Life Sciences Commons^™

Annotation Of Hypothetical Genes In Lactococcus Lactis Ssp. Il403, Jennifer A. Tangires

Student Scholar Showcase

The human gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harnesses various microbial organisms involved in almost all processes of physiological homeostasis, among these are lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These bacteria, almost all of which belong to the order Lactobacillales, are able to produce lactic acid, and play an important role in food preservation because they produce bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are antimicrobial proteins that are used to fight off related bacteria in their environment that are competing for the same resources. This study focuses on a specific LAB strain, Lactococcus lactis ssp. IL1403 where 21.9% of its predicted genes have not yet been assigned a function. …

Online Class-Incremental Learning For Real-World Food Image Classification, Siddeshwar Raghavan, Jiangpeng He, Fengqing Zhu

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Food image classification is essential for monitoring health and tracking dietary in image-based dietary assessment methods. However, conventional systems often rely on static datasets with fixed classes and uniform distribution. In contrast, real-world food consumption patterns, shaped by cultural, economic, and personal influences, involve dynamic and evolving data. Thus, it requires the classification system to cope with continuously evolving data. Online Class Incremental Learning (OCIL) addresses the challenge of learning continuously from a single-pass data stream while adapting to the new knowledge and reducing catastrophic forgetting. Experience Replay (ER) based OCIL methods store a small portion of previous data and …

Mushrooom Production Without Solid Substrates, Alexander Baena, Marshall Porterfield

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

Novel biotechnological approaches are needed to enhance renewable food production and waste recycling capabilities in resource-constrained environments. Edible mushrooms possess nutritious profiles and represent emerging opportunities to develop circular bioproduction by transforming waste organic materials into food and high-value products. However, traditional mushroom cultivation methods utilizing solid substrates have technical limitations like 1) uneven nutrient diffusion, 2) constant sterilization needs, 3) numerous intermediate steps that are energy and time-demanding, and 4) waste production from bags and jars. This work introduces an innovative hydroponic fungal cultivation system called Mycoponics™ using bioengineered ceramic materials. This liquid-nutrient-based technique optimizes fungal metabolism and facilitates …

Investigating The Effect Of Agronomic Factors On Microbiome Of Horticulture Produce, Maryada Bohra

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

The ranged microbiome in fruits and vegetables contributes substantially to the health of vegetation which, in effect, benefits human health. These microorganisms undertake an extensive variety of responsibilities including flavour creation, ripening and health preservation via the production of second-generation metabolites. There is limited information however on the influence of agronomic practices such as crop ripening stage at harvest, storage, packing material and how they impact the microbiome of the crop itself. The overall role of the crop microbiome in gut health is also not fully clear.

The Meta-Hort project will examine the effects of premature harvesting along with tray …

Genomic Diversity And Carbohydrate Utilisation In Human-Associated Bifidobacterial Isolates, Ortensia Catalano Gonzaga

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Bifidobacteria are beneficial commensals of the human gastrointestinal tract and their presence in the gut has been associated with positive health effects on the host. They account for a vast proportion of the infant gut microbiota, when the infant is fed on a milk-based diet, with their number progressively decreasing in adult and elderly. The gut microbiota and associated metabolic activities significantly impact on human health by promoting appropriate development of the infant immune system and contributing to the maintenance of the intestinal homeostasis. In recent years it has become clear that microbial colonization of the gut immediately following birth …

Growth Of Food-Borne Pathogens Listeria And Salmonella And Spore-Forming Paenibacillus And Bacillus In Commercial Plant-Based Milk Alternatives, Klaudia Bartula

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

An increase in vegan diet preference, lactose intolerance, calorie concern and environmental awareness has led to a rise in the popularity of plant-based alternatives to bovine milk. However, there are still gaps in understanding how known bacterial food contaminants behave in plant-based beverages. The present study is the first to compare the growth of food-pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica, food spoilage Bacillus subtilis and an industrial milk product isolate, spore-forming Paenibacillus in commercially available ultrahigh temperature processed bovine milk and plant-based milk alternatives (coconut, almond, cashew). Beverage samples were inoculated with a strain cocktail or individual strains of either …

Valorisation Of Underutilised Dairy Waste Residues: Production Of Lactic Acid Through Microbial Fermentation, Chatan Rai Surana

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Annually, approximately 190 million tonnes of liquid waste or co-products is generated by the dairy sector across the globe. These waste streams are nutrient-rich and currently underutilised which gives scope to transform them through microbial fermentation to produce economically valuable products and reduce their negative environmental impact. Such an approach can contribute to the circular bioeconomy by making food production systems more sustainable.

