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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Proteomic Analysis Of Wolbachia Symbiosis Within The Drosophila, Ricardo Perez-Dulzaides
Proteomic Analysis Of Wolbachia Symbiosis Within The Drosophila, Ricardo Perez-Dulzaides
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
Wolbachia pipientis are bacterial endosymbionts of arthropods and in some filarial nematodes. Wolbachia are of particular interest because nematodeWolbachia have been shown to cause the diseases African river blindness and Lymphatic Filariasis. Doxycycline can be used to eliminate nematode Wolbachia, however, more efficient treatments are needed. Ideally, we would like to repurpose another FDA approved drug that helps to shorten treatment duration. Vitamins are one of the best classes of FDA approved compounds, generally recognized as safe. Interestingly, prior work by Serbus and colleagues found that dietary yeast, which is highly enriched in vitamins, dramatically reducesWolbachia titer …
Optimizing The Synthesis Of Azn, Grethel Miro
Optimizing The Synthesis Of Azn, Grethel Miro
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
Azulenyl nitrone (AZN) is a bright green compound that can be used to stain different compounds, including plastics. When these stained plastics are irradiated, as they commonly are in the sterilization of medical devices, AZN changes color from green to red, constituting a permanent change. This would make obsolete the current methods of radioactive labeling and maintain the integrity of medical equipment. Although a method of synthesis is already in place, the aim was to improve the yield significantly and find a more efficient and cost-effective procedure. Last year, the procedure used resulted in 18 to 20% of AZN synthesized …
A Rapid And Sensitive High-Throughput Screening Method To Identify Compounds Targeting Protein–Nucleic Acids Interactions, Nicole Alonso, Roboan Guillen
A Rapid And Sensitive High-Throughput Screening Method To Identify Compounds Targeting Protein–Nucleic Acids Interactions, Nicole Alonso, Roboan Guillen
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
DNA-binding and RNA-binding proteins are usually considered ‘undruggable’ partly due to the lack of an efficient method to identify inhibitors from existing small molecule repositories. Here we report a rapid and sensitive high-throughput screening approach to identify compounds targeting protein–nucleic acids interactions based on protein–DNA or protein–RNA interaction enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (PDI-ELISA or PRI-ELISA). We validated the PDI-ELISA method using the mammalian highmobility- group protein AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) as the protein of interest and netropsin as the inhibitor of HMGA2–DNA interactions. With this method we successfully identified several inhibitors and an activator for HMGA2–DNA interactions from a collection of 29 …
Understanding The Role Of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate As A Potential Chemotactic Cue For Coral-Associated Bacteria, Leidy Gonzalez
Understanding The Role Of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate As A Potential Chemotactic Cue For Coral-Associated Bacteria, Leidy Gonzalez
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
Most reef-building corals are known to engage in symbiosis not only with unicellular dinoflagellates from the genus, Symbiodinium, but they also sustain highly complex symbiotic associations with other microscopic organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The details of these non-pathogenic interactions remain largely unclear. The impetus of this study is to gain a better understanding of the symbiotic interaction between marine bacteria and a variety of coral species representative of differing morphologies. Studies have shown that certain bacterial orders associate specifically with certain coral species, thus making the symbiotic synergy a non-random consortium. Consequently both corals and bacteria may …
Genomic Studies Of Hla Region Gene Expression During Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection, Daniela Florit
Genomic Studies Of Hla Region Gene Expression During Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection, Daniela Florit
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex is an extensively studied region of genes that been found to have an immunoregulatory function. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen commonly found in the environment, is capable of infecting individuals with weakened immune systems, and is considered the bacterium associated with the highest mortality rate. Previous genetic studies of the HLA region have found correlations between bacterial infection and its effect on regulating HLA genes’ expression to establish their infection. In this project we will analyze the expression classical HLA loci (A, B, C, DRA/B1-3-5, DQA1/B1) in human lung epithelial cells and human macrophage cells …
Conformational Kinetics Study Of Mp-11 Using Tims-Ms And Molecular Dynamics, Christopher Harrilal, Jaroslava Miksovska, Emily R. Schenk
Conformational Kinetics Study Of Mp-11 Using Tims-Ms And Molecular Dynamics, Christopher Harrilal, Jaroslava Miksovska, Emily R. Schenk
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
In the present work, we studied the conformational kinetics of microperoxidase 11 (MP-11), a digest fragment of cytochrome C that contains 11 amino acids with a covalently attached heme group. In particular, a novel technique recently developed at FIU in collaboration with Bruker Daltonics Inc. combined with theoretical calculation was used for the characterization of MP- 11 conformational space [1-3]. Accurate ion-neutral collision cross sections were measured for all MP-11 generated charge states. Since MP-11 (like cytochrome C) undergoes conformational changes as a function of the solvent state, MP-11 ions were produced by electrospray ionization (ESI) in order to preserve …
Bat Species Identified At Fiu Mmc Campus Using Automated Echolocation Recording Systems, Barbara Mera, Jonathan Diaz, Jessica Samuel, Anna Quinones
Bat Species Identified At Fiu Mmc Campus Using Automated Echolocation Recording Systems, Barbara Mera, Jonathan Diaz, Jessica Samuel, Anna Quinones
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
No abstract provided.
