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Articles 61 - 90 of 340
Full-Text Articles in Biology
Complete Vertebrate Mitogenomes Reveal Widespread Repeats And Gene Duplications, Giulio Formenti, Arang Rhie, Jennifer Balacco, Bettina Haase, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Olivier Fedrigo, Samara Brown, Marco Rosario Capodiferro, Farooq O. Al-Ajli, Roberto Ambrosini, Peter Houde, Sergey Koren, Karen Oliver, Michelle Smith, Jason Skelton, Emma Betteridge, Jale Dolucan, Craig Corton, Iliana Bista, James Torrance, Alan Tracey, Jonathan Wood, Marcela Uliano-Silva, Kerstin Howe, Shane Mccarthy, Sylke Winkler, Woori Kwak, Jonas Korlach, Arkarachai Fungtammasan, Et Al, Tanya M. Lama
Complete Vertebrate Mitogenomes Reveal Widespread Repeats And Gene Duplications, Giulio Formenti, Arang Rhie, Jennifer Balacco, Bettina Haase, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Olivier Fedrigo, Samara Brown, Marco Rosario Capodiferro, Farooq O. Al-Ajli, Roberto Ambrosini, Peter Houde, Sergey Koren, Karen Oliver, Michelle Smith, Jason Skelton, Emma Betteridge, Jale Dolucan, Craig Corton, Iliana Bista, James Torrance, Alan Tracey, Jonathan Wood, Marcela Uliano-Silva, Kerstin Howe, Shane Mccarthy, Sylke Winkler, Woori Kwak, Jonas Korlach, Arkarachai Fungtammasan, Et Al, Tanya M. Lama
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Background: Modern sequencing technologies should make the assembly of the relatively small mitochondrial genomes an easy undertaking. However, few tools exist that address mitochondrial assembly directly. Results: As part of the Vertebrate Genomes Project (VGP) we develop mitoVGP, a fully automated pipeline for similarity-based identification of mitochondrial reads and de novo assembly of mitochondrial genomes that incorporates both long (> 10 kbp, PacBio or Nanopore) and short (100–300 bp, Illumina) reads. Our pipeline leads to successful complete mitogenome assemblies of 100 vertebrate species of the VGP. We observe that tissue type and library size selection have considerable impact on mitogenome …
The Philosophy Of Outliers: Reintegrating Rare Events Into Biological Science, Chelsea N. Cook, Angela R. Freeman, James C. Liao, Lisa A. Mangiamele
The Philosophy Of Outliers: Reintegrating Rare Events Into Biological Science, Chelsea N. Cook, Angela R. Freeman, James C. Liao, Lisa A. Mangiamele
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Individual variation in morphology, physiology, and behavior has been a topic of great interest in the biological sciences.While scientists realize the importance of understanding diversity in individual phenotypes, historically the minority results (i.e., outlier observations or rare events) of any given experiment have been dismissed from further analysis. We need to reframe how we view outliers to improve our understanding of biology. These rare events are often treated as problematic or spurious, when they can be real rare events or individuals driving evolution in a population. It is our perspective that to understand what outliers can tell us in our …
A Shift To Human Body Temperature (37°C) Rapidly Reprograms Multiple Adaptive Responses In Escherichia Coli That Would Facilitate Niche Survival And Colonization, Anastasia Gant Kanegusuku, Isidora N. Stankovic, Pamela A. Cote-Hammarlof, Priscilla H. Yong, Christine A. White-Ziegler
A Shift To Human Body Temperature (37°C) Rapidly Reprograms Multiple Adaptive Responses In Escherichia Coli That Would Facilitate Niche Survival And Colonization, Anastasia Gant Kanegusuku, Isidora N. Stankovic, Pamela A. Cote-Hammarlof, Priscilla H. Yong, Christine A. White-Ziegler
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
One of the first environmental cues sensed by a microbe as it enters a human host is an upshift in temperature to 37°C. In this dynamic time point analysis, we demonstrate that this environmental transition rapidly signals a multitude of gene expression changes in Escherichia coli. Bacteria grown at 23°C under aerobic conditions were shifted to 37°C, and mRNA expression was measured at time points after the shift to 37°C (t = 0.5, 1, and 4 h). The first hour is characterized by a transient shift to anaerobic respiration strategies and stress responses, particularly acid resistance, indicating that temperature serves …
