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Evaluating The Role Of The Stringent Response Mechanism In Clostridioides Difficile Survival And Pathogenesis, Astha Pokhrel

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The human pathogen Clostridioides difficile is increasingly tolerant of multiple antibiotics and causes infections with a high rate of recurrence, creating an urgent need for new preventive and therapeutic strategies. The stringent response, a universal bacterial response to extracellular stresses, governs antibiotic survival and pathogenesis in diverse organisms but has not previously been characterized in C. difficile. This dissertation explores the ability of C. difficile to mount the stringent response. The bacteria encode a full-length, canonical bifunctional Rel/Spo Homolog or RSH enzyme. C. difficile RSH is incapable of utilizing GTP as a substrate but readily synthesizes putative 5’-pGpp-3’ alarmones. …

Anaplasma Phagocytophilum Modulates Mammalian And Arthropod Signaling For Its Survival And Transmission, Supreet Khanal

Biomedical Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Vector-borne diseases (VBDs) are illnesses transmitted to humans and other animals by arthropods such as ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas. These arthropod vectors transmit infectious pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa, to humans during blood-feeding. We have very few control strategies to treat or control these diseases. Human anaplasmosis, caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is the second most common tick-borne disease in the United States. This work defines three studies elucidating Anaplasma phagocytophilum-mediated modulation of cell signaling in mammalian cells and arthropod vector Ixodes scapularis ticks.

The first study focused on mammalian PI3 kinases signaling in regulating …

Computational And Experimental Investigation Into The Determinants Of Protein Structure, Folding, And Stability In The Β-Grasp Superfamily, John T. Bedford Ii

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Elucidating the mechanisms of protein folding and unfolding is one of the greatest scientific challenges in basic science. The overarching goal is to predict three-dimensional structures from their amino acid sequences. Understanding the determinants of protein folding and stability can be facilitated through the study of evolutionarily related but diverse proteins. Insights can also be gained through the study of proteins from extremophiles that may more closely resemble the primordial proteins. In this doctoral research, three aims were accomplished to characterize the structure, folding and unfolding behavior within the β-grasp superfamily. We propose that the determinants of structure, stability, and …

Transcriptomic Analysis Of The Glycophytic Crop Ipomoea Aquatica Under Salinity Conditions Compared To Its Wild Halophyte Relative Ipomoea Pes-Caprae, Ruwan Saeed Aljneibi Husam Saeed Aljneibi

Theses

This study focuses on the glycophytic crop Ipomoea Aquatica (commonly known as water spinach) and its wild halophytic relative Ipomoea pes-caprae. I. Aquatica is a crop with economic value; however, it is unable to tolerate high levels of salinity. Whereas its relative Ipomoea pes-caprae is able to grow and thrive in the harsh environment of the UAE. The main aim of this study is to analyze the genetic differences underlying the variation in the two plants’ response to salinity and determine the genetic components that can be used to enhance I. Aquatica's tolerance to salinity. Accordingly, the plants were subjected …

Construction Of E. Coli Strain With N-Terminal Domain Deletion In The Biotin Carboxyl Carrier Protein, Dara Khosravi

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Mitochondrial Transfer From Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improves Neuronal Metabolism After Oxidant Injury In Vitro: The Role Of Miro1, Nancy Tseng, Scott C Lambie, Christopher Q Huynh, Bridget Sanford, Manisha Patel, Paco S Herson, D Ryan Ormond

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Stroke-induced cerebral ischemia is a major cause of death and disability. The disruption of blood flow results in neuronal and glial cell death leading to brain injury. Reperfusion restores oxygen to the affected tissue, but can also cause damage through an enhanced oxidative stress and inflammatory response. This study examines mitochondrial transfer from MSC to neurons and the role it plays in neuronal preservation after oxidant injury. We observed the transfer of mitochondria from MSC to mouse neurons in vitro following hydrogen peroxide exposure. The observed transfer was dependent on cell-to-cell contact and led to increased neuronal survival and improved …

Single-Cell Transcriptomics Identifies Limbal Stem Cell Population And Cell Types Mapping Its Differentiation Trajectory In Limbal Basal Epithelium Of Human Cornea, De-Quan Li, Sangbae Kim, Jin-Miao Li, Qianmiao Gao, Jongsu Choi, Fang Bian, Jiaoyue Hu, Yun Zhang, Jin Li, Rong Lu, Yumei Li, Stephen C Pflugfelder, Hongyu Miao, Rui Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

PURPOSE: This study aimed to uncover novel cell types in heterogenous basal limbus of human cornea for identifying LSC at single cell resolution.

