Life Sciences Commons^™

The Effects Of Sample Storage Conditions On The Microbial Community Composition In Hydraulic Fracturing Produced Water, Daniel Lipus, Amit Vikram, Richard Hammack, Kyle Bibby, Djuna Gulliver

Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center: Reports

The petroleum industry has an increasing interest in understanding the microbial communities driving biofouling and biocorrosion in reservoirs, wells, and infrastructure. However, sampling of the relevant produced fluids from subsurface environments for microbiological analyses is often challenged by high liquid pressures, workplace regulations, operator liability concerns, and remote sampling locations. These challenges result in infrequent sampling opportunities and the need to store and preserve the collected samples for several days or weeks. Maintaining a representative microbial community structure from produced fluid samples throughout storage and handling is essential for accurate results of downstream microbial analyses. Currently, no sample handling or …

The Effects Of Seasonal Variations In Chemistry And Hydrology On The Microbial Community And Its Sulfide Oxidation Potential In A Naturally Acidic Maine Stream, Raymond C. Kahler Iii

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sulfide minerals oxidize through interaction with water and oxygen, releasing hydrogen ions. The process often occurs naturally near metal sulfide deposits, and can be accelerated through mining. Microorganisms accelerate the rate of sulfide oxidation. Acidified streams typically contain high metal concentrations (e.g. aluminum) and microbes in these systems may develop resistances to metal toxicity. Stream flow can affect sulfide oxidation and microbial community structure. Baseflow can influence stream chemistry from interactions with the surrounding bedrock, while stormflow affects stream chemistry and the local microbial community through dilution and addition of microbes transported by runoff. Microbial community composition is affected by …

Types Of Tobacco Consumption And The Oral Microbiome In The United Arab Emirates Healthy Future (Uaehfs) Pilot Study, Yvonne Vallès, Claire K. Inman, Brandilyn A. Peters, Raghib Ali, Laila Abdel Wareth, Abdishakur Abdulle, Habiba Alsafar, Fatme Al Anouti, Ayesha Al Dhaheri, Divya Galani, Muna Haji, Aisha Al Hamiz, Ayesha Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Houqani, Abdulla Al Junaibi, Marina Kazim, Tomas Kirchhoff, Wael Al Mahmeed, Fatma Al Maskari, Abdullah Alnaeemi, Naima Oumeziane, Ravichandran Ramasamy, Ann Marie Schmidt, Michael Weitzman, Eiman Al Zaabi, Scott Sherman, Richard B. Hayes, Jiyoung Ahn

All Works

© 2018, The Author(s). Cigarette smoking alters the oral microbiome; however, the effect of alternative tobacco products remains unclear. Middle Eastern tobacco products like dokha and shisha, are becoming globally widespread. We tested for the first time in a Middle Eastern population the hypothesis that different tobacco products impact the oral microbiome. The oral microbiome of 330 subjects from the United Arab Emirates Healthy Future Study was assessed by amplifying the bacterial 16S rRNA gene from mouthwash samples. Tobacco consumption was assessed using a structured questionnaire and further validated by urine cotinine levels. Oral microbiome overall structure and specific taxon …

Desert Plant Bacteria Reveal Host Influence And Beneficial Plant Growth Properties, Abdul Aziz Eida, Maren Ziegler, Feras F. Lafi, Craig T. Michell, Christian R. Voolstra, Heribert Hirt, Maged M. Saad

All Works

© 2018 Eida et al.This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Deserts, such as those found in Saudi Arabia, are one of the most hostile places for plant growth. However, desert plants are able to impact their surrounding microbial community and select beneficial microbes that promote their growth under these extreme conditions. In this study, we examined the soil, rhizosphere and endosphere bacterial communities of four native desert plants Tribulus terrestris, Zygophyllum simplex, …

A Rapid And Sensitive System For Recovery Of Nucleic Acids From Mycobacteria Sp. On Archived Glass Slides, Balkis A. Talip, William J. Snelling, Roy D. Sleator, Colm Lowery, James S.G. Dooley

