Life Sciences Commons^™

Finalizing The Genome Annotation Of Model Cluster E Mycobacteriophage Ukulele Via Rna-Seq Analysis, Jackson R. Foley

Honors College

Mycobacteriophage (phage) are viruses that infect bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium, including pathogenic M. tuberculosis and non-pathogenic M. smegmatis. Temperate phages are capable of undergoing both lytic and lysogenic infection. In lytic infections, phage lyse the host cell after replication. In lysogenic infection, the phage integrates its genome into the host genome (prophage) and replicates with the host. All pathogenic strains of Mycobacterium carry prophage that potentially contribute to host virulence and fitness. Formation and maintenance of these prophage is not well understood, particularly for cluster E phage. This project characterizes gene product (gp) 53, a potential Cro-like …

Identification Of Tnfaip8l1 Binding Partners Through Co-Immunoprecipitation And Mass Spectrometry, Audrey Hoyle

Honors College

The expanded understanding of the gene families and mechanisms governing tumorigenesis pathways has enormous potential for improving current cancer therapies and patient prognoses. One such gene family that participates in the regulation of tumorigenesis is the tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) gene family, which is comprised of four members: TNFAIP8, TNFAIP8L1, TNFAIP8L2, and TNFAIP8L3. The TNFAIP8L1 gene is thought to function as a tumor suppressor, but the mechanisms by which it exerts this function have yet to be elucidated. We hypothesize that the TNFAIP8L1 protein acts as a tumor suppressor through protein-protein …

Red Abalone Hemocyanin As An Alternative Hapten-Carrier For Vaccine Production, Isaiah N. Mansour

Honors College

Vaccines protect millions of human lives per year from otherwise fatal illnesses. Vaccination promotes immunity by simulating infection with a non-pathogenic representative of the disease, an antigen, to prepare and train an immune response. Vaccine-safe antigens are often too small to elicit an immune response. These non-immunogenic molecules are referred to as haptens and are introduced to the immune system by hapten-carriers, large immune-stimulating proteins. Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (KLH), a respiratory protein of the giant keyhole limpet (Megathura crenulata), is the industry standard hapten-carrier. KLH is a potent yet safe immune-stimulant relied upon in research, available human medications, and emerging …

Examining Avian Diversity In Acadia National Park Through Time, Marie I. Ring

Honors College

Ecosystems experience change due to both natural causes and anthropogenic impact such as habitat fragmentation and climate change. Avian species are used as habitat indicators to observe ecosystem integrity and have been observed to experience changes in biodiversity due to anthropogenic impact. This study examines the temporal and spatial changes of avian biodiversity in Acadia National Park. We seek to understand (1) how the alpha diversity has changed over time on Mount Desert Island and Schoodic Peninsula, (2) how beta diversity has changed over time for Mount Desert Island and Schoodic Peninsula (3) how the Schoodic Woods Campground can be …

Shell Game: Improving The Shell Quality And Value Of Maine’S Most Valuable Fishery, Abigale Shaughnessy

Honors College

The American lobster is Maine’s most valuable export commodity. Hard-shell lobster commands the highest price because they survive shipping to overseas markets, but much of Maine’s summer production comes as perishable, low-value, softshell lobster. Lobster processors would like to know whether they can enhance profitability by holding over low-quality lobsters to increase their hardness instead of the standard process of receiving and shipping lobsters in under 48 hours. In a collaborative experiment with Ready Seafood Co. (Portland, Maine), we conducted week-long trials to evaluate the joint effects of temperature and feeding on shell hardness and hemolymph protein levels, an indicator …

The Affective Disturbance Of Ethanol Withdrawal On C57bl/6j And C57bl/6nj Mice, Eric L. Levasseur

Honors College

The C57BL/6 (B6) mouse is the most commonly used inbred mouse strain in biomedical research. While the B6 mouse originated at The Jackson Laboratory, a number of separate breeding colonies are now maintained at various sites, resulting in genetic drift that has led to the emergence of both genotypic and phenotypic differences among these colonies. Two distinct substrains of B6 mice, C57BL/6J (B6J) and C57BL/6NJ (B6N), have been shown to differ on several addiction-related phenotypes, such as ethanol preference and locomotor responses to psychostimulants. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess possible differences in depression- and anxiety-like behaviors …

Determining The Role Of Saly In Streptococcus Pyogenes Immune Evasion Using Fluorescence Microscopy, Taaniel Kiidli

