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Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Promising Immunomodulators Against Autoimmune, Autoinflammatory Disorders And Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Ozlem Bulut, İhsan Gürsel

Turkish Journal of Biology

Discovery of novel and broad-acting immunomodulators is of critical importance for the prevention and treatment of disorders occurring due to overexuberant immune responseincluding SARS-CoV-2 triggered cytokine storm leading to lung pathology and mortality during the ongoing viral pandemic. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs), highly regarded for their regenerative capacities, also possessesremarkable immunoregulatory functions affecting all types of innate and adaptive immune cells. Owing to that, MSCs have been heavily investigated in clinic for the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases along with transplant rejection. Extensive research in the last decaderevealed that MSCs carry out most of their functions through paracrine factors …

Basal Signaling Through Death Receptor 5 And Caspase 3 Activates P38 Kinase To Regulate Serum Response Factor - Mediated Myod Transcription, Jason A. Ross

ETD Archive

The formation of functional skeletal muscle is the consequence of both the differentiation and apoptosis of skeletal myoblasts. Ex vivo culture of skeletal myoblasts provides a tractable model for the study of these two coordinately regulated processes. We have previously reported that 23A2 myoblasts stably expressing a dominant negative Death Receptor 5 (A2:dnDR5 myoblasts) exhibit decreased basal mRNA and protein expression of the master muscle regulatory transcription factor MyoD. This decrease at the mRNA level is not a consequence of altered stability. Binding of the transcription factor SRF to a non-canonical CArG box within a serum response element (SRE) in …

Basal Signalling Through Death Receptor 5 And Caspase 3 Activates P38 Kinase To Regulate Serum Response Factor (Srf)-Mediated Myod Transcription, Jason A. Ross, Brianna Barrett, Victoria Bensimon, Girish Shukla, Crystal M. Weyman

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

We have previously reported that stable expression of a dominant negative Death Receptor 5 (dnDR5) in skeletal myoblasts results in decreased basal caspase activity and decreased mRNA and protein expression of the muscle regulatory transcription factor MyoD in growth medium (GM), resulting in inhibited differentation when myoblasts are then cultured in differentiation media (DM). Further, this decreased level of MyoD mRNA was not a consequence of altered message stability, but rather correlated with decreased acetylation of histones in the distal regulatory region (DRR) of the MyoD extended promoter known to control MyoD transcription. As serum response factor (SRF) is the …

Effects Of A Neonicotinoid Insecticide On The Growth Of Honey Bee Gut Microbes, Macee Mitchell, Daniel Franzese, Taylor Morales, Shane Lucht, Jesse Steele, Jenifer Walke

2020 Symposium Posters

The gut microbiome plays an essential role in the overall health of organisms. However, the presence and abundance of these microbes may be altered by environmental factors, such as exposure to pesticides. The goals of this project were to understand 1) the prevalence of pesticide residues in honey bees in eastern Washington, and 2) the impact of pesticides to the honey bee gut microbiome. Accordingly, we tested bees from 24 hives among six sites across eastern Washington. High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) was used to detect the presence and concentration of six commonly used agricultural pesticides: Carbaryl, Chlorpyrifos, Coumaphos, Cypermethrin, …

The Rise To Dominance Of Genetic Model Organisms And The Decline Of Curiosity-Driven Organismal Research, Sarah M. Farris

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

Curiosity-driven, basic biological research “…performed without thought of practical ends…” establishes fundamental conceptual frameworks for future technological and medical breakthroughs. Traditionally, curiosity-driven research in biological sciences has utilized experimental organisms chosen for their tractability and suitability for studying the question of interest. This approach leverages the diversity of life to uncover working solutions (adaptations) to problems encountered by living things, and evolutionary context as to the extent to which these solutions may be generalized to other species. Despite the well-documented success of this approach, funding portfolios of United States granting agencies are increasingly filled with studies on a few species …

Is Fecal Microbiota Transplantation A Safe And Effective Treatment For Gastrointestinal Diseases?, Shaindel Pinsky

