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Interannual Variation In Climate Contributes To Contingency In Post-Fire Restoration Outcomes In Seeded Sagebrush Steppe, Allison B. Simler-Williamson, Cara Applestein, Matthew J. Germino

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Interannual variation, especially weather, is an often-cited reason for restoration “failures”; yet its importance is difficult to experimentally isolate across broad spatiotemporal extents, due to correlations between weather and site characteristics. We examined post-fire treatments within sagebrush-steppe ecosystems to ask: (1) Is weather following seeding efforts a primary reason why restoration outcomes depart from predictions? and (2) Does the management-relevance of weather differ across space and with time since treatment? Our analysis quantified range-wide patterns of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) recovery, by integrating long-term records of restoration and annual vegetation cover estimates from satellite imagery following thousands of post-fire seeding …

Differentiation And Temperature Adaptation Of Pampus Echinogaster Based On Genome-Wide Snps, Yuan Li, Fangrui Lou, Shigang Liu, Hai Li, Jiali Xiang, Binbin Shan, Longshan Lin, Xuan Zhuang

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change and overfishing have led to the degradation of the quality and stock of Pampus echinogaster. Exploring the genetic structure and local adaptive evolutionary mechanisms of P. echinogaster is crucial for the management of this species. This population genomic study of nine geographical populations of P. echinogaster in China was conducted by specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). A total of 935,215 SLAF tags were obtained, and the average sequencing depth of the SLAF tags was 20.80×. After filtering, a total of 46,187 high-consistency genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. Based on all SNPs, the population size of the …

Habitat Use Of The Threatened River Redhorse (Moxostoma Carinatum) In The Grand River, Mi, Usa, Nicholas M. Preville, Eric B. Snyder, Dan O'Keefe, Scott Hanshue, Amy Russell, Justin Radecki

Peer Reviewed Publications

The resilience of aquatic ecosystems hinges on our ability to protect the native species that reside within them. The river redhorse (Moxostoma carinatum) is one such example and populations have become low enough to warrant a threatened status by the State of Michigan. An insufficient understanding of the species’ habitat use outside of its spawning season hinders the ability of fisheries managers to implement appropriate habitat protection and restoration measures. To enhance our understanding of river redhorse habitat use, we implanted 15 individuals with radio transmitters during the spring spawning run and tracked their locations over the course …

Demographic Expansions And The Emergence Of Host Specialization In Genetically Distinct Ecotypes Of The Tick-Transmitted Bacterium Anaplasma Phagocytophilum, Matthew L. Aardema, Nina V. Bates, Qiana E. Archer, Friederike D.Von Loewenich

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

In Europe, genetically distinct ecotypes of the tick-vectored bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum circulate among mammals in three discrete enzootic cycles. To date, potential ecological factors that contributed to the emergence of these divergent ecotypes have been poorly studied. Here, we show that the ecotype that predominantly infects roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is evolutionarily derived. Its divergence from a host generalist ancestor occurred after the last glacial maximum as mammal populations, including roe deer, recolonized the European mainland from southern refugia. We also provide evidence that this host specialist ecotype's effective population size (Ne) has tracked changes in the population of its …

Illuminating Protist Diversity In Pitcher Plants And Bromeliad Tanks, Robin S. Sleith, Laura A. Katz

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Many species of plants have evolved structures called phytotelmata that store water and trap detritus and prey. These structures house diverse communities of organisms, the inquiline microbiome, that aids breakdown of litter and prey. The invertebrate and bacterial food webs in these systems are well characterized, but less is known about microbial eukaryotic community dynamics. In this study we focus on microbes in the SAR clade (Stramenopila, Alveolata, Rhizaria) inhabiting phytotelmata. Using small subunit rDNA amplicon sequencing from repeated temporal and geographic samples of wild and cultivated plants across the Northeast U.S.A., we demonstrate that communities are variable within and …

Recycled Concrete Aggregates Are An Economic Form Of Urban Riparian Erosion Management With Limited Impacts On Freshwater Chemistry And Microbial Diversity, Rachelle E. Beattie, Bixia Su, Rebecca Thill, Krassimira R. Hristova

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Urban streams are at high risk of riparian erosion which impacts adjacent infrastructure stability. Methods to prevent stream erosion have been proposed including using recycled concrete (RC) materials to help stabilize the streambed; however, little is known about the environmental and biological impacts of using RC in urban streams. RC, new concrete (NC), and river rock controls were evaluated for their impact on water chemistry, water quality, and microbial community composition over 6.5 months in controlled laboratory mesocosms. Concentrations of 19 metals, nutrients, and pH of mesocosms containing RC were not significantly different from the river rock mesocosm throughout the …

