Biology Commons^™

Description Of Neoperla Philippinensis Sp. Nov. Confirmed Using Integrative Taxonomy And Some Notes On Neoperla Oculata Banks, 1924 (Plecoptera: Perlidae), Arthien Lovell P. Pelingen

Biology Faculty Publications

I re-examine the assumed phenotypic variable Neoperla oculata Banks, 1924 (Plecoptera, Perlidae) and describe Neoperla philippinensis sp. nov. All material examined herein are collections from the Mindanao region, of which supplementary information were provided including COI mtDNA accessions, female adult associations, and egg morphology characterization.

Development And Implementation Of Natural Killer Cell Simultaneous Adcc And Direct Killing Assay, Maia M.C. Bennett-Boehm, Anna Mahr, Alexander Regan, Sean T. Hartwell, Isabelle Weber, Arriana Blackmon, Cami Bisson, Angela Ngoc Truong, Bella Circo, Jaden Nienhueser, Donald Rogers, Nathan Booher, Nithya Rajagopalan, Jacob W.S. Martens, Paul Denton

Biology Faculty Publications

Assays to quantify natural killer (NK) cell killing efficacy have traditionally focused on assessing either direct killing or antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) independently. Due to the probability that immunotherapeutic interventions affect NK cell-mediated direct killing and NK cell-mediated ADCC differently, we developed an assay with the capacity to measure NK cell-mediated direct killing and ADCC simultaneously with cells from the same human donor. Specifically, this design allows for a single NK cell population to be split into several experimental conditions (e.g., direct killing, ADCC), thus controlling for potential confounders associated with human-to-human variation when assessing immunotherapy impacts. Our Natural …

Impact Of A Tlr9 Agonist And Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies On Hiv-1 Persistence: The Randomized Phase 2a Titan Trial, Jesper D. Gunst, Jesper Falkesgaard Højen, Marie H. Pahus, Miriam Rosás-Umbert, Birgitte Stiksrud, James Mcmahon, Paul Denton, Henrik Nielsen, Isik S. Johansen, Thomas Benfield, Steffen Leth, Jan Gerstoft, Lars Østergaard, Mariane H. Schleimann, Rikke Olesen, Henrik Støvring, Line K. Vibholm, Nia Weis, Anne M. Dyrhol-Riise, Karen B.H. Pedersen, Jillian S.Y. Lau, Dennis C. Copertino, Noemi Linden, Tan T. Huynh, Victor Ramos, Rl Brad Jones, Sharon R. Lewin, Martin Tolstrup, Thomas A. Rasmussen, Michel C. Nussenzweig, Marina Caskey, Dag Henrik Reikvam, Ole Schmeltz Søgaard

Biology Faculty Publications

Inducing antiretroviral therapy (ART)-free virological control is a critical step toward a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) cure. In this phase 2a, placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial, 43 people (85% males) with HIV-1 on ART were randomized to (1) placebo/placebo, (2) lefitolimod (TLR9 agonist)/placebo, (3) placebo/broadly neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibodies (bNAbs) or (4) lefitolimod/bNAb. ART interruption (ATI) started at week 3. Lefitolimod was administered once weekly for the first 8 weeks, and bNAbs were administered twice, 1 d before and 3 weeks after ATI. The primary endpoint was time to loss of virologic control after ATI. The median delay in time to …

Transcriptional Pausing Factor M1bp Regulates Cellular Homeostasis By Suppressing Autophagy And Apoptosis In Drosophila Eye, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Hannah Darnell, Akanksha Raj, Madhuri Kango-Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

During organogenesis cellular homeostasis plays a crucial role in patterning and growth. The role of promoter proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II, which regulates transcription of several developmental genes by GAGA factor or Motif 1 Binding Protein (M1BP), has not been fully understood in cellular homeostasis. Earlier, we reported that M1BP, a functional homolog of ZKSCAN3, regulates wingless (wg) and caspase-dependent cell death (apoptosis) in the Drosophila eye. Further, blocking apoptosis does not fully rescue the M1BP^RNAi phenotype of reduced eye. Therefore, we looked for other possible mechanism(s). In a forward genetic screen, members of the Jun-amino-terminal-(NH2)-Kinase (JNK) pathway …