METHODS: Single cells of human limbal basal epithelium were isolated from young donor corneas. Single-cell RNA-Sequencing was performed using 10x Genomics platform, followed by clustering cell types through the graph-based visualization method UMAP and unbiased computational informatic analysis. Tissue RNA in situ hybridization with RNAscope, immunofluorescent staining and multiple functional assays were performed using human corneas and limbal epithelial culture models.

RESULTS: Single-cell transcriptomics of 16,360 limbal basal cells revealed 12 cell clusters belonging to three lineages. …

The Impact Of Covid-19 On Kidney Transplantation And The Kidney Transplant Recipient – One Year Into The Pandemic, Pascale Khairallah, Nidhi Aggarwal, Ahmed A Awan, Chandan Vangala, Medha Airy, Jenny S Pan, Bhamidipati V R Murthy, Wolfgang C Winkelmayer, Venkat Ramanathan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The COVID‐19 pandemic has significantly changed the landscape of kidney transplantation in the United States and worldwide. In addition to adversely impacting allograft and patient survival in postkidney transplant recipients, the current pandemic has affected all aspects of transplant care, including transplant referrals and listing, organ donation rates, organ procurement and shipping, and waitlist mortality. Critical decisions were made during this period by transplant centers and individual transplant physicians taking into consideration patient safety and resource utilization. As countries have begun administering the COVID vaccines, new and important considerations pertinent to our transplant population have arisen. This comprehensive review focuses …

A Test Of Rad Capture Sequencing On Ethanol-Preserved Centennial And Contemporary Specimens Of Philippine Fishes, Madeleine I. Kenton

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

Understanding the relationship between ecological characteristics and genetic change in natural populations in different time scales can reveal how anthropogenic stressors affect natural populations and can improve the success of conservation strategies. The purpose of the Philippines Partnerships for International Research and Education (PIRE) project is to examine levels of genetic change between historical fish samples collected by the USS Albatross expedition in the early 1900s in the Philippines and contemporary populations collected at the same localities. This study tests genetic protocols to process historical and contemporary DNA for simultaneous comparison. Two DNA library preparation methods, single digest RADseq (“un-baited” …

Modeling Of Aqueous Root Extract Compounds Of Ruellia Tuberosa L. For Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibition Through In Silico Study, Anna Safitri, Dewi Ratih Tirto Sari, Fatchiyah Fatchiyah, Anna Roosdiana

Makara Journal of Science

This study aims to analyze the inhibitory activities of aqueous root extract compounds of Ruellia tuberosa L. toward alpha-glucosidase protein by computational docking analysis. Three major compounds contained in the extracts (i.e., betaine, daidzein, and hispidulin) were selected as ligands; quercetin and acarbose were used as the reference. Computational docking analysis was performed using the HEX 8.0.0 program and visualized using the Discovery Studio Visualizer v19.1.0.18287 (2019 version) on the basis of the scoring functions. The interactions between ligands and alpha-glucosidase protein showed different binding patterns. The types of bonds involved in the interaction between the enzyme and these ligands …

Morph- And Sex-Specific Differences In Corticosterone Of The Arizona Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma Mavortium Nebulosum), Megan Zerger

Scholars Week

Life history morph, sex, and body condition are traits that may influence stress within salamander populations because of differences in physiology and environmental conditions. Given widespread declines and the effects chronic stress can have on amphibian health, it is important to understand within-population drivers of stress and how population level variation may influence population viability. Thus, the objective of our study was to assess how corticosterone varies within the Arizona tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium nebulosum) population at the Mexican Cut Nature Preserve. We used a non-invasive skin swabbing method to collect baseline and elevated corticosterone from paedomorph (aquatic …

