Biology Commons^™

The Effects Of Inulin And Galactooligosaccharides On The Production Of Reuterin By Lactobacillus Reuteri, Micah Forshee

Honors Program Projects

The microbiome is a dynamic community that can positively and negatively influence host health. Lactobacillus reuteri is a probiotic that has received much attention for its ability to inhibit pathogens such as Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli, and Clostridium difficile. It does so by its unique ability to metabolize glycerol into the antimicrobial compound 3-HPA, which is commonly referred to as reuterin. The ability to secrete reuterin is dependent not only on glycerol availability but also the concentration of glucose. In fact, there appears to be a “goldilocks” ratio between glucose and glycerol as either too much or too …

Identification Of Elements Essential For Replication Origin Activity In Escherichia Coli, Prassanna Rao

Theses and Dissertations

The increasing number of drug resistant pathogenic bacteria has created a growing health care crisis. Solving the crisis will require a number of solutions, among them being development of new antibiotics that target novel cell processes. Initiation of chromosomal DNA replication is one such unexploited process. Bacterial cells begin chromosome replication by building a nucleoprotein complex called the orisome which, unwinds replication origin DNA, and loads the replicative helicase. A greater understanding of how orisomes assemble, and how the assembly is regulated, should provide a source of druggable targets to be used in future antibiotic discovery efforts. However, although all …

Swimming Rhythm Generation In The Caudal Hindbrain Of The Lamprey, James T. Buchanan

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

The spinal cord has been well established as the site of generation of the locomotor rhythm in vertebrates, but studies have suggested that the caudal hindbrain in larval fish and amphibians can also generate locomotor rhythms. Here, we investigated whether the caudal hindbrain of the adult lamprey (Petromyzon marinus and Ichthyomyzon unicuspis) has the ability to generate the swimming rhythm. The hindbrain-spinal cord transition zone of the lamprey contains a bilateral column of somatic motoneurons that project via the spino-occipital (S-O) nerves to several muscles of the head. In the brainstem-spinal cord-muscle preparation, these muscles were found to …

Spinal Cord Trauma: An Overview Of Normal Structure And Function, Primary And Secondary Mechanisms Of Injury, And Emerging Treatment Modalities, Daniel Morin

Senior Honors Theses

The structures of the spinal cord and vertebral column are designed to provide flexibility, while still providing ample protection for the spinal cord deep within. While it does offer remarkable protection against most routine trauma, the spinal cord is still vulnerable to high-force etiologies of trauma and may become damaged as a result. These events are referred to as primary injury. Following the initial injury, the body’s own physiological responses cause a cascade of deleterious effects, known as secondary injury. Secondary injury is a major therapeutic target in mitigating the effects of spinal cord injury (SCI), and much research is …

Using Molecular Markers To Trace The Population History Of Volant Organisms At Differing Temporal Scales, Noah A. Burg

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Using molecular markers to test phylogenetic and phylogeographic hypotheses is critical for tracking the population origin of invasive, introduced species (Chapter 2, Chapter 4) and to identify the systematic relationships of disparate lineages at both shallow and deep evolutionary time scales (Chapters 3, Chapter 4). In this thesis, Sanger Sequencing was used to generate datasets based on fresh and preserved tissue from specimens collected in the field, as well as museum tissue vouchers granted from various institutions in the US and Europe. In combining these source materials, data were generated for three focal studies: 1) In the first research section …

The Role Of Oxidative Stress And Signal Transduction In Chemotherapy-Mediated Cognitive Impairment In The Menopause Rat Model, Ciara Bagnall

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Systemic chemotherapy treatment is associated with long-term cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors. While many studies have established the forms of cognition and corresponding regions in the brain most affected, very little is revealed about the potential molecular mechanisms that mediate these changes. The effects of systemic treatment on the brain is likely attributed to many different mechanisms including oxidative stress and immune dysregulation. Earlier studies from our lab have investigated the effects of the chemotherapy cocktail doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC Chemotherapy) in an ovariectomized menopause animal model of ‘chemo brain’ (Salas-Ramirez et al., 2015). We observed that animals injected …

Regulation Of The Tubulin Homolog Ftsz In Escherichia Coli, Monika S. Buczek

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Escherichia coli is a well-known pathogen, and importantly, a widely used model organism in all fields of biological sciences for cloning, protein purification, and as a model for Gram-negative bacterial species. And yet, researchers do not fully understand how this bacterium replicates and divides. Every year additional division proteins are discovered, which adds complexity to how we understand E. coli undergoes cell division. Due to their specific roles in cytokinesis, some of these proteins may be potential targets for development of antibacterials or bacteriostatics, which are much needed for fighting the current global antibacterial deficit. My thesis work focuses on …

