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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

The Innate Immune Response In Eisenia Fetida To Microbial Challenges, Aaron Schindler Aug 2014

The Innate Immune Response In Eisenia Fetida To Microbial Challenges, Aaron Schindler

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

The common earthworm, Eisenia fetida, exhibits a rudimentary immune system. The earthworm needs cellular and chemical responses against a constant microbial exposure from its natural environment. Some cellular and chemical responses are found in the coelomic fluid and have been shown to demonstrate anti-microbial characteristics. This project uses microscopy and modified staining techniques to differentiate and categorize the cellular components found in the coelomic fluid. Following a microbial challenge by Klebsiella pneumoniae, an inflammatory response was initiated. Six groups of earthworms were injected with 0.05 ml of 1.0 x 106 cfu /ml K. pneumoniae on day one and tested over …


Effect Of Conditioned Medium On The Recovery Of Dormant Mycobacteria In Culture, Kelly E. Rock Aug 2014

Effect Of Conditioned Medium On The Recovery Of Dormant Mycobacteria In Culture, Kelly E. Rock

Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Mpt) is the etiologic agent of Johne’s disease, a chronic intestinal disease in cattle that threatens the economic viability of dairy farming. Diagnostic culture is typically unrewarding until several years after infection when clinical signs can be observed. This leads to widespread infection within the herd. Difficulty in culturing Mpt may be a result of oxidative damage due to the increased metabolic rate when dormant organisms are recovered in a nutrient rich medium. In order to improve recovery it is believed that some organisms secrete a growth factor in times of environmental stress which enables them …