Biological Activity And Solubility Of 5-Methoxy-1,4-Benzoquinone Having Bromoheptyl And Bromodecyl Substituents In The N-Octanol/Water System, Siti Mariyah Ulfa, Fath Dwisari, Laras Pangesti, Mohammad Farid Rahman

Makara Journal of Science

The biological activity and solubility of compounds are influenced by its chemical structure. These properties can be improved by substituting alkyl, alkoxy, and/or haloalkane in the parent skeleton. In this research, the synthesis of 3-(7-bromoheptyl)-2-methyl-5-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (3a) and 3-(10-bromodecyl)-2-methyl-5-methoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (3b) was achieved through the decarboxylation reaction. The solubility and biological activity of 3a and 3b were compared with that of thymoquinone (TQ), which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. Compounds 3a and 3b were successfully synthesized and analyzed using Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). The FTIR spectrum showed the increasing intensity of …

Case 32: Inhibition Of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Enzymes As A Possible Treatment For Diabetes, Dr. Kathleen Cornely

Chemistry & Biochemistry Case Studies

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) are investigated because of their ability to reverse the effects of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs). Inhibitors of the PTP investigated in this study have insulin-mimetic effects and have potential in the treatment of diabetes.

Analysis Of Heavy Metal In Hair Samples Using Icp Oes, Emma Suvacarov

Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium Programs

Exposure to heavy metals such as mercury, lead, and arsenic can negatively affect the structure and function of cells, tissues, and organs. Such heavy metals can be excreted from the hair as metabolic products during its growth process thus hair analysis is thought to be a reliable indicator for the environmental accumulation of heavy metals. Our research aims to develop a methodology to quantify heavy metal concentrations found in biological samples using Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy. Current research involves preparing hair samples for analysis and creating calibration curves for heavy metals through a process that is accurate, precise, and easily …

Lighting The Way: Recent Insights Into The Structure And Regulation Of Phototropin Blue Light Receptors, Jaynee E. Hart, Kevin H. Gardner

Publications and Research

The phototropins (phots) are light-activated kinases that are critical for plant physiology and the many diverse optogenetic tools that they have inspired. Phototropins combine two bluelight- sensing Light–Oxygen–Voltage (LOV) domains (LOV1 and LOV2) and a C-terminal serine/threonine kinase domain, using the LOV domains to control the catalytic activity of the kinase. While much is known about the structure and photochemistry of the light-perceiving LOV domains, particularly in how activation of the LOV2 domain triggers the unfolding of alpha helices that communicate the light signal to the kinase domain, many questions about phot structure and mechanism remain. Recent studies have made …

Insights Into Viral Genome Function Through Comparative Structural Analysis, Lydia Phillips

UNO Student Research and Creative Activity Fair

Enteroviruses are single stranded RNA viruses which have caused many public health concerns, particularly in children. These viruses are responsible for polio, hand, foot, and mouth disease, many polio-like neurological diseases, and the common cold. The enterovirus called Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), a close relative to poliovirus, has been shown responsible for severe human disease, including pancreatitis, myocarditis, and type 1 diabetes. A unique advantage of studying CVB3 is the existence of a naturally occurring strain (CVB3/GA) which displays no known pathogenicity. Earlier comparative genomic studies have shown that the primary difference between avirulent CVB3/GA and the virulent strains of CVB3 …