Worldwide Consequences Of Covid-19 On Research In Stem, Michelle Hoang, Santanu De

Biology Faculty Articles

A global public health emergency like the Coronavirus Infectious Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic requires accurate and timely data collection in the research community. High-impact research in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) has been prioritized in the fight against COVID-19. The present study analyzed the consequences of COVID-19 on STEM research and the collaboration between research institutions and industries worldwide. It was noted that COVID19 had caused significant delays in non-COVID-19-related research projects and the onset of several remote studies. Most importantly, researchers in the STEM fields directed their attention and expertise to help mitigate virus transmission, treat patients, and …

What Are Mycorrhizal Traits?, V. Bala Chaudhary, E. Penelope Holland, Suw Charman-Anderson, Aidee Guzman, Lukas Bell-Dereske, Tanya E. Cheeke, Adriana Corrales, Jessica Duchicela, Cameron Egan, Pushpa G. Soti

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Highlights

• Applying trait-based approaches to ecological research on mycorrhizal symbioses broadens ecological inferences, but there is no single unified framework to unite disparate language, terminology, and methods across the many multidisciplinary scientists studying mycorrhizas.
• We propose an inclusive framework for trait-based mycorrhizal ecology aimed to stimulate scientists around the world to collect and use more mycorrhizal trait data, particularly in understudied areas. This would widen our understanding regarding the ecological role of mycorrhizal symbioses at individual, species, community, and ecosystem scales.
• Analyzing how mycorrhizal symbioses fit within existing trait definitions highlights significant theoretical and empirical knowledge gaps, novel questions, and …

Evolution Of Sex Chromosomes In Geckos (Reptilia: Gekkota), Shannon Elizabeth Keating

Dissertations (1934 -)

Sex chromosomes control sex determination in many plants and animals, playing a vital role in a species’ evolution. Current models of sex chromosome evolution have been formulated by studying clades with stable, morphologically distinct (heteromorphic) sex chromosomes, such as mammals and birds. However, many taxa have morphologically indistinguishable (homomorphic) sex chromosomes, including many fish, amphibians, and reptiles. The knowledge gained from these understudied systems may provide new insights into the overarching paradigms of sex chromosome evolution. Thus, the historical focus on stable, heteromorphic sex chromosomes and failure to consider homomorphic sex chromosomes or systems with frequent turnovers may mean the …

Embryology Of The Gekkota: Insights Into The Evolution An Development Of Morphological Diversity, Aaron Harp Griffing

Dissertations (1934 -)

Understanding the patterns and processes which result in morphological diversity is a central goal of evolutionary developmental biology or evo-devo. This diversity encompasses morphologies which have evolved numerous, independent times within a clade (evolutionary convergence) and others which have evolved only once within a clade (i.e. evolutionary novelty). Though many of these diverse morphologies exhibit functional capabilities and are intertwined with the ecology and diversification of the evolutionary lineage in question, their origins are largely unknown. Robust phylogenic analysis, genomic information, and detailed developmental data are critical lines of evidence to explain the evolutionary and ontogenetic origins of morphological novelty …

Modulation Of Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis In Yeast – Role Of The Mrp7 (Bl27) Protein, Jessica Anderson

Dissertations (1934 -)

Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) is responsible for the generation of most of the cellular energy (ATP) within the cell. OXPHOS enzymes are mosaic in origin, as protein subunits are encoded by both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Mitochondrial ribosomes have been shown to respond to the availability and import of nuclearly encoded OXPHOS components, and thus the current dogma states that mitochondrial translation is synchronized to the import of these nuclear encoded proteins, as well as the availability of chaperones to co-assemble them within the inner mitochondrial membrane. We demonstrate here that the yeast Mrp7 (bL27) protein is involved in the coordination …

Implications Of The Actin Cytoskeleton On The Multi-Step Process Of [ Psi+] Prion Formation, Jane E. Dorweiler, Douglas R. Lyke, Nathan P. Lemoine, Sam Guereca, Hannah E. Buchholz, Emily R. Legan, Claire M. Radtke, Anita L. Manogaran

