater is a scarce resource. Due to the scarcity and necessity of this resource, it is imperative that its quality is routinely monitored. One way of monitoring water quality is through biological assessments, which include examining algal assemblages. Regionally, little remains known of algal taxa in the southeastern United States. In the past, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) conducted biological assessments along the Savannah River finding Gomphonema parvulum (Kützing) Kützing 1849 to be a dominant taxon rendering assessments inconclusive. Recent studies have provided evidence that species complexes and semi-cryptic taxa have been identified within the Gomphonema …


Analysis Of Bacterial Dna And Water Quality: Surface Water Sampling At Gardner-Webb University, Celsea Reeder Jan 2020

Analysis Of Bacterial Dna And Water Quality: Surface Water Sampling At Gardner-Webb University, Celsea Reeder

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Part 1 of this experiment was to explore the bacterial types within the surface water on the campus of Gardner-Webb University, located in Boiling Springs, NC. Two water samples were collected from four locations on campus, including the boiling spring, Lake Hollifield, and an adjacent creek. Using the Zymo Research “Quick-DNA Fungal/Bacterial Miniprep Kit,” the bacterial DNA within these samples was isolated and sent to Psomagen, Inc. for analysis. The resulting DNA sequences were analyzed through BLAST, and subsequently interpreted. For the second part of this experiment, one surface water sample was taken from the boiling spring, and another …