Enhanced Production Of Pro-Il-1Βeta Contributes To Immunopathology During The Coinfection Of Influenza A Virus And Streptococcus Pneumoniae, Angeline E. Rodriguez

MSU Graduate Theses

Viral bacterial coinfections are known to cause severe pneumonia, especially in the elderly and in pediatric patients. Antibiotics like β-Lactams kill the bacteria but fail to improve symptoms suggesting a faulty immune system may play an important role in the disease. Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) is an important immune signaling cytokine responsible for inflammation. It exists as an inactive precursor that can be activated by caspase-1 containing inflammasomes (multi-protein complex). Influenza A virus (IAV) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) activate the inflammasome through the NOD-like receptor protein NLRP3 and/or AIM2. Previous reports in mice indicate that IL-1β levels are dramatically …

The Role Of Freshwater Drum As A Host Of Freshwater Mussels, Unionidae, Michael S. Martin

MSU Graduate Theses

The Freshwater Drum, Aplodinotus grunniens, serves as fish host to multiple mussel species. Some mussel species are “drum specialists” in the sense that Freshwater Drum is apparently the only host that they utilize. Freshwater Drum diet consists partly of mussels, which it crushes with specially adapted pharyngeal teeth. The Freshwater Drum’s habit of feeding on mussels should favor adaptations to use the species as a host. Mussels that use Freshwater Drum as host could adapt to attract the fish. I predicted that many other species will have some ability to use Freshwater Drum as host because of its habit of …

Identification Of Axon-Oligodendrocyte Preferential Interaction Sites Preceding Initial Myelin Sheath Formation, Taryn Mallon, Rachael Sawyer

Undergraduate Research Celebration 2018

Oligodendrocytes are matured oligodendrocyte progenitor cells that serve to myelinate axons within the central nervous system. The myelination process is complex and is orchestrated by many unknown mechanisms, of particular interest, the causal relationship between axon diameter and myelination. Previous studies suggest that oligodendrocytes preferentially myelinate axons with larger diameters. Due to the variation in axon diameter along the length of individual axons, we first hypothesized that oligodendrocytes interact with and initiate myelination at thicker domains of axons known as varicosities. To test this hypothesis, we performed in vivo time-lapse in zebrafish larvae to determine if oligodendrocytes preferentially interact with …

Tidal Creek And Substrate Effects On Oyster Reef Associated Fish And Decapod Condition And Density, Thomas S. Funk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Oyster reefs are essential fish habitat and a worldwide loss of reefs has the potential to negatively affect reef-associated nekton populations. Along the 100 km Myrtle Beach, SC shoreline, oyster reefs ostensibly have disappeared within swash tidal creeks, which are anthropogenically altered estuarine systems that drain into the coastal ocean directly over shoreline beaches. To address oyster reef losses, a series of shell bag reefs were constructed within multiple swash tidal creeks. Reefs also were constructed in tidal creeks associated with estuaries directly connected to the ocean by an inlet. The purpose of this study was to compare nekton usage …

Investigating The Synergy Between Paraben Derivatives And The Antibiotics Of Penicillin And Erythromycin, Kaelyn Jefferson

Longwood Senior Theses

Bacterial resistance has been a threat to our antibiotics, decreasing their effectiveness against many human diseases. In 2010, the World Health Organization made a public call to action urging researchers to find new antibiotics before the year of 2020, showing society's vulnerability to evolving bacterial strains. Thus, it's critical to find an approach to maintaining antibiotic control over bacteria. A current approach has shown that phenolic compounds have proven to work synergistically against bacteria with penicillin and erythromycin antibiotics. In an analogous way, the work herein attempts to use the phenol derivatives known as parabens in combination with the antibiotics …

Why You Can Actually Sing: A Study Of Human Evolution And Culture As Influenced By Music, Cassandra E. Haley

SASAH 4th Year Capstone and Other Projects: Publications

Cassandra's Community Engaged learning course took her outside of her home faculties of Science and Arts & Humanities to study with Professor S. Wei in the Faculty of Music. For her course, Cassandra became a member of the Viola Studio, and conducted extensive research on music history, aesthetics of music, and human evolution of music to combine her studies in music, SASAH, and genetics.