Quantitative Super-Resolution Microscopy To Assess Adhesion Of Neuronal Cells On Single-Layer Graphene Substrates, Silvia Scalisi, Francesca Pennacchietti, Sandeep Keshavan, Nathan D. Derr, Alberto Diaspro, Dario Pisignano, Agnieszka Pierzynska-Mach, Silvia Dante, Francesca Cella Zanacchi
Quantitative Super-Resolution Microscopy To Assess Adhesion Of Neuronal Cells On Single-Layer Graphene Substrates, Silvia Scalisi, Francesca Pennacchietti, Sandeep Keshavan, Nathan D. Derr, Alberto Diaspro, Dario Pisignano, Agnieszka Pierzynska-Mach, Silvia Dante, Francesca Cella Zanacchi
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Single Layer Graphene (SLG) has emerged as a critically important nanomaterial due to its unique optical and electrical properties and has become a potential candidate for biomedical applications, biosensors, and tissue engineering. Due to its intrinsic 2D nature, SLG is an ideal surface for the development of large-area biosensors and, due to its biocompatibility, can be easily exploited as a substrate for cell growth. The cellular response to SLG has been addressed in different studies with high cellular affinity for graphene often detected. Still, little is known about the molecular mechanism that drives/regulates the cellular adhesion and migration on SLG …
Diagnostics To Support Elimination Of Lymphatic Filariasis-Development Of Two Target Product Profiles, Kimberly Y. Won, Katherine Gass, Marco Biamonte, Daniel Argaw Dagne, Camilla Ducker, Christopher Hanna, Achim Hoerauf, Patrick J. Lammie, Sammy M. Njenga, Rahmah Noordin, Kapa D. Ramaiah, Reda Ramzy, Ronaldo G.Carvalho Scholte, Anthony W. Solomon, Ashley A. Souza, Jordan Tappero, Emily Toubali, Gary J. Weil, Steven A. Williams, Jonathan D. King
Diagnostics To Support Elimination Of Lymphatic Filariasis-Development Of Two Target Product Profiles, Kimberly Y. Won, Katherine Gass, Marco Biamonte, Daniel Argaw Dagne, Camilla Ducker, Christopher Hanna, Achim Hoerauf, Patrick J. Lammie, Sammy M. Njenga, Rahmah Noordin, Kapa D. Ramaiah, Reda Ramzy, Ronaldo G.Carvalho Scholte, Anthony W. Solomon, Ashley A. Souza, Jordan Tappero, Emily Toubali, Gary J. Weil, Steven A. Williams, Jonathan D. King
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
As lymphatic filariasis (LF) programs move closer to established targets for validation elimination of LF as a public health problem, diagnostic tools capable of supporting the needs of the programs are critical for success. Known limitations of existing diagnostic tools make it challenging to have confidence that program endpoints have been achieved. In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) established a Diagnostic Technical Advisory Group (DTAG) for Neglected Tropical Diseases tasked with prioritizing diagnostic needs including defining use-cases and target product profiles (TPPs) for needed tools. Subsequently, disease-specific DTAG subgroups, including one focused on LF, were established to develop TPPs …
Development Of A Novel Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay For The Sensitive Detection Of Schistosoma Japonicum In Human Stool, Sara Halili, Jessica R. Grant, Nils Pilotte, Catherine A. Gordon, Steven A. Williams
Development Of A Novel Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay For The Sensitive Detection Of Schistosoma Japonicum In Human Stool, Sara Halili, Jessica R. Grant, Nils Pilotte, Catherine A. Gordon, Steven A. Williams
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Background Elimination and control of Schistosoma japonicum, the most virulent of the schistosomiasiscausing blood flukes, requires the development of sensitive and specific diagnostic tools capable of providing an accurate measurement of the infection prevalence in endemic areas. Typically, detection of S. japonicum has occurred using the Kato-Katz technique, but this methodology, which requires skilled microscopists, has been shown to radically underestimate levels of infection. With the ever-improving capabilities of next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic analysis tools, identification of satellite sequences and other highly repetitive genomic elements for use as real-time PCR diagnostic targets is becoming increasingly common. Assays developed using these …