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a method of transferring feces from an individual with a healthy microbiome to a patient whose healthy gut bacteria is deficient. While this method is not a new one, it is constantly being explored and studied to determine if it can be an effective way to treat patients with different bowel diseases. The main target of most of these studies are patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infections. Many studies were done to determine if the method is safe, and which method is most effective, as well as who can be a good donor or recipient …

Is Pnc-27 And Pnc-28 The Best Way To Cure Cancer?, Miriam Silberstein

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Immunotherapeutic agents have been researched for many decades as an alternative treatment for cancer. Current research demonstrates that immunotherapy is safer than radiotherapy or chemotherapy. This is attributed to immunotherapy’s mechanism of utilizing the body’s own defense system, as opposed to absorbing harmful chemicals. Two forms of immunotherapy that have been effective in curing cancer without the added danger of chemical toxicity are PNC-27 and PNC-28. These peptides were created by a supercomputer at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York in 2000. PNC-27 and PNC-28 work with the MDM2 -P53 tumor suppressor complex. It acts as a competitive inhibitor …

Adding Value To A Field-Based Course With A Science Communication Module On Local Perceptions Of Climate Change, Lorelei E. Patrick, Seth Thompson, Aud Halbritter, Brian J. Enquist, Vigdis Vandvik, Sehoya Cotner

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Field courses, while generally considered as beneficial for students, are challenging to implement and can lead to strained relationships between local residents and visiting scientists. Thus, it is critical to both maximize the educational value of field courses and help students develop contextualized science communication skills. We report on the development of a science communication module, integrated into an existing field-based ecology course, which aims to add value to an international field course enrolling students from multiple countries. Specifically, students surveyed local residents about their knowledge and perceptions of climate change, and then discussed their findings.

What Is The Future Of Organoids?, Michelle Freilich

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The term organoid refers to a miniature version of any organ of the body. An organoid is artificially produced in vitro from stem cells or tissue that possess the ability to recapitulate and form the three-dimensional structure of the organ they were once a part of. Scientists have learned to create a culture for the organoid that mimics its original micro cellular environment, allowing the 3-D structure to self-organize and develop into miniature organs. The purpose of this paper is to explore the many advancements of organoid technology, and how this progress has benefited the medical field. Organoid technology allows …

Effects Of High Fat Diets, Esther Abady

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

With obesity on the rise, and subsequently numerous diseases, many people are looking for newer ways to counter the effects of the influx of fatty, high sugar and unhealthy foods they are consuming. The most common and widely used method is a diet plan. The key to both a healthy and effective diet is knowing what the diet does to the body. There are short term diets which have adverse effects if kept for too long and long-term diets which are aimed for a healthy lifestyle. Every diet is based on the increased and decreased consumption of different macronutrients and …

X Chromosome Dosage Of Histone Demethylase Kdm5c Determines Sex Differences In Adiposity, Jenny C. Link, Carrie B. Wiese, Xuqi Chen, Rozeta Avetisyan, Emilio Ronquillo, Feiyang Ma, Xiuqing Guo, Jie Yao, Matthew Allison, Yii-Der Ida Chen, Jeremy I. Rotter

Biology

Males and females differ in body composition and fat distribution. Using a mouse model that segregates gonadal sex (ovaries and testes) from chromosomal sex (XX and XY), we showed that XX chromosome complement in combination with a high-fat diet led to enhanced weight gain in the presence of male or female gonads. We identified the genomic dosage of Kdm5c, an X chromosome gene that escapes X chromosome inactivation, as a determinant of the X chromosome effect on adiposity. Modulating Kdm5c gene dosage in XX female mice to levels that are normally present in males resulted in reduced body weight, fat …

Human Organ/Limb Regeneration: A Dream Or Reality?, Shmuel Sashitzky

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Organ and limb regeneration might seem like something out of science fiction, but research has been ongoing since the late 1960s and has greatly increased at the turn of the century. It is an understatement to say that this has the potential to be life changing. The need for donor transplant organs and transplant waiting lists can become obsolete and the use of immunosuppressants post-transplant will become unnecessary (leading to higher survival rates). Should this happen, trauma patients will be able to achieve complete recoveries and the reign of some congenital disorders will come to an end. Nature has provided …

The Effects Of Fetal Microchimerism On Maternal Health, Matti Miller

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

No abstract provided.

