Microbiology Commons^™

Bacteriophages Infecting Enterobacter Cloacae To Reduce Bloater Damage In Fermented Cucumbers

Symposium of Student Scholars

Fermented cucumbers are one of the most important fermented vegetables consumed worldwide. During cucumber fermentations, certain undesirable changes may occur. One of such changes is known as bloater defect (hollow cavities in fermented cucumbers), which is primarily caused by gas-producing bacteria including Enterobacter cloacae. Bloater defect lowers product quality and leads to significant economic loss to the pickle industry, and effective preventative methods are needed. Bacteriophages (phages) are highly host-specific bacterial killers. Use of phages to control unwanted bacteria in foods is a promising approach because phages do not change food properties. This research was to isolate, characterize, and …

Effectiveness Of Bacteriophages Against Bloater-Causing Bacteria Enterobacter Cloacae In A Model Food System, Ashley Reed, Dzhuliya Ignatova, Sandra Kopic, Unique Sardeneta

Symposium of Student Scholars

Effectiveness of bacteriophages against bloater-causing bacteria Enterobacter cloacae in a model food system

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology

Ashley Reed, Dzhuliya Ignatova, Sandra Kopic, Unique Sardeneta, and Jean Lu

Abstract

Cucumber fermentation is one of the most important vegetable fermentations in the United States and Europe. Enterobacter cloacae and other gas-producing bacteria can cause bloater defect (the gas pockets or hollow cavities formed in fermented cucumbers) which lowers the quality and the yield of fermented cucumbers, thereby resulting in significant economic losses to the pickling industry. Cost-effective strategies to control E. cloacae and other microbiota need to be …

Examining Effects Of The Dna Regulator Lrp On Quorum Sensing Gene Expression In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Bradley Lumsden

Symposium of Student Scholars

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen that has the capacity to express multiple virulence factors that are regulated through an extensive quorum sensing network. Three major quorum sensing systems have been identified in Pseudomonas species: the acyl homoserine lactones of las and rhl, and the Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal (PQS). We seek to investigate the involvement of a global regulator, Lrp with the expression of these three networks. Specifically, we will compare expression levels of las, rhl, and pqs in wild type P. aeruginosa (MPAO1) with an lrp transposon insertion mutant using quantitative PCR. Through this comparative …

The Role Of Proneural Transcription Factor Ngn-1/Neurogenin During Caenorhabditis Elegans Embryonic Development, Michaela Diane Crego

Symposium of Student Scholars

Accurate control of neuronal cell identification and movement is crucial to embryonic development. Defects in this process can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders, creating an imperative for further study. The transcription factor neurogenin is required for multiple neurodevelopmental processes during vertebrate embryonic development and mutations in this gene underpin multiple human neurological disorders. Despite this, little is known about how this gene controls nervous system development and function. Neurogenin is deeply conserved across phyla. As such, we can investigate neurogenin function in simple systems such as the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which has a close ortholog of neurogenin, ngn-1. Previous work in …

Soil Bacteria: Metabolic Diversity In A Wildlife Management Area, Nicholas Green

Symposium of Student Scholars

This research is part of a larger study linking the soil microbiome and processes to the aboveground plant community.

Soil samples were collected from six plots under closed canopy in the Sheffield Wildlife management area in the Piedmont ecoregion of Georgia in Paulding County. Two of the plots were located in the longleaf pine savanna where restoration of longleaf pine has been in place since 2010. Samples were collected in sterile plastic tubes at the center of each plot and 10 meters above and below the center. For each sample, soil pH and the concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), …

Efficacy Of Volatile Organic Compounds As Treatment For Bats Affected With White-Nose Syndrome, Whitney Jones

Symposium of Student Scholars

Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of white-nose syndrome (WNS), is a fungal pathogen implicated in the widespread mortality of hibernating bats across North America. Since its arrival to the United States in 2006, the pathogen has spread rapidly to 34 US states and 7 Canadian provinces. Researchers have been searching for disease management strategies to minimize the spread and severity of this fungal pathogen, as bats are an important aspect of a healthy regional and global ecosystem as insect predators and pollinators. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), produced by a variety of microorganisms, have been found to exhibit antimicrobial properties …

Glide Another Day: Characterization Of Wild Isolates Of Predatory Myxobacteria, Daniella Krakue, Juan Vasquez, Simone Dakare

Symposium of Student Scholars

Myxobacteria belongs to a group of predatory bacteria that are found in various soil environments. They are exceptionally unique microbes who use their gliding motility to move towards prey microbes and consume them. They also have the remarkable ability to produce secondary metabolites that have antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumor properties. For this reason, they are of interest to us so that we can understand their abilities and apply them to discover their potential as a source of novel metabolites with potential therapeutic applications. Our methodology began by collecting soil samples from various sites around the country. We then standardized …

Community Level Physiological Profiling Of The Longleaf Pine Savannah Microbiome, Gavin Treadaway

Symposium of Student Scholars

Soil microorganisms secrete chemicals into their surroundings, which the root system will uptake and in return release root exudates, which usually consist of low-molecular-weight organic compounds. These root exudates behave as signaling molecules and substrates for microorganisms to recruit beneficial soil bacteria to the plant root system, which will provide the plants with immunity to foliar diseases and pathogen infection. Studies have shown that bacteria on the root surface can protect aerial sections of the plant by promoting induced systemic resistance, a mechanism of increasing physical or chemical barriers of the plant.