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The field of diagnostics continues to advance rapidly with a variety of novel approaches, mainly dependent upon high technology platforms. Nonetheless much diagnosis, particularly in developing countries, still relies upon traditional methods such as microscopy. Biological material, particularly nucleic acids, on archived glass slides is a potential source of useful information both for diagnostic and epidemiological purposes. There are significant challenges faced when examining archived samples in order that an adequate amount of amplifiable DNA can be obtained. Herein, we describe a model system to detect low numbers of bacterial cells isolated from glass slides using (laser capture microscopy) LCM …

Effects Of Evolution On Laboratory Sublines Of Myxococcus Xanthus Dk1622, Mackenzie Ryan, Francesca Scribano, Kimberly Murphy

Celebration of Learning

Microbes have served as effective models for studying evolution because of their ability to be easily replicated, stored, and manipulated. Myxococcus xanthus is a soil bacterium that has served as a model organism in many laboratories. The unique social and motile behaviors exhibited by this bacterium make it ideal for phenotypic assays. A wild-type strain of M. xanthus, DK1622, has been distributed to laboratories across the United States and therefore we now have DK1622 sublines. The genomes of a number of these sublines have been sequenced and their social and motile phenotypes have been analyzed. When nine of these sublines …

Is Mycoplasma Bovis In Sand Bedding Infectious To Dairy Calves?, David J. Wilson, Thomas J. Baldwin

All Current Publications

Mycoplasmas are unusual bacteria that can infect all ages of cattle, and can cause arthritis, pneumonia, and death. Infected dairy cows may also contract mastitis, metritis, or virtually cease milk production. The most common mycoplasma affecting cattle is M. bovis; there are several other Mycoplasma spp. as well. Because standard microbial culture methods do not isolate Mycoplasma spp., special laboratory methods are needed for diagnosis. Mycoplasma spreads by inhalation and respiratory secretions and also at milking time via contaminated inflations in milking units. Mycoplasma spp. have also been detected in straw, sand, recycled manure, and other bedding, often associated …

Microbial Ecology Of South Florida Surface Waters: Examining The Potential For Anthropogenic Influences, Chase P. Donnelly

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

South Florida contains one of the largest subtropical wetlands in the world, and yet not much is known about the microbes that live in these surface waters. These microbes play an important role in chemical cycling and maintaining good water quality for both human and ecosystem health. The hydrology of Florida’s surface waters is tightly regulated with the use of canal and levee systems run by the US Army Corps of Engineers and The South Florida Water Management District. These canals run through the Everglades, agriculture, and urban environments to control water levels in Lake Okeechobee, the Water Conservation Areas, …

Genome Analysis Of Multiple Mycobacteriophage, Emily Kerstiens, Kari Clase, Yi Li, Gillian Smith, Sarah Bell

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Bacteriophage are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. They can be used as treatments for antibiotic resistant bacterial infections, but more knowledge is needed about phage and how they interact with bacteria in order to develop safe and effective phage therapy treatments. This study examines the genomes of eighteen mycobacteriophage that were isolated from the environment on and surrounding Purdue University. Phage genomes were annotated using several bioinformatics software, including DNA Master, GeneMark, and PECAAN. Evidence was examined to determine the correct location within the genome and the potential function. Approximately two thousand genes were annotated in this study. A …

General Microbiology (Dalton State), April Kay, Susan Burran, Leah Howell

Biological Sciences Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for General Microbiology was created under a Round Nine ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Inhibition Of Listeria Monocytogenes By Human Gut Bacteria, Patrycja Sylvia Olesky

Masters

Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen, which continues to be problematic to the food industry due to its ability survive within food products and persist within food processing environments. The growing trend towards natural food preservatives and antimicrobial agents increases the need for the development of novel, natural anti-Listeria agents. Evidence presented in the literature suggests that the human gut microbiota is a reservoir of novel antimicrobial agents. It was therefore hypothesized that novel anti-Listeria agents are produced by human gut-derived bacteria. The objective of this study was to isolate and characterize gut bacteria with anti-Listeria monocytogenes activity. A total …