Environmental Isolate Developing Antibiotic Resistance By Complementation, Mary Ridgeway, Ashley Fink, David Mitchell

Biology Faculty Publications

Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern within the scientific community. With few new antibiotics being introduced and an increasing number of resistant microbes, routine bacterial infections are becoming more difficult to treat in clinics and hospitals. The purpose of this study is to compare the ability of two environmental isolates – Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Exiguobacterium undae (E. undae) to grow in solutions of increasing concentrations of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin. After the bacteria showed grow in the solutions, antibiotic susceptibility was tested by examining zones of inhibition on Trypticase Soy Agar (TSA) plates. Our results …

Anterior Chamber Depth In Mice Is Controlled By Several Quantitative Trait Loci, Demelza R. Larson, Allysa J. Kimber, Kacie J. Meyer, Michael G. Anderson

Biology Faculty Publications

Anterior chamber depth (ACD) is a quantitative trait associated with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG). Although ACD is highly heritable, known genetic variations explain a small fraction of the phenotypic variability. The purpose of this study was to identify additional ACD-influencing loci using strains of mice. Cohorts of 86 N2 and 111 F2 mice were generated from crosses between recombinant inbred BXD24/TyJ and wild-derived CAST/EiJ mice. Using anterior chamber optical coherence tomography, mice were phenotyped at 10–12 weeks of age, genotyped based on 93 genome-wide SNPs, and subjected to quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis. In an analysis of ACD among …

N-Acetyltransferase 9 Ameliorates Aβ42-Mediated Neurodegeneration In The Drosophila Eye, Prajakta Deshpande, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Emily E. Snider, Aditi Singh, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, manifests as accumulation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) plaques and intracellular accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) that results in microtubule destabilization. Targeted expression of human Aβ42 (GMR > Aβ42) in developing Drosophila eye retinal neurons results in Aβ42 plaque(s) and mimics AD-like extensive neurodegeneration. However, there remains a gap in our understanding of the underlying mechanism(s) for Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. To address this gap in information, we conducted a forward genetic screen, and identified N-acetyltransferase 9 (Mnat9) as a genetic modifier of GMR > Aβ42 neurodegenerative phenotype. Mnat9 is known to stabilize microtubules by inhibiting c-Jun-N- …

Cry1 Expression During Postnatal Development Is Critical For The Establishment Of Normal Circadian Period, Aaron Schirmer, Vivek Kumar, Andrew Schook, Eun Joo Song, Michael S. Marshall, Joseph S. Takahashi

Biology Faculty Publications

The mammalian circadian system generates an approximate 24-h rhythm through a complex autoregulatory feedback loop. Four genes, Period1 (Per1), Period2 (Per2), Cryptochrome1 (Cry1), and Cryptochrome2 (Cry2), regulate the negative feedback within this loop. Although these proteins have distinct roles within the core circadian mechanism, their individual functions are poorly understood. Here, we used a tetracycline trans-activator system (tTA) to examine the role of transcriptional oscillations in Cry1 and Cry2 in the persistence of circadian activity rhythms. We demonstrate that rhythmic Cry1 expression is an important regulator of circadian period. We then define a critical period from birth to postnatal day …

Community-Derived Core Concepts For Neuroscience Higher Education, Audrey Chen, Kimberley A. Phillips, Jennifer E. Schaefer, Patrick M. Sonner

Biology Faculty Publications

Core concepts provide a framework for organizing facts and understanding in neuroscience higher education curricula. Core concepts are overarching principles that identify patterns in neuroscience processes and phenomena and can be used as a foundational scaffold for neuroscience knowledge. The need for community-derived core concepts is pressing, because both the pace of research and number of neuroscience programs are rapidly expanding. While general biology and many subdisciplines within biology have identified core concepts, neuroscience has yet to establish a community-derived set of core concepts for neuroscience higher education. We used an empirical approach involving more than 100 neuroscience educators to …