The longleaf pine is an endangered species of …

Higher Entropy Observed In Sars-Cov-2 Genomes From The First Covid-19 Wave In Pakistan, Najia Karim Ghanchi, Asghar Nasir, Kiran I. Masood, Syed Hani Abidi, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Akber Kanji, Safina Abdul Razzak, Waqasuddin Khan, Saba Shahid, Maliha Yameen, Ali Raza, Javaria Ashraf, Zeeshan Ansar Ahmed, Mohammad Buksh Dharejo, Nazneen Islam, Zahra Hasan, Rumina Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Background: We investigated the genome diversity of SARS-CoV-2 associated with the early COVID-19 period to investigate evolution of the virus in Pakistan.
Materials and methods: We studied ninety SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated between March and October 2020. Whole genome sequences from our laboratory and available genomes were used to investigate phylogeny, genetic variantion and mutation rates of SARS-CoV-2 strains in Pakistan. Site specific entropy analysis compared mutation rates between strains isolated before and after June 2020.
Results: In March, strains belonging to L, S, V and GH clades were observed but by October, only L and GH strains were present. The …

Insights Into Halophilic Microbial Adaptation: Analysis Of Integrons And Associated Genomic Structures And Characterization Of A Nitrilase In Hypersaline Environments, Sarah Sonbol

Theses and Dissertations

Hypersaline environments are extreme habitats that can be exploited as biotechnological resources. Here, we characterized a nitrilase (NitraS-ATII) isolated from Atlantis II Deep brine pool. It showed higher thermal stability and heavy metal tolerance compared to a closely related nitrilase.

We also studied integrons in halophiles and hypersaline environments. Integrons are genetic platforms in which an integron integrase (IntI) mediates the excision and integration of gene cassettes at specific recombination sites. In order to search for integrons in halophiles and hypersaline metagenomes, we used a PCR-based approach, in addition to different bioinformatics tools, mainly IntegronFinder.

We found that integrons and …

Structural Polymorphism Of Chitin And Chitosan In Fungal Cell Walls From Solid-State Nmr And Principal Component Analysis, Liyanage D. Fernando, Malitha C. Dickwella Widanage, Jackson Penfield, Andrew S. Lipton, Nancy Washton, Jean Paul Latgé, Ping Wang, Liqun Zhang, Tuo Wang

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

Chitin is a major carbohydrate component of the fungal cell wall and a promising target for novel antifungal agents. However, it is technically challenging to characterize the structure of this polymer in native cell walls. Here, we recorded and compared 13C chemical shifts of chitin using isotopically enriched cells of six Aspergillus, Rhizopus, and Candida strains, with data interpretation assisted by principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) methods. The structure of chitin is found to be intrinsically heterogeneous, with peak multiplicity detected in each sample and distinct fingerprints observed across fungal species. Fungal chitin exhibits partial similarity …

Investigation Of Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteriophage Population At A South Carolina University: The Disappearance Of S. Aureus Bacteriophage Population Amidst The Covid-19 Pandemic, Korinne M. Swanson, Owen R. Smith, Madaline N. Plank, Paul E. Richardson

Journal of the South Carolina Academy of Science

Bacteriophages are naturally occurring, nonpathogenic viruses, which infect bacterial cells. Recently, bacteriophage research has increased with hopes of using them against antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in the future. This study aimed to determine a possible correlation between perceived stress and the Staphylococcus aureus bacteriophage population at Coastal Carolina University (CCU), Conway, South Carolina, using isolation and characterization techniques to further understand humans as a potential bacteriophage source. From October 2020 to March 2021, nasal and postauricular swab samples were collected from 12 participants on a monthly basis along with a perceived stress survey. Samples were subjected to filtration, amplification, plaque …

Fishing For The Right Probiotic: Investigating The Mechanism Of Mucosal-Bacterial Interactions At The Interface Of Health And Productivity In Salmonid Aquaculture, Luana Langlois

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Aquaculture is vital for the global food supply, but the high incidence of infectious diseases threatens the industry’s productivity. The intestinal mucosa is a key port of entry for pathogens and provides an extensive interface for host-microbe interactions. Tight junctions are at the core of gut barrier function and the mucosal health of finfish. Disruption of these complexes gives rise to sepsis, which leads to systemic inflammation and death. The present study employs a combinatorial approach that integrates in vitro and in vivo analyses to gain actionable insights into the mechanism of microbial-mediated modulation of host health. The experiments outlined …

Microbial Innovations For Disease Management In Honey Bees, Brendan A. Daisley

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Arguably the most important insect pollinator, honey bees (Apis mellifera) are threatened by infectious disease, pesticide exposure, and nutritional deficits resulting from habitat loss.