Latitude Dictates Plant Diversity Effects On Instream Decomposition, Luz Boyero, Javier Pérez, Naiara López-Rojo, Alan M. Tonin, Francisco Correa-Araneda, Richard G. Pearson, Jaime Bosch, Ricardo J. Albariño, Sankarappan Anbalagan, Leon A. Barmuta, Leah Beesley, Francis J. Burdon, Adriano Caliman, Marcos Callisto, Ian C. Campbell, Bradley J. Cardinale, J. Jesús Casas, Ana M. Chará-Serna, Szymon Ciapała, Eric Chauvet, Jose Checo Colón-Gaud, Aydeé Cornejo, Aaron M. Davis, Monika Degebrodt, Emerson S. Dias, María E. Díaz, Michael M. Douglas, Arturo Elosegi, Andrea C. Encalada, Elvira De Eyto, Ricardo Figueroa, Alexander S. Flecker, André Frainer, Juliana S. França, Erica A. García, Gabriela García, Pavel E. García, Mark O. Gessner, Paul S. Giller, Jesús E. Gómez, Sergio Gómez, José F. Gonçalves Jr., Manuel A. S. Graça, Robert O. Hall Jr., Neusa Hamada, Luiz U. Hepp, Cang Hui, Daichi Imazawa, Tomoya Iwata, Edson S. A. Junior, Samuel K. Kariuki, Andrea Landeira-Dabarca, María Leal, Kaisa Lehosmaa, Charles M. M’ Erimba, Richard Marchant, Renato T. Martins, Frank O. Masese, Megan Camden, Brendan G. Mckie, Adriana O. Medeiros, Jen A. Middleton, Timo Muotka, Junjiro N. Negishi, Jesús Pozo, Alonso Ramírez, Renan S. Rezende, John S. Richardson, José Rincón, Juan Rubio-Ríos, Claudia Serrano, Angela R. Shaffer, Fran Sheldon, Christopher M. Swan, Nathalie S. D. Tenkiano, Scott D. Tiegs, Janine R. Tolod, Michael Vernasky, Anne Watson, Mourine J. Yegon, Catherine M. Yule

Biology: Faculty Publications

Running waters contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes through decomposition of terrestrial plant litter by aquatic microorganisms and detritivores. Diversity of this litter may influence instream decomposition globally in ways that are not yet understood. We investigated latitudinal differences in decomposition of litter mixtures of low and high functional diversity in 40 streams on 6 continents and spanning 113° of latitude. Despite important variability in our dataset, we found latitudinal differences in the effect of litter functional diversity on decomposition, which we explained as evolutionary adaptations of litter-consuming detritivores to resource availability. Specifically, a balanced diet effect appears to operate …

Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy (Sbf-Sem) Of Biological Tissue Samples, Justin A Courson, Paul T Landry, Thao Do, Eric Spehlmann, Pascal J Lafontant, Nimesh Patel, Rolando E Rumbaut, Alan R Burns

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Serial block-face scanning electron microscopy (SBF-SEM) allows for the collection of hundreds to thousands of serially-registered ultrastructural images, offering an unprecedented three-dimensional view of tissue microanatomy. While SBF-SEM has seen an exponential increase in use in recent years, technical aspects such as proper tissue preparation and imaging parameters are paramount for the success of this imaging modality. This imaging system benefits from the automated nature of the device, allowing one to leave the microscope unattended during the imaging process, with the automated collection of hundreds of images possible in a single day. However, without appropriate tissue preparation cellular ultrastructure can …

A Comparison Of Intertidal Metazoan Biodiversity Between Previously Oiled Sheared And Intact Marsh Margins And Between Multiple Salinity Zones In The Coastal Marshes Of Louisiana, Patrick M. Rayle

LSU Master's Theses

Marshes in Louisiana are under threat from numerous natural and anthropogenic sources. A consequence of these threats are sheared marsh margins, which result from the impact of storm surge on previously oiled, weakened marsh. These conditions occurred in Louisiana marshes after Hurricane Isaac in 2012 followed the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, particularly in the shorelines surrounding Bay Jimmy. The second and third chapters of this thesis focus on the differences in biodiversity between the sheared and intact marsh margins in impacted sites in Bay Jimmy. Metabarcoding methods were used to determine community composition of the sediment within marsh …

Non-Coding Rna Influence On Manganese Peroxidase Quantity Variation In Isogenic Corn Lines., Amber Booth

Student Theses and Dissertations

New technologies are vital for growing industries that require large amounts of enzymes at a cheaper production cost. Plant transformation technologies coupled with established cropping systems have allowed us to produce enzymes at more efficient rates than ever before. During breeding, offspring are selected for high production of the enzyme of interest and discontinues lines of low production. This continued range is an observed phenomenon in increasingly isogenic lines, but not fully understood. We hypothesize that distinct populations of non-coding RNAs in isogenic corn lines influence enzyme accumulation in seed. This project sequenced high and low manganese peroxidase (MnP)-expressing families …