Laurier Biology Departmental Seminars Poster Colouring Book (Vol 2), Tristan A.F. Long

Biology Faculty Publications

Welcome to Volume 2 of the Wilfrid Laurier University Department of Biology seminar series poster collection! When I was compiling a colouring book based on academic seminar posters last year, I had no idea how well it would be received. As of this writing, Volume 1 has been downloaded almost 1000 times (!): https://scholars.wlu.ca/biol_faculty/94/, and was featured in a great article by Cheyenne Bholla: https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/04/27/laurier-biology-profs-science-posters-have-been-turned-into-a-downloadable-colouring-book.html.

So, I guess it’s time for a sequel, featuring some more of my favourite designs! This time round I’ve included several sets of posters – often drawn years apart – that are thematically …

Surveillance And Stewardship: Where Infection Prevention And Antimicrobial Stewardship Intersect, Fred C. Tenover, Debra A. Goff

Biology Faculty Publications

Colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is a risk factor for subsequent infection. Surveillance for MDROs, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales, and carbapenemase-producing organisms, is commonly conducted in hospitals to prevent spread of MDROs, in part to reduce the potential for additional infections. Although colonization is a risk factor for infection, data on colonization with various MDROs are often not considered when selecting anti-infective therapy. There are conflicting data on the strength of the positive and negative predictive values of the colonization test results to guide therapeutic strategies. Defining therapeutic strategies for patients with complicated or …

In Vivo Potentiation Of Muscle Torque Is Enhanced In Female Mice Through Estradiol-Estrogen Receptor Signaling, Gengyun Le, Cory W. Baumann, Dawn A. Lowe, Gordon L. Warren

Biology Faculty Publications

Estradiol affects several properties of skeletal muscle in females including strength. Here, we developed an approach to measure in vivo posttetanic twitch potentiation (PTP) of the anterior crural muscles of anesthetized mice and tested the hypothesis that 17b-estradiol (E2) enhances PTP through estrogen receptor (ER) signaling. Peak torques of potentiated twitches were 40%–60% greater than those of unpotentiated twitches and such PTP was greater in ovary-intact mice, or ovariectomized (Ovx) mice treated with E2, compared with Ovx mice (P < 0.047). PTP did not differ between mice with and without ERa ablated in skeletal muscle fibers (P = 0.347). Treatment of ovary-intact and Ovx mice with ERb antagonist and agonist (PHTPP and DPN, respectively) did not affect PTP (P = 0.258). Treatment with G1, an agonist of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER), significantly increased PTP in Ovx mice from 41 ± 10% to 66 ± 21% (means ± SD; P = 0.034). Collectively, these data indicate that E2 signals through GPER, and not ERa or ERb, in skeletal muscles of female mice to augment an in vivo parameter of strength, namely, PTP.

Directed Carbapenemase Testing Is No Longer Just For Enterobacterales: Cost, Labor, And Workflow Assessment Of Expanding Carbapenemase Testing To Carbapenem-Resistant P. Aeruginosa, Fred C. Tenover, Christian M. Gill, Poonam Rajkotia, Amity L. Roberts, David P. Nicolau

Biology Faculty Publications

Molecular carbapenem-resistance testing, such as for the presence of carbapenemases genes, is commonly implemented for the detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales. Carbapenemase-producing P. aeruginosa is also associated with significant morbidity and mortality, although; prevalence may be underappreciated in the United States due to a lack of carbapenemase testing. The present study sought to compare hands-on time, cost and workflow implementation of carbapenemase gene testing in Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa isolates versus sending out isolates to a public health laboratory (PHL) for testing to assess if in-house can provide actionable results. The time to carbapenemase gene results were compared. Differences in cost …