Honors College

Streptococcus pyogenes, the etiologic agent for several life-threatening invasive diseases, utilizes numerous mechanisms to evade the host immune response and establish a successful infection causing a significant source of morbidity and mortality risks for patients. The bacterium is known to cause necrotizing fasciitis in both humans and zebrafish, with extensive necrotic damage to tissues but surprisingly lacking in an inflammatory response for a systemic infection. This suggests that the recruitment of inflammatory cells to the site of infection is inhibited. To observe this in real-time, we used the zebrafish model of Streptococcal pathogenesis to analyze immune cell recruitment in …

The Effects Of The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid On Abundance And Nymphal Infection Prevalence Of Black-Legged Ticks In Maine, Spencer Christian Debrock

Honors College

The black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis) has recently made a tremendous impact in Maine due to its role as a vector for the bacterial pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease. A lesser known, but equally concerning, invasive insect is the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA; Adelges tsugae), a sap-sucking scale that is primarily responsible for the ongoing widespread decline of eastern hemlock in the northeast. Maine is currently experiencing a co-invasion of these species, and this study tests the hypothesis that the phenomenon of hemlock loss may facilitate the invasion of the black-legged tick by …

Defining The Role Of Ip3r-Medicated Er Calcium Flux In Jc Polyomavirus Infection, Ashley N. Soucy

Honors College

The human JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) persists as an asymptomatic infection in the kidneys of healthy individuals within the majority of the global population. Viral infection of JCPyV is established through peroral transmission due to poor sanitary practices. In severely immunocompromised individuals, JCPyV migrates to the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in the fatal and incurable demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). Virus-host cell interactions regulate infectious processes and influence viral pathogenesis. JCPyV attachment to host cells is mediated by α2,6-linked LSTc while internalization is mediated by 5-hydroxytryptamine serotonin type 2 receptors (5-HT₂Rs). Activation of 5-HT₂Rs can …

A Characterization Of Poultry Flocks And Poultry Producers In Maine, Alice Gluchanicz

Honors College

This study sought to characterize backyard poultry flocks and poultry producers’ knowledge of poultry husbandry in Maine. A survey on poultry flock characterization, management, and health was sent to poultry producers living in Maine. Based on the survey, most backyard poultry flocks contained 7-20 birds. Chickens were the predominant poultry species in Maine. Flocks were used primarily for egg production and companionship. Management practices varied greatly among producers, indicating a need for more flock management education. Mites and coccidiosis were the most commonly reported causes of illness by producers, but several diseases affected poultry in Maine. Producers cited the internet …

A Look Into Millstone Nuclear Power Plant: Attitudes On Sustainability And Prevalence Of Epizootic Shell Disease, Emily Craig

Honors College

Epizootic Shell Disease in Homarus americanus

American lobster populations along the northeastern U.S. coast have been experiencing increased prevalence of Epizootic Shell Disease (ESD) over the past two decades. Several reports have correlated this increase with warmer water temperatures. My thesis examined the distribution of diseased lobsters surrounding Millstone Nuclear Power Station (MPS) in Long Island Sound. Lobsters in this area have seen a rise in Epizootic Shell Disease (ESD) that parallels the broader trends. To determine if the thermal plume from MPS had a local effect on ESD prevalence, the spatial distribution of diseased lobsters was analyzed at three …

Twenty-Five Years Of Change In Spruce Grouse Occupancy At Their Southern Range Margin In Maine, Usa, Christopher J. Gilbert

Honors College

Species at their southern range margin are often dispersed throughout fragmented populations where they experience less optimum conditions compared to their central range. Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) are boreal forest obligates distributed throughout the Northern United States and Canada and reach their southeastern range extent in Maine. I resurveyed 18 Black Spruce (Picea mariana) – Tamarack (Larix laricina) stands on Mount Desert Island, Maine, to observe changes in Spruce Grouse occupancy and abundance between the early 1990s (Whitcomb et al. 1996) and present day. I conducted two rounds of call back surveys within each …

Assessing The Impacts Of Commercial Clearcut On Freshwater Invertebrate Communities, Nicholas J. Kovalik

Honors College

Forest harvesting can impact the environment in many ways, one of which is causing a loss of subsidies and increased light intensity to freshwater ecosystems. This can have a major impact on freshwater invertebrate communities that may rely on subsidies to survive. In this study, I tested two effects of commercial clearcut, changes in light availability and detrital resources, on freshwater invertebrate communities. Cattle tanks containing freshwater invertebrates were given detritus from two different plots: one which underwent commercial clearcut over 50 years ago, and one which underwent commercial clearcut 2 years ago. Tanks were also placed in two areas …