A Computational Investigation Of The Biophysical Mechanisms Underlying Thermotaxis In The Afd Neurons Of Caenorhabditis Elegans, Zachary Mobille

Theses and Dissertations

Thermotaxis in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is studied at the cellular scale of the amphid finger-like ciliated (AFD) neurons, which have previously been shown to be essential for thermoreception. The voltage and calcium signals of AFD during temperature stimuli are described with ordinary differential equations. The primary calcium model is a modified version of that published by Kuramochi and Doi in 2017 to explain the calcium responses of the chemosensitive amphid single-ciliated right (ASER) neuron to fluctuations in extracellular salt concentration. To account for the effects of temperature, changes to the stimuli conditions under which inactivation takes place …

Identification Of Individual Components Of A Commercial Wheat Germ Acid Phosphatase Preparation, Veronica Moorman, Alexandra Brayton

Chemistry & Biochemistry Publications

Wheat germ acid phosphatase (WGAP) is a commercial preparation of partially purified protein commonly used in laboratory settings for non-specific enzymatic dephosphorylation. It is known that these preparations contain multiple phosphatase isozymes and are still relatively crude. This study therefore aimed to identify the protein components of a commercial preparation of wheat germ acid phosphatase using mass spectroscopy and comparative genomics. After one post-purchase purification step, the most prevalent fifteen proteins in the mixture included heat shock proteins, beta-amylases, glucoseribitol dehydrogenases, enolases, and an aminopeptidase. While not among the most abundant components, eight unique dephosphorylation enzymes were also present including …

A Principal Components Analysis Of Factors Associated With Successful Implementation Of An Lvad Decision Support Tool, Kristin M Kostick, Meredith Trejo, Arvind Bhimaraj, Andrew Civitello, Jonathan Grinstein, Douglas Horstmanshof, Ulrich P Jorde, Matthias Loebe, Mandeep R Mehra, Nasir Z Sulemanjee, Vinay Thohan, Barry H Trachtenberg, Nir Uriel, Robert J Volk, Jerry D Estep, J S Blumenthal-Barby

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: A central goal among researchers and policy makers seeking to implement clinical interventions is to identify key facilitators and barriers that contribute to implementation success. Despite calls from a number of scholars, empirical insights into the complex structural and cultural predictors of why decision aids (DAs) become routinely embedded in health care settings remains limited and highly variable across implementation contexts.

METHODS: We examined associations between "reach", a widely used indicator (from the RE-AIM model) of implementation success, and multi-level site characteristics of nine LVAD clinics engaged over 18 months in implementation and dissemination of a decision aid for …

Telsam-Target Protein Fusions Can Form Diffraction-Quality Crystals Without Direct Inter-Polymer Contacts, Moriah Longhurst

Undergraduate Honors Theses

X-ray diffraction is a robust method for determining the detailed 3D structures of specific proteins. However, this requires the formation of well-ordered protein crystals, a process that is time-consuming, expensive, and only has about a 10-30% success rate. New methods are needed to enable the efficient crystallization of challenging proteins. One such technique is explored here, which utilizes a protein polymer (the sterile alpha motif domain of the human protein translocation Ets leukemia, or TELSAM) as a crystallization chaperone to form a more ordered crystal lattice of target proteins and drive crystallization. This method was successfully used to crystallize, collect …

Highlighting Membrane Protein Structure And Function: A Celebration Of The Protein Data Bank, Fei Li, Pascal F. Egea, Alex J. Vecchio, Ignacio Asial, Meghna Gupta, Joana Paulino, Ruchika Bajaj, Miles Sasha Dickinson, Shelagh Fergunson-Miller, Brian C. Monk, Robert M. Stroud

