Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Institution
- Publication
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 11 of 11
Full-Text Articles in Genetics and Genomics
Expanding Our Grasp Of Two-Component Signaling In Clostridioides Difficile, Orlando Berumen Alvarez, Erin B. Purcell
Expanding Our Grasp Of Two-Component Signaling In Clostridioides Difficile, Orlando Berumen Alvarez, Erin B. Purcell
Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications
The intestinal pathogen Clostridioides difficile encodes roughly 50 TCS, but very few have been characterized in terms of their activating signals or their regulatory roles. A. G. Pannullo, B. R. Zbylicki, and C. D. Ellermeier (J Bacteriol 205:e00164-23, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00164-23) have identified both for the novel C. difficile TCD DraRS. DraRS responds to antibiotics that target lipid-II molecules in the bacterial cell envelope, and regulates the production of a novel glycolipid necessary for bacitracin and daptomycin resistance in C. difficile.
The Nature Of Phenotypes: Provoking And Measuring The Dynamic Processes Of Swarm Expansion, Predation, And Antibiotic Resistance In Myxococcus Xanthus, Linnea Judith Ritchie
The Nature Of Phenotypes: Provoking And Measuring The Dynamic Processes Of Swarm Expansion, Predation, And Antibiotic Resistance In Myxococcus Xanthus, Linnea Judith Ritchie
Dissertations - ALL
The question of how genotype affects phenotype has fascinated and puzzled scientists for generations. Regardless of organism, the correlation between observation and underlying condition is necessary for scientists to understand the world around us. Myxococcus xanthus, a fascinating organism with a large genome (7,314 genes), is known for complex social behaviors and is an excellent model system for the study of this relationship. Upon starvation, M. xanthus cells condense into large multicellular aggregates to await renewed nutrient availability. M. xanthus cells swarm together on surfaces as a predatory biofilm, lysing and killing prey as a singular unit. During predation, swarms …
Gut Reactions: Quantitative Predictions Of The Responses Of Human Gut Microbiota To Medical Interventions, Amy Elizabeth Langdon
Gut Reactions: Quantitative Predictions Of The Responses Of Human Gut Microbiota To Medical Interventions, Amy Elizabeth Langdon
Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The collection of microbes known as the human microbiome perform vital functions for their host, and when this community becomes unhealthy, its dysbiosis is implicated in a myriad of diseases. The gut microbiota in particular are known to suppress colonization of opportunistic pathogens, regulate the immune system, aid in nutrient breakdown, produce vitamins, and a growing number of other functions. In order to intervene in a dysbiotic microbial ecology, we can try to remove unwanted microbes or try to recolonize the gut with microbes expected to be beneficial. This dissertation provides an overview of the state of medical interventions for …
Characterization Of A Putative Helicase In Rifampicin Resistance Of Mycobacterium Abscessus:, Aavrati Saxena
Characterization Of A Putative Helicase In Rifampicin Resistance Of Mycobacterium Abscessus:, Aavrati Saxena
Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)
Mycobacterium abscessus (Mab), a non-tuberculous environmental mycobacterium is one of the emerging pathogens. The number of Mab infections has doubled in the past decade. It is also an opportunistic pathogen usually infecting immunocompromised individuals and causing numerous skin and soft tissue infections. It commonly causes lung infections in people who are already infected with one or other lung infections such as tuberculosis. The treatment of Mab infections is difficult because of its intrinsic resistance to most of the antibiotics available. This project studies Rifampicin (RIF) resistance in Mab, as RIF is a well-established treatment for other mycobacterial infections including tuberculosis, …
Identification Of Uncommon Antibiotic-Producing Illinois Soil Isolates, Lesly Muniz, Dr. Lori Scott
Identification Of Uncommon Antibiotic-Producing Illinois Soil Isolates, Lesly Muniz, Dr. Lori Scott
Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil
This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on student sourcing antibiotic discovery from the soil. We researched tester strains B. subtilis and E. coli from the soil isolates obtained. We further verified if the isolates were common antibiotic bacteria. Unfortunately, this project heavily relied on biochemical tests, colony morphology, and Gram stains to reject or fail to reject our hypothesis. Our goal was to discover new antibiotic-producing bacteria that could be beneficial in combating ESKAPE strains. A proper PCR and DNA extraction would be required …
Isolated Antibiotic Producing Bacteria In Local Soil Samples Determined To Be Bacillus, Cassidy Potter, Dr. Lori Scott
Isolated Antibiotic Producing Bacteria In Local Soil Samples Determined To Be Bacillus, Cassidy Potter, Dr. Lori Scott
Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil
Nosocomial pathogens are multi-drug resistant to antibiotics that fight bacterial infections posing danger to the public health, the most dangerous of them being the ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter spp.). This project is a collabortaion with the TIny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on studentsourcing antibiotic discovery from the soil. TEPI allows student-led research on local soil samples from Bettendorf, IA to discover potential novel antibiotic producing bacteria that could potentially treat ESKAPE pathogens and reduce public health risk. Two soil isolates …
Pseudomonas And Bacillus Soil Isolates Produce Antibiotics, Chelsea Brandt, Dr. Lori Scott
Pseudomonas And Bacillus Soil Isolates Produce Antibiotics, Chelsea Brandt, Dr. Lori Scott
Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil
The recent emergence of antibiotic resistance bacterial strains presents a significant challenge and threat to human healthcare. While new methods of treatment such as bacteriophage therapy and combinations of existing antibiotics are being researched, the human population is in dire need of new antibiotics to replace those that are ineffective. This research addresses this need by identifying antibiotic producing bacteria in a soil sample from Davenport, IA. This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on studentsourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. Microbiology lab techniques and 16S …
Identification Of Antibiotic Producing Soil Bacteria Against Bacillus Subtilis, Morgan Brockhouse, Dr. Lori Scott
Identification Of Antibiotic Producing Soil Bacteria Against Bacillus Subtilis, Morgan Brockhouse, Dr. Lori Scott
Identifying and Characterizing Novel Antibiotic Producing Microbes From the Soil
This project is a collaboration with the Tiny Earth Project Initiative (TEPI), which is a global network of educators and students focused on student-sourcing antibiotic discovery from soil. Individual strains of soil bacteria were isolated and produced antibiotic against Bacillus subtilis. Two of these samples were sequenced using the 16S rRNA gene to reveal they are very closely related to the genus Pseudomonas.
A Double Humanized Blt-Mice Model Featuring A Stable Human-Like Gut Microbiome And Human Immune System, Lance Daharsh, Jianshui Zhang, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Qingsheng Li
A Double Humanized Blt-Mice Model Featuring A Stable Human-Like Gut Microbiome And Human Immune System, Lance Daharsh, Jianshui Zhang, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait, Qingsheng Li
Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications
Humanized mice (hu-mice) that feature a functional human immune system have fundamentally changed the study of human pathogens and disease. They can be used to model diseases that are otherwise difficult or impossible to study in humans or other animal models. The gut microbiome can have a profound impact on human health and disease. However, the murine gut microbiome is very different than the one found in humans. There is a need for improved pre-clinical hu-mice models that have an engrafted human gut microbiome. Therefore, we created double hu-mice that feature both a human immune system and stable human-like gut …
New Insights Into The Role Of Antimicrobials Of Xenorhabdus In Interspecies Competition, Kristin Jean Ciezki
New Insights Into The Role Of Antimicrobials Of Xenorhabdus In Interspecies Competition, Kristin Jean Ciezki
Theses and Dissertations
Xenorhabdus spp. are symbionts of entomopathogenic nematodes and pathogens of susceptible insects. The nematodes penetrate the insect midgut to enter the hemocoel where Xenorhabdus bacteria are released, transitioning to their pathogenic stage. During nematode invasion microbes from the insect gut translocate into the hemocoel. In addition, different species of nematodes carrying specific strains of Xenorhabdus can invade a single insect. Xenorhabdus spp thereby engage in competition with both related strains and nonrelated gut microbes. In complex media Xenorhabdus spp produce diverse antimicrobial compounds whose functions in biological systems remain poorly understood. R-type bacteriocins are contractile phage-tail-like structures that are bactericidal …
Current Antibiotics And Future Herbal Extract Methods To Treat Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa): Focusing On Inhibition Of Penicillin-Binding Protein 2a (Pbp2a), Mgayya R. Makullah
Current Antibiotics And Future Herbal Extract Methods To Treat Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (Mrsa): Focusing On Inhibition Of Penicillin-Binding Protein 2a (Pbp2a), Mgayya R. Makullah
Senior Honors Theses
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has developed resistance towards a number of antibiotics. This resistance creates a challenge when trying to treat MRSA with a number of antibiotics. This is mainly caused by the penicillin-binding proteins 2a (PBP2a). PBP2a have significantly less affinity for beta-lactam antibiotics compared to the other penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) expressed by non-resistant strains. New treatments involving a combination of antibiotics and herbal extracts are being developed and used to inactivate PBP2a, allowing the previous ineffective antibiotics to be more effective.