Regulation Of The Tubulin Homolog Ftsz In Escherichia Coli, Monika S. Buczek

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Escherichia coli is a well-known pathogen, and importantly, a widely used model organism in all fields of biological sciences for cloning, protein purification, and as a model for Gram-negative bacterial species. And yet, researchers do not fully understand how this bacterium replicates and divides. Every year additional division proteins are discovered, which adds complexity to how we understand E. coli undergoes cell division. Due to their specific roles in cytokinesis, some of these proteins may be potential targets for development of antibacterials or bacteriostatics, which are much needed for fighting the current global antibacterial deficit. My thesis work focuses on …

Determining The Role Of Saly In Streptococcus Pyogenes Immune Evasion Using Fluorescence Microscopy, Taaniel Kiidli

Honors College

Streptococcus pyogenes, the etiologic agent for several life-threatening invasive diseases, utilizes numerous mechanisms to evade the host immune response and establish a successful infection causing a significant source of morbidity and mortality risks for patients. The bacterium is known to cause necrotizing fasciitis in both humans and zebrafish, with extensive necrotic damage to tissues but surprisingly lacking in an inflammatory response for a systemic infection. This suggests that the recruitment of inflammatory cells to the site of infection is inhibited. To observe this in real-time, we used the zebrafish model of Streptococcal pathogenesis to analyze immune cell recruitment in …

Functional Similarity Of Prd-Containing Virulence Regulators In Bacillus Anthracis, Malik Raynor

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Bacillus anthracis produces three regulators, AtxA, AcpA, and AcpB, that control virulence gene expression and are members of an emerging class of regulators termed “PCVRs” (Phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase regulation Domain-Containing Virulence Regulators). AtxA controls expression of the toxin genes; lef, cya, and pag, and is the master virulence regulator and archetype PCVR. AcpA and AcpB are less well studied. AcpA and AcpB independently positively control transcription of the capsule biosynthetic operon capBCADE, and culture conditions that enhance AtxA activity result in capBCADE transcription in strains lacking acpA and acpB. RNA-Seq was used to assess the regulons of the …

Characterizing Cultivable Bacteria From Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis Fungus Gardens, Hannah Beatty

Honors Scholar Theses

The relationship between the fungus-growing ant Trachymyrmex septentrionalis, its symbiotic cultivar fungus, and the transient and residential community of microorganisms is a diverse and complex symbiosis that has evolved over space and time. The fungus garden, comprised primarily of the cultivar fungus belonging to the family Leucocoprineae,provides an environment that hosts many bacteria, which may also play an important role in this symbiosis. Although it is known that Pseudonocardia bacteria defend the ant host against fungal pathogens, other species of bacteria that are present in these fungus gardens also likely contribute to this symbiosis. Previous studies of this …

Comparison Of Staphylococcus Phage K With Close Phage Relatives Commonly Employed In Phage Therapeutics, Jude Ajuebor, Colin Buttimer, Sara Arroyo-Moreno, Nina Chanishvili, Emma M. Gabriel, Jim O'Mahony, Olivia Mcauliffe, Horst Neve, Charles Franz, Aidan Coffey

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The increase in antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria is a public health danger requiring alternative treatment options, and this has led to renewed interest in phage therapy. In this respect, we describe the distinct host ranges of Staphylococcus phage K, and two other K-like phages against 23 isolates, including 21 methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) representative sequence types representing the Irish National MRSA Reference Laboratory collection. The two K-like phages were isolated from the Fersisi therapeutic phage mix from the Tbilisi Eliava Institute, and were designated B1 (vB_SauM_B1) and JA1 (vB_SauM_JA1). The sequence relatedness of B1 and JA1 to phage K …

Investigation Of Bacteria From The Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis Fungus Garden For Potential Antibacterial Drug Leads, Brendan Stewart

Honors Scholar Theses

Bacterial and fungal strains are growing resistance to antibiotics and antifungal agents at an alarming rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over two million people in the United States in 2016 were diagnosed with an infection resistant to antibiotics. As such, there has been increased interest in natural products as sources of novel compounds that are essential to the development of new drugs and treatment methods. Within the environment, there are various host-microbe symbioses, one of which is the Trachymyrmex septentrionalis leaf-cutter ant community. The microbes in symbioses like the T. septentrionalis community are hypothesized to …

Investigation Of Bacteria From The Trachymyrmex Septentrionalis Fungus Garden For Potential Antibacterial Drug Leads, Brendan Stewart

