Life Sciences Commons^™

Expression Profiling Of Non-Coding Rna By Environmental Interactions In Innate Immunity, Jacob R. Longfellow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disorder that affects 30,000 people in the United States and currently has no cure. Although CF affects all of the body’s systems, it is largely characterized as a lung disease. CF is caused by a mutation in both copies of the gene for cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). A mutation in the CFTR gene leads to improper movement of chloride ions and water into the airways, which dysregulates the airway surface liquid volume and composition. Individuals with CF are prone to lung infections due to inefficient bacterial clearance and by the age of …

Summary Report Of Enhanced Monitoring And Pollution Source Tracking Efforts In The Willard Beach Watershed, Maine, 2012-2016, M. Sims, K. Kaczor

Maine Sea Grant Publications

Willard Beach is a popular recreation area located in South Portland used primarily by families with young children. Routine monitoring at the beach revealed elevated bacteria levels, prompting the need for enhanced monitoring within the watershed to determine the nature and extent of potential bacteria inputs. Although the waste of domestic and wild animals can contribute to impaired water quality and pose a public health risk, efforts have focused primarily on identifying and removing human sources (e.g. malfunctioning septic systems, faulty sewer lines) of fecal pollution.

Maine Healthy Beaches Program 2016 Annual Report To U.S. Epa, K. Kaczor, M. Sims

Maine Sea Grant Publications

Maine Healthy Beaches (MHB) is managed by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (ME DEP) and coordinated by the University of Maine Cooperative Extension (UMaine Extension). In 2016, this team worked with 28 local management entities to conduct routine monitoring, assessment, and public notification of water quality conditions for 60 beach management areas spanning Kittery to Mount Desert Island. MHB staff continued to build local capacity for well-informed beach management and to address pollution issues when they arose during the beach season.

Summary Report Of Enhanced Monitoring And Pollution Source Tracking Efforts In Goosefare Brook, Maine, 2012-2016, M. Sims, K. Kaczor

Maine Sea Grant Publications

The Goosefare Brook (GFB) forms the border between the City of Saco to the south and Town of Old Orchard Beach (OOB) to the north. In response to concerns over water quality in the mouth and adjacent beach water, the Maine Healthy Beaches (MHB) program has supported multi-year enhanced monitoring and pollution source tracking efforts, held Stakeholder Workshops, and more to address impaired water quality throughout the watershed. Over the past five years, the MHB program has focused primarily on paired enterococci and optical brightener samples in OOB’s New Salt Rd. Tributary (NSRT). This work identified widespread bacterial contamination throughout …

Candida And Pseudomonas Interact To Enhance Mucosal Infection In Transparent Zebrafish, Audrey C. Bergeron

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Polymicrobial communities exist throughout the human body and include both fungi and bacteria. During disease, cross-kingdom interactions among bacteria, fungi, and/or the immune system can alter virulence and lead to complex polymicrobial infections. The fungus C. albicans is among the most commonly isolated fungi in the context of fungal-bacterial co-infections and is often accompanied by the bacterium P. aeruginosa at a variety of sites throughout the body including mucosal tissues such as the lung. In vitro, C. albicans and P. aeruginosa have a cyclic, bi-directional, and largely antagonistic relationship, but these interactions do not account for the role of the …

Maine Healthy Beaches Program Excerpts From Data Analysis, 2006-2015, K. Kaczor, M. Sims

Maine Sea Grant Publications

No abstract provided.

Characterizing The Intact Prophage Of Mycobacterium Chelonae Bergey, Erica Sewell

Honors College

Mycobacteriophage (phage), are viruses that infect bacteria. All bacteria can be

infected by phage, and each bacterial species has a unique set of phage that infect them, making phage prime candidates for studying viral diversity and evolution. Some phage integrate their genome into the host genome upon infection (prophage), where they may potentially remain indefinitely, coevolving with the host, and providing growth factors and other benefits to the host. The purpose of my research is to characterize a prophage within the genome of the bacterial host Mycobacterium chelonae Bergey to determine if it is still functional and potentially impacting the …

Best Practices For Healthy Beaches And Watersheds In Maine: Potential Bioremediation Strategies For Improving Water Quality, Elyse Defranco

Maine Sea Grant Publications

Maine’s watersheds face many challenges from human inputs, with pollution threatening the health of our beaches, rivers, and aquaculture operations. Maine’s rural communities often lack the resources to update aging sewer infrastructure or to adequately maintain septic systems, and these sources of pollution impact watershed health. In addition to addressing sources of pollution, which can be difficult to ascertain and challenging to address when located, bioremediation practices have the potential to aid in clean-up efforts. New technological advances and research discoveries in creative forms of bioremediation are being developed and are producing promising case studies around the world. These new …

2016 Goosefare Brook Mst Summary And Next Steps, M. Sims, K. Kaczor

Maine Sea Grant Publications

No abstract provided.

Jordan River Monitoring Report, Ashley Taylor, Anna Farrell

Maine Sea Grant Publications

In congruence with the Maine Department of Marine Resources’ (DMR) efforts to monitor declining water quality in the Jordan River, Frenchman Bay, Maine, the Community Lab at MDI Biological Laboratory implemented regular water quality monitoring at additional sites in the watershed to supplement the work of the DMR. Water samples were collected weekly between June and August of 2017 by staff and students from the Community Lab. Samples were collected via boat and foot to reach additional intermittent streams and smaller tributaries that feed into the Jordan River. Samples were analyzed for Enterococcus bacteria, optical brighteners, and salinity. A goal …