Ecophysiological Implications Of Low Lignin In Eastern Leatherwood (Dirca Palustris L.), Anna Cole, Kayla Marie Rigdon, D. Gordon Brown, Katharine Lora Cary

Biology Faculty Publications

Dirca palustris L. (eastern leatherwood) is an understory shrub found throughout much of eastern North America. Dirca palustris wood has a low concentration of lignin, which is a molecule that grants structural rigidity to cell walls. The branches of D. palustris are thus remarkably flexible, but their low lignin content could cause greater vulnerability to water stress. We examined the conductivity, vessel anatomy, and field water potential of D. palustris and conducted ecological surveys. The data showed that D. palustris was not experiencing substantial drought-induced dysfunction in the field, even during an exceptionally hot and dry summer. Its water potentials …

Ancyronyx Jhoanae Sp. Nov. (Coleoptera: Elmidae), A New Spider Riffle Beetle Species From Luzon, Philippines, And New Records For A. Tamaraw Freitag, 2013, Christalle Beatriz N. Seno, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

Ancyronyx jhoanae sp. nov., a new species of genus Ancyronyx Erichson, 1847 from Luzon is described using an integrative taxonomic approach. Illustrations of habitus and diagnostic characters are provided. Molecular analysis of a fragment of the COI 5’-end was employed to support the morphological species concept. Differences from closely related species based on molecular and morphological data are discussed. First records of A. tamaraw Freitag, 2013 from Luzon are reported.

Concerted Phenotypic Flexibility Of Avian Erythrocyte Size And Number In Response To Dietary Anthocyanin Supplementation, Maciej Dzialo, Amadeusz Bryla, Kristen J. Demoranville, Katherine M. Carbeck, Olivia Fatica, Lisa Trost, Barbara J. Pierce, Edyta T. Sadowska, Scott R. Mcwilliams, Ulf Bauchinger

Biology Faculty Publications

Background: Endurance flight impose substantial oxidative costs on the avian oxygen delivery system. In particular, the accumulation of irreversible damage in red blood cells can reduce the capacity of blood to transport oxygen and limit aerobic performance. Many songbirds consume large amounts of anthocyanin-rich fruit, which is hypothesized to reduce oxidative costs, enhance post-flight regeneration, and enable greater aerobic capacity. While their antioxidant benefits appear most straightforward, the effects of anthocyanins on blood composition remain so far unknown. We fed thirty hand-raised European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) two semisynthetic diets (with or without anthocyanin supplement) and manipulated the extent of flight …

Nonconsumptive Effects Of Crustaceans And An Echinoderm On Spat Of The Eastern Oyster Crassostrea Virginica (Gmelin, 1791), Maria Rosa, Mike Gilman, Sarah Anderson, Adrian Beckford, Ben Gilfond, Nicole Wright, David M. Hudson

Biology Faculty Publications

Predation by crustaceans and echinoderms is a significant driver of mortality for sessile invertebrates in near-shore marine ecosystems. As a response, shellfish growers use predator exclusion cages to grow their product. Oysters grown in these cages and clams in and under nets have been observed to exhibit thinner, brittle shells, which is not optimal for market, nor for those being grown for restoration purposes. Here, the nonconsumptive predator effects of several native and nonnative predators on shell morphology of Crassostrea virginica oyster spat. Juvenile (1–3 mm) seed oysters were exposed separately to chemical cues of five different predators and one …

Growth And Whole-Body Proximate Composition Of Oreochromis Niloticus Nile Tilapia Fed Pea Meal: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Tzodoq Obrero Magbanua, Janice A. Ragaza

Biology Faculty Publications

One of the most widely cultivated species in the aquaculture sector is the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). However, the rising price of fishmeal has a huge impact on its market value. Proteins derived from plants have been used to address the issue. In this study, systematic review and meta-analysis were used to quantitatively analyze the whole-body composition and growth of Nile tilapia fed pea meal. Based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis methods, the literature review and paper selection were completed. Meta-analysis was performed on the data from peer-reviewed studies that met the inclusion …

