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Investigating The Bactericidal Activity Of Lactobacillus Crispatus Cell-Free-Supernatant, Omar Majed Abdul-Rahim Jan 2022

Investigating The Bactericidal Activity Of Lactobacillus Crispatus Cell-Free-Supernatant, Omar Majed Abdul-Rahim

Dissertations

Antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) microorganisms are an increasingly seriousproblem worldwide, accounting for thousands of fatalities annually. The current literature on combating AMR pathogens often centers on commensal microbes such as Lactobacillus species, which are most frequently found in asymptomatic ‘healthy’ patients and are believed to elicit protective effects. In this dissertation, I sought to investigate the protective effect of Lactobacillus crispatus, utilizing our vast collection of clinical isolates. Previous work from our lab had found that cell-free-supernatant (CFS) of L. crispatus is robustly bactericidal, and that this killing activity does not depend on hydrogen peroxide or lactic acid. We identified phenyl-lactic acid …


Genetic Population Structure And Microbiome Of German Cockroaches In Urban Environments, Xueyang Fan Aug 2020

Genetic Population Structure And Microbiome Of German Cockroaches In Urban Environments, Xueyang Fan

Dissertations

Pests of human habitats may harbor and disperse pathogens that cause human disease. One such pest is the German cockroach (Blattella germanica), which is known to harbor numerous pathogens, including Klebsiella and Pseudomonas. The aim of this study is to reveal the importance of the German cockroach as a potential vector of human medically important diseases. To do so, this study investigates German cockroach population structure and their associated bacterial microbiome in urban residential environments. Ninety German cockroaches are collected from three residential apartment buildings in three New Jersey cities. Samples are caught by glue traps and stored at -20°C. …


Alcohol Induced Bacterial Changes In The Setting Of Colitis, Paulius Kuprys Jan 2019

Alcohol Induced Bacterial Changes In The Setting Of Colitis, Paulius Kuprys

Dissertations

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) affect a large number of individuals around the world. This group of diseases is largely composed of two types: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Upon development of IBD, patients experience cyclical episodes of inflammation, known as flares. Flare induction appears to arise from multiple factors, which can also vary on a person-to-person basis. Alcohol has been shown to trigger IBD flares and onset, though the underlying mechanism has not been established.Defining factors of the IBD intestinal environment include an altered microbiome, bacterial infiltration of the intestinal epithelium, and increased leakage of proinflammatory bacterial byproducts. …