In this study, whey from acid casein hydrolysis (acid whey) and salty whey from Cheddar cheese manufacture were evaluated as feedstocks for production of lactic acid. A total of 466 lactic acid bacteria strains were screened on …

Piperine Encourages Apoptosis In Human Cervical Adenocarcinoma Cells Through Ros Generation, Dna Fragmentation, Caspase-3 Activation And Cell Cycle Arrest, Asif Jafri, Juhi Rais, Sudhir Kumar, Md Arshad

Research Symposium

Background: Cancer is one of the most common destructive diseases and the second leading cause of death in humans. Among cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women globally. Thus, there is a continuous need to search for chemotherapeutic chemicals or naturally occurring drugs to resolve this global health problem. Piperine (1-piperoylpeperdine) is present in the fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) and long pepper (Piper longum Linn.). It possesses several pharmacological properties and in the present study we have evaluated its anti-cancer potential on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells.

Methods: The anti-proliferative effect …

Nutrition Knowledge Of Young Adults: How Has K-12 Education Affected The Health Of Young Adults In 2023, Anna Polo

Scholars Day Conference

Background: Nutrition knowledge is very important in order to live a healthy lifestyle and to positively impact overall health. There is research studying the effects of nutrition education and that affects students involved in K-12 schooling, but there is a lack of research following those students beyond the classroom and to their young adult years.

Objective: The researcher’s goal was to better understand how much young adults know about basic nutrition from previous education, if different types of schooling (public, private, homeschool, etc.) taught nutrition related classes/lessons, and if different geographical regions provided nutrition education.

Design: the design was a …

University Students' Understanding Of The Endocannabinoid System And Its Relevance To Nutrition, Brittney Burford, Allyson Melton, Robbie Otero

Scholars Day Conference

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is a complex cell-signaling system that was identified in 1988, the ECS is the largest receptor system and regulator of homeostasis. Endogenous cannabinoids, or endocannabinoids, are naturally occurring, lipid-based neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the body that send signals between nerve cells. The ECS system regulates and controls many of our most critical bodily functions such as learning, memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, inflammatory immune responses, and appetite. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most known phytocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids are plant byproducts that closely mimic cannabinoids and have adverse effects on the body. Endogenous …

Assessment Of Undergraduate Students' Knowledge And Consumption Of Electrolytes And Hydration, Emma Starkman, Emma Starkman

Scholars Day Conference

The purpose of this research was to determine the knowledge that undergraduate students have regarding electrolytes and hydration and assess where further dissemination of knowledge is needed. Considering the essential nature of water and electrolytes and the limited research in this specific subject, the knowledge and consumption thereof by college students was deemed a needed area of assessment.

Sensory Evaluation Of Sugar Substitutes In Peanut Butter Cookies, Emma Starkman

Scholars Day Conference

The purpose of this experiment was to observe and record the differences in visual, sensory, and flavor characteristics of peanut butter cookies baked with different sugar substitutes to determine if a good alternative exists.

Nucleic Acid Detection Of Live Pathogens On Contaminated Foods, Simerdeep Kaur, Mohit Verma

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

The goal is to develop a point-of-care biosensor for the detection of live pathogens contaminating beef products. Biosensing of live pathogens is based on isothermal amplification of nucleic acid on a paper-based device. A colorimetric dye is employed as an indicator of the amplification product for visual result. The assay incorporates a compound Propidium monoazide (PMA) that makes the DNA from dead cells inaccessible for amplification. This approach is especially applicable for pathogens that can enter a viable but non-culturable state (VBNC).

Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy As An Alternative Method For Non-Invasive Sterility Detection In Ready To Feed Infant Milk Products, Peter Myintzaw

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

Background: The potential application of rapid, non-destructive, and user-friendly TDLAS technology to detect contamination in commercially sterile dairy beverages where visual inspection is not possible was investigated for the first time. The TDLAS equipment uses laser light to monitor carbon dioxide changes due to microbial growth in the container headspace which has the advantage of being rapid and non-destructive. This study aimed to provide detailed scientific evidence for the application of TDLAS technology as a method to determine product sterility in real food products.

Methods: TDLAS growth detection of Bacillus fengqiuensis, Candida albicans, Lactococcus lactis, Microbacterium …

Growth Of Foodborne Pathogens Listeria And Salmonella And Spore-Forming Paenibacillus In Commercial Plant-Based Milk Alternatives, Klaudia Bartula

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

An increase in vegan diet preference, lactose intolerance, calorie concern and environmental awareness has led to a rise in the popularity of plant-based alternatives to bovine milk. Non-dairy products are a fast-growing food industry sector; however, there are still gaps in understanding how the known bacterial food contaminants behave in plant-based beverages. The present study is the first to compare the growth of food-pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica and an industrial milk product isolate, spore-forming Paenibacillus, in commercially available ultrahigh temperature processed (UHT) bovine milk and plant-based milk alternatives (coconut, almond, cashew). Beverage samples were inoculated with a strain …