University Scholar Projects

Bacterial and fungal strains are growing resistance to antibiotics and antifungal agents at an alarming rate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over two million people in the United States in 2016 were diagnosed with an infection resistant to antibiotics. As such, there has been increased interest in natural products as sources of novel compounds that are essential to the development of new drugs and treatment methods. Within the environment, there are various host-microbe symbioses, one of which is the Trachymyrmex septentrionalis leaf-cutter ant community. The microbes in symbioses like the T. septentrionalis community are hypothesized to …

Microbiology (Sgsc), Molly Smith, Sara Selby

Biological Sciences Grants Collections

This Grants Collection for Microbiology was created under a Round Six ALG Textbook Transformation Grant.

Affordable Learning Georgia Grants Collections are intended to provide faculty with the frameworks to quickly implement or revise the same materials as a Textbook Transformation Grants team, along with the aims and lessons learned from project teams during the implementation process.

Documents are in .pdf format, with a separate .docx (Word) version available for download. Each collection contains the following materials:

• Linked Syllabus
• Initial Proposal
• Final Report

Study Of Rheological, Chemical, And Microbiological Properties Of Chami, A Traditional Emirati Soft Chees, Aysha Othman Abdullah Al Katheeri

Theses

In this work, ten Emirati Chami cheese samples were collected and analyzed to determine their chemical composition, texture, rheology, and microbiological properties. Chami cheeses showed large variations in moisture (60.9–84.1%), protein (7.5–14.6%), fat (0.5–7.8%), and ash (3.4–8.0%) contents as well as in pH (3.6–4.4), and water activity (0.977–0.999%). The variation in fat content of samples suggested that extra fat was added; this added fat was either butter or vegetable oil as indicated by the fatty acid composition. The different samples showed peaks of variable size for fat melting. The sodium content in the 10 cheese samples varied from 223–2410 mg/kg, …

A Cultured Learning Environment: Implementing A Problem- And Service-Based Microbiology Capstone Course To Assess Process- And Skill-Based Learning Objectives, Rachel M. Watson, John D. Willford, Mariel A. Pfeifer

Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning

In this study, a problem-based capstone course was designed to assess the University of Wyoming Microbiology Program’s skill-based and process-based student learning objectives. Students partnered with a local farm, a community garden, and a free downtown clinic in order to conceptualize, propose, perform, and present studies addressing problems experienced by these partners. Instructor assessments enabled understanding of student competencies, and according to external subject matter experts students demonstrated mastery of all learning objectives on the final research presentation. Community partners were completely satisfied with the students’ solutions, professionalism, and communication. Instructional diagnosis and student course evaluations showed satisfaction, engagement, and …

The Effects Of Housing On Dairy Cow Comfort, Immune Function, Stress, Productivity, And Milk Quality, Matthew Richard Borchers

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Mastitis and milk quality affect every dairy farmer across the globe. Sand bedded freestalls are the industry standard for cow comfort, welfare, and the control of environmental mastitis. Compost bedded packs may be a viable alternative to the sand bedded freestall.

Compost bedded packs are maintained at a consistent level of moisture, nutrients, and aeration to favor compost microorganisms. Greater bacteria counts in bedding have traditionally been associated with increased mastitis rates and mastitis pathogens can be found in the pack and on the teats of cattle housed in even well managed compost bedded pack barns. In spite of this, …

A Cure For Salmonella: Engaging Students In Pathogen Microbiology And Bioinformatics, Sophie Jurgensen

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Advances in Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology have generated a vast amount of publicly available genomic data, creating a need for students with training in computational analysis. This laboratory lesson is a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) focusing on environmental Salmonella, a common foodborne pathogen that is of great interest to public health laboratories but is relatively less virulent than most other such pathogens. As discovery is a central tenet of CUREs, students isolate novel Salmonella enterica and related strains from stream sediment, poultry litter, or other sources in the first half of the lesson (Module 1). They also …

Virus Production And Cell Viability Of Hsv-1-Infected Murine Keratinocytes (Hel-30) Co-Cultured With Murine Macrophages (Raw 264.7), Barry Graffagna