Sialylation And Fucosylation Modulate Inflammasome-Activating Eif2 Signaling And Microbial Translocation During Hiv Infection, Leila B. Giron, Ceylan E. Tanes, Mariane H. Schleimann, Phillip A. Engen, Lisa M. Mattei, Altizel Anzurez, Mohammad Damra, Huanjia Zhang, Kyle Bittinger, Frederic Bushman, Andrew Kossenkov, Paul Denton, Hiroaki Tateno, Ali Keshavarizian, Mohamed Abdel-Mohsen, Alan L. Landay

Biology Faculty Publications

An emerging paradigm suggests that gut glycosylation is a key force in maintaining the homeostatic relationship between the gut and its microbiota. Nevertheless, it is unclear how gut glycosylation contributes to the HIV-associated microbial translocation and inflammation that persist despite viral suppression and contribute to the development of several comorbidities. We examined terminal ileum, right colon, and sigmoid colon biopsies from HIV-infected virally-suppressed individuals and found that gut glycomic patterns are associated with distinct microbial compositions and differential levels of chronic inflammation and HIV persistence. In particular, high levels of the pro-inflammatory hypo-sialylated T-antigen glycans and low levels of the …

A Pooling Strategy For Detecting Carbapenem Resistance Genes By The Xpert Carba-R Test In Rectal Swab Specimens, Fred C. Tenover, Peng Zhang, Qi Wang, Chaoe Zhou, Feifei Zhang, Xinghui Gao, Yi-Wei Tang, Hui Wang

Biology Faculty Publications

Rapid and accurate detection of carriers of carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPO) in hospitalized patients is critical for infection control and prevention. This study aimed to evaluate a pooling strategy for the detection of carbapenem resistance genes (CRG) in multiple specimens using the Xpert Carba-R test. Two rectal swabs each were collected from 415 unique patients. One swab was tested by Carba-R on the five specimen-pooled strategy. The other swab was tested individually by culture followed by DNA sequence analysis for CRG as the reference. At the first 5:1 pooling testing, 22 of 83 pools were positive, which yielded 34 positives from …

Administration Of Broadly Neutralizing Anti-Hiv-1 Antibodies At Art Initiation Maintains Long-Term Cd8+ T Cell Immunity, Miriam Rosás-Umbert, Jesper D. Gunst, Marie H. Pahus, Rikke Olesen, Mariane H. Schleimann, Paul W. Denton, Victor Ramos, Adam R. Ward, Natalie N. Kinloch, Dennis C. Copertino, Tuixent Escribà, Anuska Llano, Zabrina L. Brumme, R. Brad Jones, Beatriz Mothe, Christian Brander, Julie Fox, Michel C. Nussenzweig, Sarah Fidler, Marina Caskey, Martin Tolstrup, Ole S. Søgaard

Biology Faculty Publications

In simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-infected non-human primates, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against the virus appear to stimulate T cell immunity. To determine whether this phenomenon also occurs in humans we measured HIV-1-specific cellular immunity longitudinally in individuals with HIV-1 starting antiviral therapy (ART) with or without adjunctive bNAb 3BNC117 treatment. Using the activation-induced marker (AIM) assay and interferon-γ release, we observe that frequencies of Pol- and Gag-specific CD8+ T cells, as well as Gag-induced interferon-γ responses, are significantly higher among individuals that received adjunctive 3BNC117 compared to ART-alone at 3 and 12 months after starting ART. The observed changes in …

Ca2+ Entry Units In A Superfast Fish Muscle, James Matthew Kittelberger, Clara Franzini-Armstrong, Simona Boncompagni

