Biochemistry Commons^™

Bayesian Analytical Approaches For Metabolomics : A Novel Method For Molecular Structure-Informed Metabolite Interaction Modeling, A Novel Diagnostic Model For Differentiating Myocardial Infarction Type, And Approaches For Compound Identification Given Mass Spectrometry Data., Patrick J. Trainor

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Metabolomics, the study of small molecules in biological systems, has enjoyed great success in enabling researchers to examine disease-associated metabolic dysregulation and has been utilized for the discovery biomarkers of disease and phenotypic states. In spite of recent technological advances in the analytical platforms utilized in metabolomics and the proliferation of tools for the analysis of metabolomics data, significant challenges in metabolomics data analyses remain. In this dissertation, we present three of these challenges and Bayesian methodological solutions for each. In the first part we develop a new methodology to serve a basis for making higher order inferences in metabolomics, …

Characterizing The Activity Of Antimicrobial Peptides Against The Pathogenic Bacterium Clostridium Difficile In An Anaerobic Environment, Adenrele Mojeed Oludiran

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic Gram-positive pathogen with high treatment costs and mortality and very high antibiotic tolerance. Antimicrobial host-defense peptides (HDPs) produced naturally by animal immune systems are promising candidates to develop novel therapies for bacterial infection because they cause oxidative stress that damages multiple targets in bacterial cells, so it is difficult for bacteria to evolve resistance to these attacks.

Piscidins, fish-derived HDPs that can also form complexes with copper (Cu) to enhance their activities, are very active against multiple bacterial species in an aerobic environment. We examined their activity against C. difficile and other species in an …

A Cytotoxic Evaluation Of A Chalcone Derivative Library On A549 Cells, Mary Elaine Kuo

Undergraduate Theses

Chalcones, a precursor to flavonoids, are chemical compounds found naturally in plants. The chalcones’ structure consists of a ketone bridge attached to two aromatic rings. Varying substituents on the aromatic rings allow for different affects, including anti-cancer properties. As a Michael acceptor, chalcones interact with pathways that cause inhibition of the initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer tumors. We have screened 32 compounds for growth inhibition in lung cells that vary the flexibility and confirmation of the 3 carbon bridge between the two aromatic rings as well as the effects of electronic modifications to the aromatic ring. We have found …