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Yeast prions are self-perpetuating misfolded proteins that are infectious. In yeast, [PSI⁺] is the prion form of the Sup35 protein. While the study of [PSI⁺] has revealed important cellular mechanisms that contribute to prion propagation, the underlying cellular factors that influence prion formation are not well understood. Prion formation has been described as a multi-step process involving both the initial nucleation and growth of aggregates, followed by the subsequent transmission of prion particles to daughter cells. Prior evidence suggests that actin plays a role in this multi-step process, but actin’s precise role is unclear. Here, we …

Vegetative Phenologies Of Lianas And Trees In Two Neotropical Forests With Contrasting Rainfall Regimes, Jose A. Medina-Vega, S. Joseph Wright, Frans Bongers, Stefan A. Schnitzer, Frank J. Sterck

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

• Among tropical forests, lianas are predicted to have a growth advantage over trees during seasonal drought, with substantial implications for tree and forest dynamics. We tested the hypotheses that lianas maintain higher water status than trees during seasonal drought and that lianas maximize leaf cover to match high, dry-season light conditions, while trees are more limited by moisture availability during the dry season.
• We monitored the seasonal dynamics of predawn and midday leaf water potentials and leaf phenology for branches of 16 liana and 16 tree species in the canopies of two lowland tropical forests with contrasting rainfall regimes in …

Plant Growth-Promoting Activity Of Bacteria Isolated From Asian Rice (Oryza Sativa L.) Depends On Rice Genotype, Nasim Maghboli Balasjin, James Maki, Michael Schläppi, Christopher Marshall

Biological Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Asian rice is one of the most important crops because it is a staple food for almost half of the world’s population. To have production of rice keep pace with a growing world population, it is anticipated that the use of fertilizers will also need to increase, which may cause environmental damage through runoff impacts. An alternative strategy to increase crop yield is the use of plant growth-promoting bacteria. Thousands of microbial species can exist in association with plant roots and shoots, and some are critical to the plant’s survival. We isolated 140 bacteria from two distantly related rice accessions …

Access To Online Formative Assessments In Introductory Biology Courses: Investigating Barriers To Student Engagement, Allison M. Upchurch

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Instructors use a variety of online formative assessment (FA) activities to support learning outside of class. Previous studies have revealed barriers for students in online courses, but little is known about the barriers students experience when completing online FA assignments. Understanding these barriers to access is critical to fostering more inclusive learning for all students. Using a framework from previous work in online learning, we examined student perceptions of online FA access with respect to five barrier categories: technical resources, instructor organization, social interactions, personal engagement, and learning environment. We developed and administered a survey to over 1200 undergraduate biology …

Transcriptome Assembly And Characterization Of Chemoreceptors For Corn Rootworms, Bailee Egan

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) is the most important insect pest of corn in the United States Corn Belt, costing the agricultural industry over two billion dollars per year. As current management practices have been losing their effectiveness, new targets for corn rootworm control need to be explored. In this thesis, we focused on identifying rootworm chemoreceptors, which can be considered for potential targets for management. Transcriptomes from seven life stages were assembled for the western corn rootworm as well as two other related corn rootworm species, the northern corn rootworm (D. barberi) …

Mechanisms Of Connectivity In Neuronal Development, Janay Vacharasin

Theses and Dissertations

The development of neuronal connectivity requires the careful orchestration of multiple cellular processes including the control of neuronal arborization and synapse formation or function. Defects in these processes during neuronal development will give rise to disorders of neuronal connectivity like autism. In the present work, we examine the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms that build the neuronal wiring of the developing brain. We use human stem cell-derived neurons to study neuronal arborization and function focusing on genetic and environmental risk factors of neurodevelopmental disorders that include autism and intellectual disability. Specifically, we focused on the contribution of the endomembrane, chromatin, and …

In Vivo And In Vitro Investigations Of Mammalian Stem Cell Development: Neurogenesis And Pituitary Progenitors, Allison Culver

Theses and Dissertations

Human development is tightly regulated by complex mechanisms to pattern the early embryo and form specialized tissues. Understanding this regulation is of fundamental importance and can help further understand disease pathologies. Because it is difficult to observe the processes of interest, researchers must rely on the use of model systems. Our research goal is to combine both animal models and in vitro stem cell cultures to address key questions about the mechanisms of development for both the pituitary gland and brain. It is estimated that there are 290-455 cases per million of congenital hypopituitarism. In addition, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) …

Molecular And Morphological Investigations Of Grouper (Serranidae) Biodiversity In Saudi Arabia, Mohammad Saeed Al Jazza Alqahtani

Theses and Dissertations

Chapter 1: The seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula, which represent the northernmost portion of the Indian Ocean, are considered to have the highest aquatic biodiversity among the worlds marine regions. Seas that surround the Arabian Peninsula include the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Gulf. In aggregate, this area harbors a large number of endemic and more widespread marine species, including fishes, echinoderms, and corals.