Biology Faculty Publications

Over the past two decades, mounting evidence has demonstrated that a mechanism known as store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) plays a crucial role in sustaining skeletal muscle contractility by facilitating Ca2+ influx from the extracellular space during sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ depletion. We recently demonstrated that, in exercised fast-twitch muscle from mice, the incidence of Ca2+ entry units (CEUs), newly described intracellular junctions between dead-end longitudinal transverse tubular (T-tubule) extensions and stacks of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) flat cisternae, strictly correlate with both the capability of fibers to maintain contractions during fatigue and enhanced Ca2+ influx via SOCE. Here, we tested the …

Early Intervention With 3bnc117 And Romidepsin At Antiretroviral Treatment Initiation In People With Hiv-1: A Phase 1b/2a, Randomized Trial, Jesper D. Gunst, Marie H. Pahus, Miriam Rosás-Umbert, I-Na Lu, Thomas Benfield, Henrik Nielsen, Isik S. Johansen, Rajesh Mohey, Lars Østergaard, Vibeke Klastrup, Maryam Khan, Mariane H. Schleimann, Rikke Olesen, Henrik Støvring, Paul W. Denton, Natalie N. Kinloch, Dennis C. Copertino, Adam R. Ward, Winiffer D. Conce Alberto, Silke D. Nielsen, Maria C. Puertas, Victor Ramos, Jacqueline D. Reeves, Christos J. Petropoulos, Javier Martinez-Picado, Zabrina L. Brumme, R. Brad Jones, Julie Fox, Martin Tolstrup, Michel C. Nussenzweig, Marina Caskey, Sarah Fidler, Ole S. Søgaard

Biology Faculty Publications

Attempts to reduce the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reservoir and induce antiretroviral therapy (ART)-free virologic control have largely been unsuccessful. In this phase 1b/2a, open-label, randomized controlled trial using a four-group factorial design, we investigated whether early intervention in newly diagnosed people with HIV-1 with a monoclonal anti-HIV-1 antibody with a CD4-binding site, 3BNC117, followed by a histone deacetylase inhibitor, romidepsin, shortly after ART initiation altered the course of HIV-1 infection (NCT03041012). The trial was undertaken in five hospitals in Denmark and two hospitals in the United Kingdom. The coprimary endpoints were analysis of initial virus …

Leaf Phenology And Freeze Tolerance Of The Invasive Tree Pyrus Calleryana (Roseaceae) And Potential Native Competitors, Margaret E. Maloney, Abby Hay, Eric B. Borth, Ryan W. Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

Pyrus calleryana is one of the most problematic invasive species in the eastern United States. The mechanisms that enable Py. calleryana to establish and outcompete native plants are not fully understood but likely include a profile of advantageous traits. Extended leaf phenology is a characteristic noted in many woody invasive plants. Leaf phenology of Py. calleryana and two native woody species, Populus deltoides and Platanus occidentalis, was observed in natural areas near Dayton, OH from December 2019 to November 2020. A frost event in May also gave us the serendipitous opportunity to assess frost tolerance of these species. We …

Mechanisms Of Carbapenemase-Mediated Resistance Among High-Risk Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Lineages In Peru, Isabella A. Tickler, Juan Carlos Gomez De La Torre, Luis Alvarado, Anne E. Obradovich, Fred C. Tenover

Biology Faculty Publications

Objectives: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated infections globally. High-risk carbapenemase-encoding P. aeruginosa clones are disseminating in many regions. The aim of this study was to learn more about the lineages and mechanisms of resistance of P. aeruginosa circulating in Peru.

Methods: A total of 141 carbapenemase-producing isolates recovered from hospitalized and ambulatory patients in Lima were sequenced and analyzed to infer their lineages through whole-genome sequence typing (wgST) and to identify their antimicrobial resistance genes.

Results: wgST identified nine sequence types (STs); ST111 and ST357 were the most frequently encountered (44.0% and 38.3%, respectively), followed …

Complete Genome Sequences Of Two Temperate Bacillus Subtilis Phages Isolated At Tumamoc Hill Desert Laboratory, Gregory P. Krukonis, Amanda K. Kemp, Katie F. Storrie, Vivian R. Chavira, Hayden W. Lantrip, Victoria D. Perez, Desiree A. Reyes, Julian A. Truax, Rachel Loney, Veronique A. Delesalle

Biology Faculty Publications

Bacteriophages are important in structuring bacterial communities, including desert soils dominated by Bacillus species. Here, we describe two genetically similar temperate phages isolated on a Bacillus subtilis strain from soil in Tucson, Arizona. Their double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genomes contain 98 and 102 genes, with a set of 4 genes being found in only one phage.