In her capstone research, Cassandra explored how music has shaped narratives and likewise been controlled by political narratives, how it is different from other forms of communication, and if it is possible to express emotions musically. …

Effects Of Copper Sulfate On Mortality Rates Of Daphnia Magna, Grace Vilem

Honors Projects

Many reservoirs used for drinking water end up growing algae that needs to be removed. Copper sulfate (CuSO₄) can be used to reduce the growth of algae, however this chemical has been shown to have negative effects on invertebrates living in aquatic environment. This experiment exposed Daphnia magna, an aquatic zooplankton, to various concentrations of CuSO₄ for 48 hours to determine an LC50 value. Six sets of data were collected and averaged, finding an LC50 value of 36 ug/L. Further testing is needed to determine effects of CuSO₄ on fecundity between generations of Daphnia, as …

A Basal Laryngeal Cartilage Is Present In Neotropical Túngara Frogs (Engystomops Pustulosus), Amy D. Lagorio, Marcos Gridi-Papp

Pacific Research & Scholarship Day

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Staphylococcus Phage K With Close Phage Relatives Commonly Employed In Phage Therapeutics, Jude Ajuebor, Colin Buttimer, Sara Arroyo-Moreno, Nina Chanishvili, Emma M. Gabriel, Jim O'Mahony, Olivia Mcauliffe, Horst Neve, Charles Franz, Aidan Coffey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The increase in antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is a public health danger requiring alternative treatment options, and this has led to renewed interest in phage therapy. In this respect, we describe the distinct host ranges of Staphylococcus phage K, and two other K-like phages against 23 isolates, including 21 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) representative sequence types representing the Irish National MRSA Reference Laboratory collection. The two K-like phages were isolated from the Fersisi therapeutic phage mix from the Tbilisi Eliava Institute, and were designated B1 (vB_SauM_B1) and JA1 (vB_SauM_JA1). The sequence relatedness of B1 and JA1 to phage K …

Development Of A Pcr For Simultaneous Amplification Of Borrelia Burgdorferi And Ixodes Tick Dna, Shaynee Studer, Alina Yevsina

Undergraduate Research Celebration 2018

The high prevalence of Ixodes ticks in Southeast Minnesota has serious implications as they are often vectors for infectious tick-borne agents, such as Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme Disease (LD). Currently, our lab has developed a PCR that can amplify Borrelia DNA in infected ticks, however, when ticks fail to amplify it is unclear whether this is from lack of the bacterial agent or if the DNA is corrupted. A possible solution to this problem is to concurrently amplify a gene within the Ixodes tick in order to assess the quality of the DNA. The goal of this …

Terminal Phenotypes Observed In Caenorhabditis Hybrids, Anthony Wade

The University Honors Program

When C. briggsae females are mated to C. nigoni males fertile F1 females are obtained. However, all of the F1 males arrest during embryogenesis. In the reciprocal cross of C. nigoni females mated to C. briggsae males, fertile F1 females and some sterile F1 male adult hybrids are obtained. The goal of this study was to determine the terminal phenotypes of the arrested embryos in these crosses. From these terminal phenotypes, tissue-specific defects in the development of hybrid embryos were inferred. Hybrid crosses were set and allowed to mated overnight. The following day gravid females were dissected to release hybrid …

Human Breast Tumor Cells Support Productive Hcmv Infection, Kaitlin Branch

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths among women. While many risk factors for breast cancer are known, viral infection has emerged as a potential factor in tumor development. Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) generally causes mild or asymptomatic infection; however, recent evidence links HCMV to breast cancer. In particular, the viral cytokine cmvIL-10 promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells in culture. Since HCMV is transmitted via human breast milk, we hypothesized that breast tumor cells could become infected and produce cmvIL-10. HCMV infection of breast cancer cells was confirmed with fluorescence microscopy. Viral gene expression was …

Seeing Red: Analyzing Iucn Red List Data, Alexandra Gonzalez, Naupaka Zimmerman, Patricia Francis-Lyon

Creative Activity and Research Day - CARD

In the midst of the current sixth mass extinction event which is currently underway, it appears that amphibians are one of the most impacted vertebrates. Over 7,500 amphibian species are listed on the IUCN Red List (an assessment tool which provides species’ conservation status, perceived threats, and distribution range). While it is well-known that populations under multiple stressors are more likely to undergo significant declines, there are little to no resources available for visualizating how these threats may work synergistically and interact within a species’ range. This is especially the case for Southeast Asian amphibians, of which much less attention …