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Keratinocytes are the most abundant type of cell in the outer layer of skin, the epidermis, and provide barrier against pathogens from invading. However, Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) targets these keratinocytes for infection, and later infects neurons to establish lifelong latency. The keratinocytes stimulate the innate immune system to engage and to destroy the virus. Among the cells of the innate immune system to respond to the viral invasion is the macrophage. In this study, RAW 264.7 macrophage and HEL-30 keratinocyte monolayers were challenged in vitro with HSV-1 at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1 to investigate …

Quality Of Fresh And Stored Mares’ Milk, Grażyna Czyżak-Runowska, Jacek Wójtowski, Alicja Niewiadomska, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka

Articles

Mares’ milk is characterised by unique nutritional profile. In this study, the microbiological analysis of mares’ milk was performed. The presence of total bacteria, total lactic bacteria, Lactobacillus spp., Streptococcus lactis, Salmonella spp. and coliforms was investigated. Moreover, the influence of refrigerated and frozen storage on the total bacteria count, vitamin C, acidity and colour of milk was examined. Pathogenic Salmonella spp. and coliforms were not detected in the raw milk. It was revealed that mares’ milk can be stored for 72 hours under refrigeration at a temperature of +4 °C without reducing its microbiological quality. Most of the physicochemical …

Marine Bioactives From Saccharina Latissima, Orlaith O'Connell

Masters

Due to rapid global urbanization and therefore increased adoption of a 'Westernized' lifestyle, including decreased physical activity and increased consumption of highly processed and refined foods with a high sugar, fat and salt content, prevalence of gastrointestinal disorders are on the rise. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in particular is closely associated with this type of lifestyle. IBD is a term used to describe chronic inflammatory conditions which affects all or parts of the gastrointestinal tract. It includes conditions such as Crohn's Disease, which affects all the gastrointestinal tract and Ulcerative Colitis which mainly affects the colan. Due to the role …

Indian Research Output In Immunology And Microbiology 2012-2016: A Scientometric Study, Jyoti Rana Ph.D. Scholar, Rakesh Kumar Bhatt Associate Professor

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Background: The study examines India’s research productivity in immunology and microbiology during 2012-2016, depending on various parameters, including India’s annual average research growth rate, institutional output profile of institutions and profiles of some of the most productive authors.

Aim: The focus of this study is to analyze performance of India’s research output in immunology and microbiology, the quality and productivity of major institutions participating in research in microbiology and immunology and the productivity and quality of leading authors in research in immunology and microbiology.

Methods: The study in the area of immunology and microbiology using 5 years publications data from …

Lyttr Regulatory Systems: A Potential New Class Of Prokaryotic Sensory System, Zhengzhong Zou, Hua Qin, Amanda E. Brenner, Rahul Raghavan, Jess A. Millar, Qiang Gu, Zhoujie Xie, Jens Kreth, Justin Merritt

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The most commonly studied prokaryotic sensory signal transduction systems include the one-component systems, phosphosignaling systems, extracytoplasmic function (ECF) sigma factor systems, and the various types of second messenger systems. Recently, we described the regulatory role of two separate sensory systems in Streptococcus mutans that jointly control bacteriocin gene expression, natural competence development, as well as a cell death pathway, yet they do not function via any of the currently recognized signal transduction paradigms. These systems, which we refer to as LytTR Regulatory Systems (LRS), minimally consist of two proteins, a transcription regulator from the LytTR Family and a transmembrane protein …

Comparative Genetic And Genomic Analysis Of The Novel Fusellovirus Sulfolobus Spindle-Shaped Virus 10, David Andrew Goodman, Kenneth M. Stedman

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Viruses that infect thermophilic Archaea are unique in both their structure and genetic makeup. The lemon-shaped fuselloviruses—which infect members of the order Sulfolobales, growing optimally at 80 C and pH 3—are some of the most ubiquitous and best studied viruses of the thermoacidophilic Archaea. Nonetheless, much remains to be learned about these viruses. In order to investigate fusellovirus evolution, we have isolated and characterized a novel fusellovirus, Sulfolobus spindle-shaped virus 10 (formerly SSV-L1). Comparative genomic analyses highlight significant similarity with both SSV8 and SSV9, as well as conservation of promoter elements within the Fuselloviridae. SSV10 encodes five ORFs with no …