Application Of Fructans-Degrading Lachancea Fermentati Fst5.1 As An Alternative To Baker’S Yeast In The Production Of A Low-Fodmap Whole Wheat Bread., Małgorzata Borowska

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

FODMAPs are a group of poorly absorbed dietary carbohydrates comprised of easily fermentable oligo-, di-, monosaccharides and polyols. When consumed, they can exert gastrointestinal symptoms of pain, flatulence, or an irregular bowel movement in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome. Whole wheat bread is an excellent source of proteins, vitamins, polyphenols, and other nutrients, but its consumption is restricted in a low-FODMAP diet due to high fructans content. Although alternatives exist, these are primarily gluten-free, often inferior in terms of quality, nutritional profile, and consumer acceptance. Bioprocessing using microbial fermentation has a proven capacity to reduce FODMAPs in cereal products, but …

Evaluating 3d Printing As A Technology For Producing Dairy Snacks Based On Temperature-Controlled Rennet Induced Gelation Of Protein-Fortified Milk., Ricardo Uribe Alvarez

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

3D food printing (3DFP) has the potential to develop products with complex structures, personalised nutrition, and customised textures. However, only foods with suitable physicochemical or rheological properties are suitable for 3DFP to ensure a self-supported structure is printed. Milk proteins can form structured objects (i.e., cheese, yoghurt), and so are potential ingredients for 3DFP. This study aims to adapt the rennet gelation from the curdling process of cheese-making to produce 3D printed dairy snacks using milk protein isolate-fortified milk. It is well known that curdling of milk by rennet is temperature dependant; therefore, the rennet gelation properties (G' and G'') …

Best Practices For Urban Local Food Entrepreneurs And Building Regional Extension Networks, Julie Garden-Robinson, Rebecca West, Londa Nwadike, Karen Blakeslee, Shannon M. Coleman

Urban Food Systems Symposium

Interest in local foods production in the urban environment has been steadily increasing in North Dakota and the surrounding region. Food entrepreneurs are seeking safe and reliable ways to grow, create, and market their fresh or freshly preserved products. Urban consumers are demanding local foods and food products that are fresh and safe. As an increasing number of producers and vendors enter farmers markets and other local food sales channels, these growing small businesses need technical assistance for safe food handling and marketing in the changing world of pandemics and supply chain issues. Although some basic practices, such as hand …

Mathematical Model Describing The Behavior Of Biomass, Acidity, And Viscosity As A Function Of Temperature In The Shelf Life Of Yogurt, Manuel Alvarado, Paul A. Valle, Yolocuauhtli Salazar

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Biocontrol Of Foodborne Pathogens Using Bacteriophages, Dzhuliya Ignatova, Erion Hogan, Simone Dakare, Jean Lu

Symposium of Student Scholars

Biocontrol of Foodborne Pathogens Using Bacteriophages

Dzhuliya Ignatova, Erion Hogan, Simone Dakare, and Jean Lu

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Abstract

Salmonella and Shigella are two important groups of foodborne bacterial pathogens. Salmonella cause an illness called salmonellosis while Shigella cause shigellosis (bacillary dysentery). The most common symptoms of these illnesses are abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and fever. Shigella can also cause bloody diarrhea. It was estimated that each year Salmonella cause 93.8 million cases of gastroenteritis and 155,000 deaths globally. Shigella causes 164.7 million cases and 1.1 million deaths throughout the world yearly. People get these illnesses mainly by …

Bacteriophages Infecting Enterobacter Cloacae To Reduce Bloater Damage In Fermented Cucumbers

Symposium of Student Scholars

Fermented cucumbers are one of the most important fermented vegetables consumed worldwide. During cucumber fermentations, certain undesirable changes may occur. One of such changes is known as bloater defect (hollow cavities in fermented cucumbers), which is primarily caused by gas-producing bacteria including Enterobacter cloacae. Bloater defect lowers product quality and leads to significant economic loss to the pickle industry, and effective preventative methods are needed. Bacteriophages (phages) are highly host-specific bacterial killers. Use of phages to control unwanted bacteria in foods is a promising approach because phages do not change food properties. This research was to isolate, characterize, and …

In Silico Identification Of A Streptococcus Phage From An Unpasteurized Dairy Product

Symposium of Student Scholars

This study aimed to identify novel phages from a West African dairy product, nunu, to better understand the uncharacterized virosphere of a food microbiome. Nunu is a yogurt-like product from spontaneous fermentation of unpasteurized cow milk without a standardized starter culture. Phages and their bacterial hosts make up a microbiome, where their collective metagenome can be studied in silico, or computationally, after next generation sequencing (NGS). The targeted dataset for our study can be found in the Sequence Read Archives under the accession number of ERX2041567. This study utilized several bioinformatics software tools with customized settings: Kraken2, MetaVelvet, Edena, NCBI-BLAST, …