The major goals of this thesis were to advance our understanding of the immune and microbiota factors underpinning synergistic interactions between the threats, and to develop a honey bee-specific probiotic with strain-level functions to alleviate cumulative stress burden.

Drosophila melanogaster was used as a high-throughput discovery platform in molecularly characterizing the effects of candidate probiotic lactobacilli and neonicotinoid-neuroimmune-microbiota mechanisms prior to experimentation in honey bees. Imd pathway activation by lactobacilli was identified to be …

Comparative Microbiome Analysis Of The Funfus Gardening Ant Species Trachymyrmex Arizonensis, Chase D. Rowan

Biology Theses

Fungus-growing ants (Attini: Formicidae) and their fungal cultivars participate in ant-fungus mutualism that share a 50-million-year-old coevolutionary history. Fungal cultures are grown in gardens alongside ants and a diverse collection of microbes that interact with both species in mutualistic, commensal, and antagonistic relationships. These microbes aid in digestion and detoxification of food, provide essential nutrients, help in nest hygiene, and play a dominant role in defense against pathogens and disease. Microbial communities of many model species have been shown to change in a laboratory setting as compared to their natural environment. High-throughput 16s sequencing of the V4 variable region was …

Assessing Selective Plasmids For Bradyrhizobium Sp. Doa9 And Mesorhizobium Loti, Aiden J. Wilcox, Rebecca Meaney, Bogumil Karas

Undergraduate Student Research Internships Conference

No abstract provided.

Pulmonary Immune Cell Trafficking Promotes Host Defense Against Alcohol-Associated Klebsiella Pneumonia, Derrick R. Samuelson, Min Gu, Judd E. Shellito, Patricia E. Molina, Christopher M. Taylor, Meng Luo, David A. Welsh

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

The intestinal microbiota generates many different metabolites which are critical for the regulation of host signaling pathways. In fact, a wide-range of diseases are associated with increased levels of local or systemic microbe-derived metabolites. In contrast, certain bacterial metabolites, such as tryptophan metabolites, are known to contribute to both local and systemic homeostasis. Chronic alcohol consumption is accompanied by alterations to intestinal microbial communities, and their functional capacities. However, little is known about the role of alcohol-associated dysbiosis on host defense against bacterial pneumonia. Our previous work using fecal transplantation demonstrated that alcohol-associated intestinal dysbiosis, independent of ethanol consumption, increased …

Characterizing The Role Of Prophages On Whib7 Expression And Antibiotic Resistance In Mycobacterium Chelonae, Jaycee J. Cushman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mycobacterial pathogens are responsible for an ongoing public health crisis. Mycobacterium abscessus is the causative agent of lung infections that disproportionately affect immunocompromised individuals and is the most intrinsically antibiotic-resistant bacterial species known. These characteristics make M. abscessus infections difficult to treat, with a success rate of only 45%. While some extensively resistant isolates are caused by mutations in drug targets, others appear to be a result of increased intrinsic drug resistance. Common among these strains is the presence of integrated viral genomes (prophage) that are known to contribute to fitness and antibiotic resistance in other pathogens but whose roles …

Understanding The Adhesion Mechanism In Mycelium-Assisted Wood Bonding, Wenjing Sun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The increasing environmental awareness has led to an increased interest in developing more sustainable materials as alternatives to petroleum-derived products. Among different nature-based products, fungal-mycelium-based bio-composites have gained considerable attention in various applications. Multiple materials with different densities and structures and potential applications can be fabricated by inoculating filamentous white-rot fungi in lignocellulosic materials and other substrates. Different from lower-density as-grown foam-like mycelium composites, higher-density mycelium-lignocellulosic panels have the potential to replace commercial particleboard and fiberboard bonded by petroleum-based resins. This kind of composite can be produced by directly adding heat and pressure to the low-density foams or by assembling …

Phylogenetic And Drug-Resistance Analysis Of Hiv-1 Sequences From An Extensive Paediatric Hiv-1 Outbreak In Larkana, Pakistan, Syed Hani Abidi, George Makau Nduva, Dilsha Siddiqui, Wardah Rafaqat, Syed Faisal Mahmood, Amna Rehana Siddiqui, Apsara Ali, Aneeta Hotwani, Rashida Abbas Ferrand, Fatima Mir

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Introduction: In April 2019, an HIV-1 outbreak among children occurred in Larkana, Pakistan, affecting more than a thousand children. It was assumed that the outbreak originated from a single source, namely a doctor at a private health facility. In this study, we performed subtype distribution, phylogenetic and drug-resistance analysis of HIV-1 sequences from 2019 outbreak in Larkana, Pakistan.
Methods: A total of 401 blood samples were collected between April-June 2019, from children infected with HIV-1 aged 0-15 years recruited into a case-control study to investigate the risk factors for HIV-1 transmission. Partial HIV-1 pol sequences were generated from 344 blood …