Expression And Purification Of 15n, 13clabeled Hmga2 For Nmr Structural Studies, Ashley Tschiggfrie, Roboan Guillen
Expression And Purification Of 15n, 13clabeled Hmga2 For Nmr Structural Studies, Ashley Tschiggfrie, Roboan Guillen
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
The mammalian high mobility group protein AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) is a nuclear oncoprotein, and its abnormal expression is directly linked to tumorigenesis. The HMGA2 gene is located on the chromosomal bands 12q13-15. Rearrangement of these bands disrupts the normal functions of HMGA2 and causes the formation of benign tumors, such as lipomas, and malignant tumors, such as lung cancer. In this study, our objective was to make sufficient amounts of 15N-, 13C-labeled HMGA2 for NMR studies to obtain a high-resolution structure of HMGA2-DNA complexes. In order to label this protein, E. coli strain BLR(DE3), containing a plasmid expressing HMGA2, was …
Allatotropin Neuropeptide Signaling, Juvenile Hormone Homeostasis And The Aedes Aegypti Gonotrophic Cycle, John S. Castillo, Brian Garcia-Rodriguez
Allatotropin Neuropeptide Signaling, Juvenile Hormone Homeostasis And The Aedes Aegypti Gonotrophic Cycle, John S. Castillo, Brian Garcia-Rodriguez
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
Nutrient homeostasis is intrinsically linked to mosquito behavior. Female mosquitoes use vertebrate blood meals to nourish their eggs. After a female mosquito ingests a blood meal, she abruptly shifts her behavior. No longer does she seek human hosts, she now avoids them and rests away from predation while her eggs develop. Then, the female mosquito searches for standing water where she will lay her eggs. Only after the female deposits her eggs is attraction to host stimuli recovered and the gonotrophic cycle begins anew. The gonotrophic cycle in Aedes aegypti is clearly defined, but the molecular mechanism that links nutrient …
Drivers Of Bird- Window Collisions In Florida International University’S Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Adam W. Hernandez, Andrea M. Ohanian, Hans Gonzembach, Oliver Ljustina, Elizabeth A. Lago, Claudia B. Gonzalez, Gabriel De La Iglesia
Drivers Of Bird- Window Collisions In Florida International University’S Modesto A. Maidique Campus, Adam W. Hernandez, Andrea M. Ohanian, Hans Gonzembach, Oliver Ljustina, Elizabeth A. Lago, Claudia B. Gonzalez, Gabriel De La Iglesia
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
Bird-window collisions are among the top leading causes of death for birds in North America. Studies have found primary drivers of bird-window collisions to be window area, building size, and presence of vegetation around the buildings. We hypothesized that higher window area and vegetation would increase birdwindow collisions, with an inverse relationship between number of stories and bird-window collisions. Surveys were conducted for 21 consecutive days around six buildings at Florida International University (FIU) in October 2014. Using ArcGIS, 50m buffers were created around each building to calculate percent vegetation and ImageJ was used to calculate percent window cover. We …
Mapping Ionotropic Receptor Expression In Aedes Aegypti Olfactory Tissue, Reinier Alvarez, Kevin Cabrera
Mapping Ionotropic Receptor Expression In Aedes Aegypti Olfactory Tissue, Reinier Alvarez, Kevin Cabrera
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
Host olfactory cues are sufficient to attract a mosquito. Understanding the cellular and molecular basis of mosquito olfaction could lead to new targets for mosquito behavioral control. The antennae and maxillary palp allow mosquitoes to sense odors in their environment. These organs are covered in sensilla each containing two or more olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). Insect OSNs express odor-gated ion channels consisting of an odor-selective receptor and a co-receptor. Olfactory receptor expression has not been comprehensively mapped in any mosquito species. In this study, we are constructing an expression map of the ionotropic receptor family (IRs) using whole mount RNA …
Development Of Gas-Phase Pre-Separation Tools For Higher Sensitivity In The Molecular Characterization Of Biodiesel Mixtures, Stephanie Alvarado, John Daniel Debord, Christopher Thompson, Piero Gardinali
Development Of Gas-Phase Pre-Separation Tools For Higher Sensitivity In The Molecular Characterization Of Biodiesel Mixtures, Stephanie Alvarado, John Daniel Debord, Christopher Thompson, Piero Gardinali
Undergraduate Research at FIU (URFIU) Conference
The analysis of complex mixtures without pre-fractionation is analytically challenged by the high number of chemical components and their wide concentration range. In addition, many chemical species are difficult to ionize and charge competition may occur prior to mass analyses, thus limiting the detection capabilities of any analytical instrument. In the present work, we show the advantages of gas-phase separation prior to high resolution mass spectrometry analysis. In particular, two biodiesel fuel standards (soy and animal based) were analyzed using a novel analytical method featuring gas chromatographic separation prior to atmospheric pressure laser ionization (APLI). Results showed that gas- phase …