How Getting Friendly With Bacteria Can Promote Student Appreciation Of Microbial Diversity And Their Civic Scientific Literacy, Davida S. Smyth, Simon Chen, Gina Sompanya, Molly Metz, Theresa Conefrey

Biology Faculty Publications

ePortfolios are digital repositories where students can curate papers, projects, and reflections from individual or multiple courses across the disciplines and in a variety of formats to showcase their learning. This transparent and portable medium, which enables students to document their knowledge and abilities for assessment and career development, has been recognized by the American Association of Colleges and Universities as one of 11 high-impact practices. Using tailored rubrics, student assessment of learning gain surveys, and end-of-course exam questions, this study demonstrates how an ePortfolio assignment can be used in microbiology courses taken by majors and nonmajors to measure student …

Cd169 (Siglec-1) As A Robust Human Cell Biomarker Of Toll-Like Receptor 9 Agonist Immunotherapy, Stine Sofie Frank Lende, Marie H. Pahus, Ida Monrad, Rikka Olesen, Anna Mahr, Line K. Vibholm, Lars Østergaard, Ole Schmeltz Søgaard, Anna Halling Folkmar Andersen, Paul Denton, Martin Tolstrup

Biology Faculty Publications

Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic area in cancer and chronic viral infections. An important component of immunotherapy in these contexts is the activation of innate immunity. Here we investigate the potential for CD169 (Siglec 1) expression on monocytes to serve as a robust biomarker for activation of innate immunity and, particular, as a proxy for IFN-α production. Specifically, we investigated the effects of Toll-like receptor 9 agonism with MGN1703 (lefitolimod) across experimental conditions ex vivo, in humanized mice, and in clinical trial participants. Ex vivo we observed that the percentage of classical monocytes expressing CD169 increased dramatically from …

Increasing The Resilience Of Plant Immunity To A Warming Climate, Jong Hum Kim, Christian Castroverde, Shuai Huang, Chao Li, Richard Hilleary, Adam Seroka, Reza Sohrabi, Diana Medina-Yerena, Bethany Huot, Jie Wang, Sharon Marr, Mary Wildermuth, Tao Chen, John Macmicking, Sheng Yang He

Biology Faculty Publications

Extreme weather conditions associated with climate change affect many aspects of plant and animal life, including the response to infectious diseases. Production of salicylic acid (SA), a central plant defence hormone, is particularly vulnerable to suppression by short periods of hot weather above the normal plant growth temperature range via an unknown mechanism. Here we show that suppression of SA production in Arabidopsis thaliana at 28 °C is independent of PHYTOCHROME B (phyB) and EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), which regulate thermo-responsive plant growth and development. Instead, we found that formation of GUANYLATE BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE 3 (GBPL3) defence-activated biomolecular condensates (GDACs) …

Humidity Reduces Rapid And Distant Airborne Dispersal Of Viable Viral Particles In Classroom Settings, Antun Skanata, Fabrizio Spagnolo, Molly Metz, Davida S. Smyth, John J. Dennehy

Biology Faculty Publications

The transmission of airborne pathogens is considered to be the main route through which a number of known and emerging respiratory diseases infect their hosts. While physical distancing and mask wearing may help mitigate short-range transmission, the extent of long-range transmission in closed spaces where a pathogen remains suspended in the air remains unknown. We have developed a method to detect viable virus particles by using an aerosolized bacteriophage Phi6 in combination with its host Pseudomonas phaseolicola, which when seeded on agar plates acts as a virus detector that can be placed at a range of distances away from …