Interaction Of Certain Monoterpenoid Hydrocarbons With The Receptor Binding Domain Of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-Ncov), Transmembrane Serine Protease 2 (Tmprss2), Cathepsin B, And Cathepsin L (Catb/L) And Their Pharmacokinetic Properties, Erman Sali̇h İsti̇fli̇, Arzuhan Şihoğlu Tepe, Cengi̇z Sarikürkcü, Bektaş Tepe

Turkish Journal of Biology

As of June 2020, the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 new type coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infected more than 7,000,000 people worldwide and caused the death of more than 400,000 people. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular interactions between monoterpenoids and spike protein of 2019-nCoV together with the cellular proteases [transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2), cathepsin B (CatB), and cathepsin L (CatL)]. As a result of the relative binding capacity index (RBCI) analysis, carvone was found to be the most effective molecule against all targets when binding energy and predicted (theoretical) IC50 data were evaluated …

Full Issue-- Volume 3 Issue 1, 2020, Issue 1 Volume 3

Pursue: Undergraduate Research Journal

PURSUE: Undergraduate Research Journal

Volume 3 Issue 1, 2020

Article 1 - Harvesting Electrical Energy Produced by Electrogenic Bacteria in Microbial Fuel Cells

Article 2 – The Effects of Fertilizer Rate on the Growth of Egyptian Spinach in a Greenhouse

Article 3 – Exploring the Association Between Nutrition and Mental Health in Adolescence: A Systematic Literature Review

Article 4— Biological Pathways Associated with Wild and Domestic Animals

Baseline And Stress-Induced Corticosterone Levels Across Birds And Reptiles Do Not Reflect Urbanication Levels, A. S. Injaian, C. D. Francis, J. Q. Ouyang, D. M. Dominoni, Jeremy W. Donald, M. J. Fuxjager, W. Goymann, M. Hau, Jerry F. Husak, Michele A. Johnson, Bonnie K. Kircher, R. Knapp, L. B. Martin, E. T. Miller, L. A. Schoenle, T. D. Williams, Maren N. Vitousek

Biology Faculty Research

Rates of human-induced environmental change continue increasing with human population size, potentially altering animal physiology and negatively affecting wildlife. Researchers often use glucocorticoid concentrations (hormones that can be associated with stressors) to gauge the impact of anthropogenic factors (e.g. urbanization, noise and light pollution). Yet, no general relationships between human-induced environmental change and glucocorticoids have emerged. Given the number of recent studies reporting baseline and stress-induced corticosterone (the primary glucocorticoid in birds and reptiles) concentrations worldwide, it is now possible to conduct large-scale comparative analyses to test for general associations between disturbance and baseline and stress-induced corticosterone across species. Additionally, …

A Literature Review Of Horn And Horn-Like Structures In Vertebrates To Correlate Placement To Function, Behavior, And Niche., J T. Cottingham

Biology Papers and Presentations

In this paper, the true horns of bovids are compared to the many horn-like structures found throughout the animal kingdom. Literary sources were reviewed for a variety of horn-like structures. The review was limited to extinct and extant terrestrial vertebrates. 3D models of these organisms' skulls and “horns” were created or acquired and 3D printed at the same scale to illustrate their differences and similarities and to analysis of their comparative size easier between large and small genera.