There are unique challenges involved in grouper species identification in the Arabian region including ‘familiar’ Arabic species designations that are not standardized in the Arabic …

A Rationally Designed Synthetic Antimicrobial Peptide Against Pseudomonas-Associated Corneal Keratitis: Structure-Function Correlation, Sk Abdul Mohid, Prerana Sharma, Amani Alghalayini, Tripti Saini, Debarun Datta, Mark D. P. Willcox, Haydar Ali, Sreyan Raha, Achintya Singha, Nirakar Sahoo

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Contact lens wearers are at an increased risk of developing Pseudomonas-associated corneal keratitis, which can lead to a host of serious ocular complications. Despite the use of topical antibiotics, ocular infections remain a major clinical problem, and a strategy to avoid Pseudomonas-associated microbial keratitis is urgently required. The hybrid peptide VR18 (VARGWGRKCPLFGKNKSR) was designed to have enhanced antimicrobial properties in the fight against Pseudomonas-induced microbial keratitis, including contact lens-related keratitis. In this paper, VR18's modes of action against Pseudomonas membranes were shown by live cell Raman spectroscopy, live cell NMR, live-cell fluorescence microscopy and measures taken using sparsely tethered bilayer …

Scientist's Warning On Climate Change And Insects, Jeffrey A. Harvey, Kévin Tougeron, Rieta Gols, Robin Heinen, Mariana Abarca, Et Al

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Climate warming is considered to be among the most serious of anthropogenic stresses to the environment, because it not only has direct effects on biodiversity, but it also exacerbates the harmful effects of other human-mediate threats. The associated consequences are potentially severe, particularly in terms of threats to species preservation, as well as in the preservation of an array of ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. Among the most affected groups of animals are insects—central components of many ecosystems—for which climate change has pervasive effects from individuals to communities. In this contribution to the scientists’ warning series, we summarize the effect …

Differential Impacts Of Hhv-6a Versus Hhv-6b Infection In Differentiated Human Neural Stem Cells, Elham Bahramian, Mercede Furr, Jerry T. Wu, Ruben Michael Ceballos

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Within the family Herpesviridae, sub-family β-herpesvirinae, and genus Roseolovirus, there are only three human herpesviruses that have been described: HHV-6A, HHV-6B, and HHV-7. Initially, HHV-6A and HHV-6B were considered as two variants of the same virus (i.e., HHV6). Despite high overall genetic sequence identity (~90%), HHV-6A and HHV-6B are now recognized as two distinct viruses. Sequence divergence (e.g., >30%) in key coding regions and significant differences in physiological and biochemical profiles (e.g., use of different receptors for viral entry) underscore the conclusion that HHV-6A and HHV-6B are distinct viruses of the β-herpesvirinae. Despite these viruses being …

Methyltransferase Mystery: Epigenetic Mechanisms Induced By Food Limitation In Daphnia Pule, Trenton C. Agrelius

Theses and Dissertations

Daphnia are ecologically important organisms that have been well studied in the context of evolution, ecology, ecotoxicity, and genomics. Daphnia have strong maternal effects in which the environment experienced by the mother can alter offspring disease resistance, life history traits, and morphology, as well as gene expression and methylation for multiple generations. Coupled with their ability to reduce genetic differences via parthenogenesis, Daphnia are an ideal system for epigenetic studies involving the transmission of maternal effects. Using two clones of Daphnia pulex, we investigated the plasticity of life history and DNA methyltransferase (Dnmt) gene expression with respect to food …

Emergence Activity At Hibernacula Differs Among Four Bat Species Affected By White-Nose Syndrome, Reilly T. Jackson, Emma V. Wilcox, John M. Zobel, Riley F. Bernard

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Prior to the introduction of white-nose syndrome (WNS) to North America, temperate bats were thought to remain within hibernacula throughout most of the winter. However, recent research has shown that bats in the southeastern United States emerge regularly from hibernation and are active on the landscape, regardless of their WNS status. The relationship between winter activity and susceptibility to WNS has yet to be explored but warrants attention, as it may enable managers to implement targeted management for WNS-affected species. We investigated this relationship by implanting 1346 passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags in four species that vary in their susceptibility …