In Silico Isolation Of A Novel Phage For Food Safety Applications Against Pathogenic E. Coli, Daisy Mcgrath

Symposium of Student Scholars

With the advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) on metagenomes, the elucidation of all genetic material from microbiomes has prompted a renewed interest towards uncultivated members of the virosphere. We describe the discovery of a novel phage from a metagenomic dataset on the West African fermented dairy product, nunu, with a custom bioinformatics workflow to potentially serve as a biocontrol agent against pathogenic E. coli. Initial dataset of ERR2014814 from NCBI was first subjected to Kraken2 to extract novel sequencing reads for further de novo assembly into contigs by MetaVelvet. Resultant contigs served as potential partial phage genomes, then searched …

Effectiveness Of Bacteriophages Against Bloater-Causing Bacteria Enterobacter Cloacae In A Model Food System, Ashley Reed, Dzhuliya Ignatova, Sandra Kopic, Unique Sardeneta

Symposium of Student Scholars

Effectiveness of bacteriophages against bloater-causing bacteria Enterobacter cloacae in a model food system

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Ashley Reed, Dzhuliya Ignatova, Sandra Kopic, Unique Sardeneta, and Jean Lu

Abstract

Cucumber fermentation is one of the most important vegetable fermentations in the United States and Europe. Enterobacter cloacae and other gas-producing bacteria can cause bloater defect (the gas pockets or hollow cavities formed in fermented cucumbers) which lowers the quality and the yield of fermented cucumbers, thereby resulting in significant economic losses to the pickling industry. Cost-effective strategies to control E. cloacae and other microbiota need to be …

The Chemistry Of Fermentation As It Relates To The Art Of Winemaking, Olivia Cochran

Symposium of Student Scholars

The process of fermentation can be traced back to the beginning of civilization. Countries, over time, have learned this scientific process and turned it into the backbone of their culture through the making and manufacturing of wine. While climate-change and global-warming have impacted the commercial marketability of wine, the scientific process has remained constant. This undergraduate project analyses the production, fermentation and analytical approach of producing high quality wine. Beginning from the picking of grapes, to testing the acidity through a series of titrations, winemaking is truly where science and art collide.

Bioanalytical Determination Of Glucose Concentration In Sports Drinks Using Uv/Vis Spectroscopy, Laney Hedgeman, Brianna Bond

Symposium of Student Scholars

Abstract

The purpose of our project is to indirectly monitor the enzymatic activity of glucose oxidase as it reacts with the glucose present in sports drinks through the quantitative analysis of the generated ferricyanide. As glucose oxidase catalyzes the oxidation of beta-D-glucose in the presence of oxygen, D-glucono-1,5-lactone is produced along with hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide is used in a subsequent reaction with ferrocyanide catalyzed by horse radish peroxidase to produce water and the chromophore ferricyanide. This compound absorbs in the ultraviolet/visible spectrum at 420 nm, which can be quickly measured using Ultraviolet/Visible Spectroscopy. Since the molar ratio of …

An Economical Profile Study Of Machar Colony, Mahnoor Atif

CBER Conference

Economy of Pakistan is the 25th Karachi generates about 25% of national GDP. Lack of basic knowledge as old method of fishing are still being followed by fishermen. Also, the species are severely affected by variety of pollutants.

Restoration Through Regeneration: An Analysis Of Agriculture In The United States, Rebecca Norine Graham

Capstone Showcase

The industrialization of agriculture in the mid-twentieth century has revolutionized global food systems, with enough food produced annually to sustain 10 billion people on a planet of only 7.8 billion people. Such a high-yielding agricultural system comes at a great cost to the Earth’s ecosystem, as industrialized farming has taken on factory-like production methods. Particularly harmful is the livestock sector, with ruminating animals such as cattle contributing to rising global temperatures and environmental degradation. The environmental destruction caused by industrialized animal agriculture can be halted and ultimately reversed through regenerative agriculture. Regenerative agriculture is a restorative farming practice that promotes …

Dynamic Between Biomass, Ph And Acid Lactic By Microorganisms In Fermentation Of Fresh Milk, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Aurelio Castillo, Paul A. Valle, Yolocuauhtli Salazar

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

The Study Of Mashing Methods And Features Of Fermentations Products, Mybeshir Pajaziti, Kastriot Pehlivani

UBT International Conference

If mashing is conducted at 62 to 63˚C, a higher maltose composition is obtained, and the limit is of fermentation rate is higher. The wort, which has a lot of maltose ferments quickly, and the yeast is kept suspended for a long time. Continuous mashing at 62 to 64˚C yields beer with a high fermentation limit; if these temperatures are exceeded, and continuous mashing is carried out at 72 to 75˚C, beers with high dextrin content and low fermentation limit are obtained. To produce beer, primary and secondary fermentation are performed. During primary fermentation, the obtained sugars are converted into …