Pharmacology, Toxicology and Environmental Health Commons^™

Evaluating The Cytotoxic Effects Of Cellulose Nanocrystals (Cncs) Using Autobioluminescent Yeast And Human Cells, Julianna Hughes Burchett

EURēCA: Exhibition of Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are widely used in different industries including pharmaceutical and cosmetic production due to their adept physical and biological properties. Because CNCs are becoming a more prevalent material and have a high potential of being redistributed in the environment, it is important to understand their toxic potentials in biological systems, including organisms of various trophic levels. This study evaluated the cytotoxic effects of CNCs in the lower eukaryotic organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae and human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells using autobioluminescent yeast and human cell reporters, respectively. The S. cerevisiae and HEK293 reporter cells were engineered to express a synthetic …

Applications And Improvements In The Molecular Modeling Of Protein And Ligand Interactions, Jason Bret Harris

Doctoral Dissertations

Understanding protein and ligand interactions is fundamental to treat disease and avoid toxicity in biological organisms. Molecular modeling is a helpful but imperfect tool used in computer-aided toxicology and drug discovery. In this work, molecular docking and structural informatics have been integrated with other modeling methods and physical experiments to better understand and improve predictions for protein and ligand interactions. Results presented as part of this research include:

1.) an application of single-protein docking for an intermediate state structure, specifically, modeling an intermediate state structure of alpha-1-antitrypsin and using the resulting model to virtually screen for chemical inhibitors that can …

Sp605-A What Do You Know About Lead Poisoning? Common Myths, Misunderstandings And The Facts, Martha Keel, Janice Mccoy

Environment (Indoor & Outdoor)

No abstract provided.

Sp605-B Preventing Lead Poisioning, Martha Keel, Janice Mccoy

Environment (Indoor & Outdoor)

No abstract provided.

Gene Alterations By Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Agonists In Human Colorectal Cancer Cells, Maria Cekanova, X Li, J Yuan, K B. Kim, Seung J. Baek

Faculty Publications and Other Works -- Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is a nuclear transcription factor that controls the genes involved in metabolism and carcinogenesis. In the present study, we examined the alteration of gene expression in HCT-116 human colorectal cancer cells by PPARgamma agonists: MCC-555 (5 microM), rosiglitazone (5 microM), and 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 (1 microM). The long-oligo microarray data revealed a list of target genes commonly induced (307 genes) and repressed (32 genes) by tested PPARgamma agonists. These genes were analyzed by Onto-Express software and KEGG pathway analysis and revealed that PPARgamma agonists are involved in cell proliferation, focal adhesion, and several signaling pathways. …