Spatial Analysis Of Drug Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, And Toxicology Using Mass Spectrometry Imaging, Michelle L Spruill, Mirjana Maletic-Savatic, Howard Martin, Feng Li, Xinli Liu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is emerging as a powerful analytical tool for detection, quantification, and simultaneous spatial molecular imaging of endogenous and exogenous molecules via in situ mass spectrometry analysis of thin tissue sections without the requirement of chemical labeling. The MSI generates chemically specific and spatially resolved ion distribution information for administered drugs and metabolites, which allows numerous applications for studies involving various stages of drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET). MSI-based pharmacokinetic imaging analysis provides a histological context and cellular environment regarding dynamic drug distribution and metabolism processes, and facilitates the understanding of the spatial pharmacokinetics …

Regulation Of The Heat Shock Response Via Lysine Acetyltransferase Cbp-1 And In Neurodegenerative Disease In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Lindsey N. Barrett

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The decline of proteostasis is a hallmark of aging that is, in part, affected by the dysregulation of the heat shock response (HSR), a highly conserved cellular response to proteotoxic stress in the cell. The heat shock transcription factor HSF-1 is well-studied as a key regulator of proteostasis, but mechanisms that could be used to modulate HSF-1 function to enhance proteostasis during aging are largely unknown. In this study, we examined lysine acetyltransferase regulation of the HSR and HSF-1 in C. elegans. We performed an RNA interference screen of lysine acetyltransferases and examined mRNA expression of the heat-shock inducible gene …

Activating Connexin43 Gap Junctions Primes Adipose Tissue For Therapeutic Intervention, Yi Zhu, Na Li, Mingyang Huang, Xi Chen, Yu A An, Jianping Li, Shangang Zhao, Jan-Bernd Funcke, Jianhong Cao, Zhenyan He, Qingzhang Zhu, Zhuzhen Zhang, Zhao V Wang, Lin Xu, Kevin W Williams, Chien Li, Kevin Grove, Philipp E Scherer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adipose tissue is a promising target for treating obesity and metabolic diseases. However, pharmacological agents usually fail to effectively engage adipocytes due to their extraordinarily large size and insufficient vascularization, especially in obese subjects. We have previously shown that during cold exposure, connexin43 (Cx43) gap junctions are induced and activated to connect neighboring adipocytes to share limited sympathetic neuronal input amongst multiple cells. We reason the same mechanism may be leveraged to improve the efficacy of various pharmacological agents that target adipose tissue. Using an adipose tissue-specific Cx43 overexpression mouse model, we demonstrate effectiveness in connecting adipocytes to augment metabolic …

The Effect Of Salvia Fruticosa Water Extract In Acetic-Acid-Induced Colitis In Mice, Rim Mrad, Suzana Salhab, Miriam Al-Battal, Jamilah Borjac

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease, is a chronic condition of the intestine characterized by an uncontrolled inflammatory response. Current biologic treatments developed to treat IBD are expensive and associated with significant side effects; thus, alternative approaches are required. Recently, herbal concoctions have emerged as promising intervention. This study investigates the protective effects of Salvia fruticosa (SF) against acetic acid-induced colitis in mice, a model of human inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Mice were divided into four groups (n=3). IBD was induced with acetic acid (6%). SF was administered by gavage at 1.5ug/kg mimicking folk medicine. …

Method Of Hybrid Control Based Of Dynamic Objects Of Neuro-Fuzzy Inference, Noilakhon Yakubova

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

The Results of interaction of the work is development of a method of control that allows simplifying, automating and unifying the process of design of the hybrid systems which are a basis of modern automation. To achieve a definite purpose, a method of control of a technical object based on the construction of an adaptive system of neuro-fuzzy inference is developed. The objects of the system of neuro-fuzzy inference are the classical and neuro-fuzzy models of control. Information exchange between models is provided by means of the developed hybrid control system. The result of the interaction of the two models …

Application Of A Synergetic Approach To The Problem Of Synthesizing An Intelligent Control System For Chemical Reactors, Komil Usmanov

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

The article deals with the synthesis of effective algorithms for controlling a chemical reactor and developed a intelligent synergistic controller for a class of indefinite nonlinear dynamic systems. A synergetic control scheme is proposed for solving the control problem for nonlinear systems. Non-linear systems with configurations and parameters that change over time require a completely non-linear model and adaptive control scheme for a practical operating environment. The synthesis of control laws is performed by the method of analytical design of aggregated controllers (ADAR).