Construction Of An Accessible Ocean-Acidification Simulator To Investigate Physiological Responses Of The Green Crab, Carcinus Maenas, To Acidified Conditions, Caroline M. Spangenberg

Honors College

The European green crab Carcinus maenas L, is a major invasive species in North America as well as many other regions around the world, including South Africa, Australia, South America, and Asia. The species poses a significant threat to the diverse ecosystems and the aquaculture industries on the East coast of the United States, with the state of Maine particularly at risk. The shellfish industry is a significant part of Maine’s economy, and is threatened by the foraging behavior of green crabs toward small bivalves (Beal 2015). Climate change likely plays a large role in the rapid population growth of …

Estimating Ecosystem Services From Harvested And Unharvested Ascophyllum Nodosum On The Maine Coast, Ashley E. Sarra

Honors College

Ascophyllum nodosum, better known as rockweed, is a commercially important, harvested intertidal brown alga species common in coastal Maine. Rockweed sea vegetable harvesting is a lucrative wild harvest fishery, that has also proved to be socially contentious and whose future management is uncertain. A. nodosum is an intertidal macroalgal species that may also be impacted by sea level rise. Through a combination of biomass estimation, newspaper analysis, and interview data collection, this project seeks to (a) develop a typology of ecological services of A. nodosum in harvested and unharvested areas in the state of Maine; and (b) assess the …

Effect Of Primary Care Follow Up On Hospital Readmissions, Meredith Roderka

Honors College

Hospital readmission rates are costly; nearly 1 in 5 hospital patients covered by Medicare are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, accounting for $15 billion a year in health care spending (Jencks et al., 2009). The emergency department (ED) is the biggest cost driver for hospital readmissions. The research conducted implemented new protocols with an ED-based research study team that came in at the time of the patient discharge and assist with the transition of care for the patient, scheduling next day follow-ups with their Primary Care Provider. Analysis of this data will include readmission rates for …

Does Drought Affect Reproduction In The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus Caudacutus)?, Valerie K. Watson

Honors College

The Saltmarsh Sparrow (Ammodramus caudacutus) is experiencing steep population declines, with extinction likely within the next few decades. Sea-level rise has been identified as a major threat to the species, but little has been done to examine the effects of other aspects of climate change on Saltmarsh Sparrow populations. In this study, I examine whether drought affects reproductive success in the Saltmarsh Sparrow. I use nest- and chick-monitoring data collected over five years across the northern half of the species range to test whether drought conditions affect four metrics of reproductive success in these birds: hatch rate, clutch …

A Histological Assessment Of The Effects Of Elevated Temperature And Nitrogen On The Symbiodinium Of Palythoa Toxica (Walsh And Bowers 1971), Molly Westbrook

Honors College

Coral reefs around the world are suffering mass bleaching events caused by a combination of stressors, including rising ocean temperatures, acidity, pollution, increased suspended sediments, and increasing nitrogen levels. Corals harbor a complex microbial ecosystem consisting of bacteria, and algal symbionts known as Symbiodinium. This study examines the effects of elevated temperature, a known cause of bleaching, and elevated nitrogen, an increasingly important potential stressor for reefs, on the Symbiodinium of a zoanthid coral, Palythoa toxica. A total of 65 polyps were subjected to 5 different water treatments of 2 levels of elevated nitrogen, and 2 levels of …

Temporal And Spatial Variability Of Oxygen Levels In Upwelled Waters Along The Southern California Coast, Todd Xavier Thoman

Honors College

The overall goal of this study is to quantify interannual trends in oxygen concentrations and their spatial variability in the coastal Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of California, and to examine their relationship to concurrent hydrographic properties. The study focuses on trends within the upper 500 meters of the water column to indicate changes in seasonally upwelled waters over time. The analysis uses the publicly-available CalCOFI bottle cast data gathered and distributed by Scripps Institute. At each station, data include oxygen concentration and hydrographic information, such as potential density, depth, temperature, and salinity. This study utilizes data from 30.35° …

Environmental Impacts On Loggerhead Sea Turtle Nesting On Edisto Island, South Carolina, Faythe J. Goins

Honors College

The Northwest Atlantic population of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta), listed as threatened on the US Endangered Species List, may be susceptible to climatic changes and monthly variation due to their slow generation time, temperature dependent sex determination, natal homing, and anthropogenic impacts. In order to investigate how environmental conditions impact loggerhead sea turtles, we compared sea turtle nesting data collected on three distinct and unique beaches on Edisto Island, South Carolina (Edisto Beach State Park, Edisto Town Beach, Botany Bay Plantation) between 2009 and 2016 to environmental data downloaded from NASA Giovanni and NOAA. We found that …