Seedling Survival Declines With Increasing Conspecific Density In A Common Temperate Tree, Fiona V. Jevon, Sydne Record, John Grady, Ashley K. Lang, David A. Orwig, Matthew P. Ayres, Jaclyn H. Matthes

Biology Faculty Research and Scholarship

Feedbacks between plants and their soil microbial communities often drive negative density dependence in rare, tropical tree species, but their importance to common, temperate trees remains unclear. Additionally, whether negative density dependence is driven by natural enemies (e.g., soil pathogens) or by high densities of seedlings has rarely been assessed. Density dependence may also depend on seedling size, as smaller and/or younger seedlings may be more susceptible to mortality agents. We monitored seedlings of Quercus rubra, a common, canopy‐dominant temperate tree, to investigate how the density of neighboring adults and seedlings influenced their survival over two years. We assessed …

Variation In The Maternal Provisioning Of Alkaloids In The Strawberry Poison Frog Oophaga Pumilio: The Relationship Between Mothers And Their Tadpole Offspring, Olivia L. Brooks

Masters Theses

Within and among populations, alkaloid defenses of strawberry poison frogs (Oophaga pumilio) vary spatially, temporally, and with life history stage. Natural variation in defense has been implicated as a critical factor in determining the level of protection afforded to an individual from predators and pathogens. Oophaga pumilio tadpoles sequester defenses from nutritive eggs and are thus entirely dependent on their mothers for their alkaloids. However, it remains unclear how the alkaloid composition of a tadpole relates to that of its mother and if maternally provisioned defenses are effective against predators. Here, I demonstrate that natural variation in the alkaloid composition …

Cereus Fun: An Introduction To Microbiological Techniques, Holly Ahern, Jessica Habashi

Course Materials

Microbiology is a field of science devoted to the study of organisms that are too small to see; therefore, an engaging laboratory experience is often the key to capturing students' interest. It was with this in mind that this book was first conceived and developed. The goal was to provide undergraduate microbiology students with an engaging and meaningful laboratory experience that nurtured a sense of discovery and encouraged greater interest in microbiology as a topic, a field of study, or a career.

This lab manual – which has been field-tested by hundreds of microbiology students over several years – builds …

Bias And Misrepresentation Of Science Undermines Productive Discourse On Animal Welfare Policy: A Case Study, Kelly Jaakkola, Jason N. Bruck, Richard C. Connor, Stephen H. Montgomery, Stephanie L. King

Faculty Publications

Reliable scientific knowledge is crucial for informing legislative, regulatory, and policy decisions in a variety of areas. To that end, scientific reviews of topical issues can be invaluable tools for informing productive discourse and decision-making, assuming these reviews represent the target body of scientific knowledge as completely, accurately, and objectively as possible. Unfortunately, not all reviews live up to this standard. As a case in point, Marino et al.’s review regarding the welfare of killer whales in captivity contains methodological flaws and misrepresentations of the scientific literature, including problematic referencing, overinterpretation of the data, misleading word choice, and biased argumentation. …

Can The Fut 2 Gene Variant Have An Effect On The Body Weight Of Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery? - Preliminary, Exploratory Study, Natalia Komorniak, Alexandra Martynova-Van Kley, Armen Nalian, Wiktoria Wardziukiewicz, Karolina Skoniecznaa-Zydecka, Daniel Styburski, Joanna Palma, Bartosz Kowalewski, Krzysztof Kaseja, Ewa Stachowska

Faculty Publications

Background: The FUT2 gene (Se gene) encoding the enzyme α-1,2-L-fucosyltransferase 2 seems to have a significant effect on the number and type of bacteria colonizing the intestines. Methods: In a group of 19 patients after bariatric surgery, the polymorphism (rs601338) of FUT2 gene was analyzed in combination with body mass reduction, intestinal microbiome (16S RNA sequencing), and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) measurements in stools. Results: Among the secretors (Se/Se polymorphism of the FUT2 gene rs601338, carriers of GG variant), correlations between waist-hip ratio (WHR) and propionate content and an increase in Prevotella, Escherichia, Shigella, and Bacteroides were observed. On …

Reassessment Of The Triassic Archosauriform Scleromochlus Taylori: Neither Runner Nor Biped, But Hopper, S. Christopher Bennett Ph.D.

