Life Sciences Commons^™

Genome Engineering In Mammalian Cells By Flp And Cre Dna Recombinase Variants, Riddhi Shah

Doctoral Dissertations

Genome engineering relies on DNA modifying enzymes that are able to locate a DNA sequence of interest and initiate a desired genome rearrangement. Currently, the field predominantly utilizes site-specific DNA nucleases that depend on the host DNA repair machinery to complete a genome modification task. We show here that genome engineering approaches that employ self-sufficient, versatile site-specific DNA recombinase Flp and Cre can be developed into promising alternatives. We demonstrate that a Flp variant evolved to recombine an FRT-like sequence FL-IL10A, which is located upstream of the human interleukin-10 gene, can target this sequence in the model setting and native …

Nano Clay-Enhanced Calcium Phosphate Cements And Hydrogels For Biomedical Applications, Udayabhanu Jammalamadaka

Doctoral Dissertations

Biomaterials are used as templates for drug delivery, scaffolds in tissue engineering, grafts in surgeries, and support for tissue regeneration. Novel biomaterial composites are needed to meet multifaceted requirements of compatibility, ease of fabrication and controlled drug delivery. Currently used biomaterials in orthopedics surgeries suffer limitations in toxicity and preventing infections. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) used as bone cement suffers from limitations of thermal necrosis and monomer toxicity calls for development of better cementing biomaterials. A biodegradable/bioresorbable cement with good mechanical properties is needed to address this short coming. Metal implants used in fixing fractures or total joint replacement needs improvements …

Microbial Ecology Of Waterborne Pathogens In Sus Scofra And Odocoileus Virginianus In The Jackson Bienville Wildlife Management Area, Jaymes Hunter Collins

Doctoral Dissertations

Previous studies have demonstrated that feral swine (Sus scofra ) are significant reservoirs for a number of pathogens that present a potential threat to wildlife and humans. Despite this, few studies have gone beyond quantifying the incidence of these pathogens to further probe their ecology within a specific habitat or ecosystem.

Overall, the objective of this study was to characterize three potential reservoirs in a feral swine infested habitat; two ungulates, and one aquatic reservoir. Our study area was the Jackson-Bienville Wildlife Management Area (J-B WMA). We chose four waterborne bacteria: Brucella spp., Leptospira interrogans, Salmonella enterica, and Helicobacter …

Clay Nanotube Composites For Antibacterial Nanostructured Coatings, Christen J. Boyer

Doctoral Dissertations

A surging demand for the development of new antimicrobial nanomaterials exists due to the frequency of medical device-associated infections and the transfer of pathogens from highly touched objects. Naturally occurring halloysite clay nanotubes (HNTs) have shown to be ideal particles for polymer reinforcement, time-release drug delivery, nano-reactor synthesis, and as substrate material for nanostructured coatings.

This research demonstrates the feasibility of a novel method for coating HNTs with metals for antibacterial applications. The first ever ability to coat HNTs through electrolysis was developed for customizable and multi-functional antibacterial nanoparticle platforms. HNTs were investigated as substrate for the deposition of copper …

Mutlifunctional Platforms For Gene And Drug Delivery For Cancer Therapy, Jeffery J. Ambrose Jr.

Doctoral Dissertations

The National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society estimate that 1.6 million new cancer incidences and over half a million cancer related deaths occur annually [1][2]. Cancer the second most common cause of death in the United States [1], [2]. Although the causes of cancer can vary depending on cell type, all or almost all instances of cancer arise from a mutation or from an abnormal activation of the cellular genes that control cell growth and mitosis [3].

Treatment of a given cancer type depends on the subtype, stage and progression of the cancer. Varieties of cancer therapy include …

Size Specific Transfection To Mammalian Cells By Micropillar Array Electroporation, Yingbo Zu

Doctoral Dissertations

Electroporation serves as a promising non-viral gene delivery approach, while its current configurations carry drawbacks associated with high-voltage electrical pulses and heterogeneous treatment on individual cells. Here, we developed a new micropillar array electroporation (MAE) platform to advance the delivery of plasmid DNA and RNA to mammalian cells. By introducing well-patterned micropillar array on the electrode surface, the number of pillars each cell faces varies with its cell membrane surface area, despite their large population and random locations. In this way, cell size specific electroporation is conveniently done and contributed to a 2.5~3 fold increase on plasmid DNA transfection and …