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Biological membranes define the boundaries of cells and compartmentalize the chemical and physical processes required for life. Many biological processes are carried out by proteins embedded in or associated with such membranes. Determination of membrane protein (MP) structures at atomic or near-atomic resolution plays a vital role in elucidating their structural and functional impact in biology. This endeavor has determined 1198 unique MP structures as of early 2021. The value of these structures is expanded greatly by deposition of their three-dimensional (3D) coordinates into the Protein Data Bank (PDB) after the first atomic MP structure was elucidated in 1985. Since …

Investigations Of The Structure And Protein-Protein Interactions Of Chlamydia Trachomatis Scc4, Thilini Oshadhi Senarath Ukwaththage

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) is the most common, sexually transmitted bacterial disease (STD) in the world. In the developmental cycle of CT, specific chlamydia chaperone 4 (Scc4) is a unique protein with essential and multiple roles. Hence, Scc4 is significant as a virulence target for therapeutic approaches to treat chlamydial infections. A novel approach was discovered to purify tag free Scc4 by utilizing a 6X-histidine-tag on Scc1 in the co-expressed Scc4:Scc1 complex by capturing the complex on nickel-charged immobilized metal affinity chromatography resin, followed by dissociation of Scc4 with sarkosyl. Using triple resonance NMR experiments, backbone and sidechain resonances …

Combining Multicolor Fish With Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging For Chromosomal Identification And Chromosomal Sub Structure Investigation, Archana Bhartiya, Ian Robinson, Mohammed Yousuf, Stanley W. Botchway

Centre for Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Research

Understanding the structure of chromatin in chromosomes during normal and diseased state of cells is still one of the key challenges in structural biology. Using DAPI staining alone together with Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM), the environment of chromatin in chromosomes can be explored. Fluorescence lifetime can be used to probe the environment of a fluorophore such as energy transfer, pH and viscosity. Multicolor FISH (M-FISH) is a technique that allows individual chromosome identification, classification as well as assessment of the entire genome. Here we describe a combined approach using DAPI as a DNA environment sensor together with FLIM and M-FISH …

Reducing Seed Coat Fiber Content And Pod Shatter, And Engineering Medium Chain Fatty Acids-Containing Oil, In The Oilseed Crop Pennycress ( Thlaspi Arvense L. ), Maliheh Esfahanian

Theses and Dissertations

The overall goal of this thesis was to genetically improve agronomic traits of pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.; Field Pennycress) and demonstrate the production of value-added designer seed oils to domesticate pennycress and enable its establishment as a new winter annual oilseed/meal/cover crop to be grown in temperate regions of the world. In the U.S. Midwest, pennycress can be double cropped on existing farmland during the time between corn harvest and subsequent planting of soybeans the following spring. Pennycress has the potential to produce 2,000 lbs/acre seeds, which at 33% by weight oil content and 20% protein, would yield 85 gallons/acre …

Indolizine Donor-Based Dyes For Applications In Fluorescence Biological Imaging, William Meador

Honors Theses

NIR emissive fluorophores are intensely researched due to their potential to replace modern imaging procedures. Many molecular strategies have been employed in the literature to optimize fluorophores for deeper NIR absorption and emission, biocompatibility, and higher fluorescence quantum yields. Amongst the fluorophores studied to date, proaromatic indolizine donors are attractive alternatives to traditional alkyl amine and indoline based donors due to their 1) lower energy absorption and emission facilitated by proaromaticity, 2) large Stokes shifts due to increased dihedral angles about the π-system, 3) ease of functionalization and capacity for bioconjugation at the phenyl ring, and 4) potential for further …

Evaluating The Effect Of Glyphosate On Host Survival And Microbiome, Sandro Cloiseau

Honors Scholar Theses

Glyphosate (N-(Phosphonomethyl) glycine) is the active ingredient in Round-Up Inc. Commonly known as a weed killer, glyphosate targets the enzyme 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3- phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the shikimate pathway. Ultimately, glyphosate selectively induces toxicity, targeting EPSPS present in plants and selected microorganisms. Therefore, glyphosate is anticipated to be harmless to animals and humans. Our laboratory studies Drosophila melanogaster - also known as the fruit fly, in an interest to understand its gut microbiota and immune system. The comparable immune response of the model organism is similar to honey bees, fungi, and humans. To understand the effect of glyphosate on host physiology, …