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

The six known specimens of Scleromochlus taylori and casts made from their negative impressions were examined to reassess the osteological evidence that has been used to interpret Scleromochlus’s locomotion and phylogenetic relationships. It was found that the trunk was dorsoventrally compressed. The upper temporal fenestra was on the lateral surface of skull and two-thirds the size of the lower, the jaw joint posteriorly placed with short retroarticular process, and teeth short and subconical, but no evidence of external nares or antorbital fossae was found. The posterior trunk was covered with ~20 rows of closely spaced transversely elongate dorsal osteoderms. The …

Gut Microbiome And Opioid-Induced Analgesic Tolerance, Sach D. Thakker, Karan H. Muchhala

Biology Publications

The gut microbiome plays an important role in maintaining health and homeostasis. Chronic usage of opioids leads to microbial dysbiosis in the gut. This dysbiosis leads to several severe diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Here, we discuss the literature on how opioids affect the gut-microbiome axis and how these changes alter the ability of morphine to produce analgesic tolerance. Chronic morphine exposure leads to increases in gut permeability due to disruption of tight junction proteins and increases in inflammation due to release of proinflammatory cytokines, both of which promote tolerance to morphine. Additionally, it …

Parkinson’S Disease: Causes, Symptoms, Research, And Interventions, Alexander Labkowsky

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

This paper covers several pathogenic theories of Parkinson’s disease (PD); the physiology and biological pathways involved. This includes a mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) route, a nuclear DNA route, and other hypotheses about idiopathic PD. The subsequent discussion of PD symptoms utilizes a neurological perspective, analyzing the neuroanatomical systems involved, and how they are treated. This includes medications and surgical techniques that are employed in an effort to manage symptomatology and increase health-related quality of life.

Robert Gordon Jaeger, Caitlin R. Gabor, Carl D. Anthony

2020 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Gosodesmine, A 7-Substituted Hexahydroindolizine From The Millipede Gosodesmus Claremontus, Madeline F. Hassler, Daniel P. Harrison, Tappey H. Jones, Casey H. Richart, Ralph Saporito

2020 Faculty Bibliography

Millipedes (Diplopoda) are well known for their toxic or repellent defensive secretions. Here we describe gosodesmine (1), 7-(4-methylpent-3-en-1-yl)-1,2,3,5,8,8a-hexahydroindolizine, a unique alkaloid with some terpene character found in the chemical defense secretions of the millipede Gosodesmus claremontus Chamberlin (Colobognatha, Platydesmida, Andrognathidae). The structure of 1 was suggested by its mass spectra and GC-FTIR spectra and established from its 1H, 13C, and 2D NMR spectra and 1D NOE studies. The 7-substituted indolizidine carbon skeleton of 1 was confirmed by unambiguous synthesis. This is the first report of an alkaloid from a platydesmid millipede and the first report of a 7-substituted indolizidine from …

Defensive Behaviour Exhibited By The Yellow-Striped Poison Frog (Dendrobates Truncatus) In Response To Simulated Predation, Nina Savastano, Koary Lutz, Andrew Britton, Ralph Saporito

2020 Faculty Bibliography

No abstract provided.

Use Of Whole-Body Cryosectioning And Desorption Electrosprayionization Mass Spectrometry Imaging To Visualize Alkaloiddistribution In Poison Frogs, Adriana M. Jeckel, Kunihiro Matsumura, Keisuke Nishikawa, Yoshiki Morimoto, Ralph Saporito, Taran Grant, Demian R. Ifa

2020 Faculty Bibliography

Ambient mass spectrometry is useful for analyzing compounds that would beaffected by other chemical procedures. Poison frogs are known to sequester alkaloidsfrom their diet, but the sequestration pathway is unknown. Here, we describemethods for whole-body cryosectioning of frogs and use desorption electrosprayionization mass spectrometry imaging (DESI-MSI) to map the orally administeredalkaloid histrionicotoxin 235A in a whole-body section of the poison frog Den-drobates tinctorius. Our results show that whole-body cryosectioning coupled withhistochemical staining and DESI-MSI is an effective technique to visualize alkaloiddistribution and help elucidate the mechanisms involved in alkaloid sequestration inpoison frogs.

Electrophysiological And Motor Responses To Chemosensory Stimuli In Isolated Cephalopod Arms, Kaitlyn E. Fouke, Heather J. Rhodes

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.