A Common Endocrine Signature Marks The Convergent Evolution Of An Elaborate Dance Display In Frogs, Nigel K. Anderson, Eric R. Schuppe, K. V. Gururaja, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Juan Carlos Cusi Martinez, H. Priti, Rudolf Von May, Doris Preininger, Matthew J. Fuxjager
A Common Endocrine Signature Marks The Convergent Evolution Of An Elaborate Dance Display In Frogs, Nigel K. Anderson, Eric R. Schuppe, K. V. Gururaja, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Juan Carlos Cusi Martinez, H. Priti, Rudolf Von May, Doris Preininger, Matthew J. Fuxjager
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Unrelated species often evolve similar phenotypic solutions to the same environmental problem, a phenomenon known as convergent evolution. But how do these common traits arise? We address this question from a physiological perspective by assessing how convergence of an elaborate gestural display in frogs (foot-flagging) is linked to changes in the androgenic hormone systems that underlie it. We show that the emergence of this rare display in unrelated anuran taxa is marked by a robust increase in the expression of androgen receptor (AR) messenger RNA in the musculature that actuates leg and foot movements, but we find no evidence of …
Dapi Staining And Dna Content Estimation Of Nuclei In Uncultivable Microbial Eukaryotes (Arcellinida And Ciliates), Ketty Munyenyembe, Caitlin Timmons, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Laura A. Katz, Ying Yan
Dapi Staining And Dna Content Estimation Of Nuclei In Uncultivable Microbial Eukaryotes (Arcellinida And Ciliates), Ketty Munyenyembe, Caitlin Timmons, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Laura A. Katz, Ying Yan
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Though representing a major component of eukaryotic biodiversity, many microbial eukaryotes remain poorly studied, including the focus of the present work, testate amoebae of the order Arcellinida (Amoebozoa) and non-model lineages of ciliates (Alveolata). In particular, knowledge of genome structures and changes in genome content over the often-complex life cycles of these lineages remains enigmatic. However, the limited available knowledge suggests that microbial eukaryotes have the potential to challenge our textbook views on eukaryotic genomes and genome evolution. In this study, we developed protocols for DAPI (4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining of Arcellinida nuclei and adapted protocols for ciliates. In addition, image analysis …
Parasitic Disease Surveillance, Mississippi, Usa, Richard S. Bradbury, Meredith Lane, Irene Arguello, Sukwan Handali, Gretchen Cooley, Nils Pilotte, John M. Williams, Sam Jameson, Susan P. Montgomery, Kathryn Hellmann, Michelle Tharp, Lisa Haynie, Regina Galloway, Bruce Brackin, Brian Kirmse, Lisa Stempak, Paul Byers, Steven Williams, Fazlay Faruque, Charlotte V. Hobbs
Parasitic Disease Surveillance, Mississippi, Usa, Richard S. Bradbury, Meredith Lane, Irene Arguello, Sukwan Handali, Gretchen Cooley, Nils Pilotte, John M. Williams, Sam Jameson, Susan P. Montgomery, Kathryn Hellmann, Michelle Tharp, Lisa Haynie, Regina Galloway, Bruce Brackin, Brian Kirmse, Lisa Stempak, Paul Byers, Steven Williams, Fazlay Faruque, Charlotte V. Hobbs
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Surveillance for soil-transmitted helminths, strongyloidiasis, cryptosporidiosis, and giardiasis was conducted in Mississippi, USA. PCR performed on 224 fecal samples for all soil-transmitted helminths and on 370 samples for only Necator americanus and Strongyloides stercoralis identified 1 S. stercoralis infection. Seroprevalences were 8.8% for Toxocara, 27.4% for Cryptosporidium, 5.7% for Giardia, and 0.2% for Strongyloides parasites.
Raman Spectroscopy Reveals High Phloem Sugar Content In Leaves Of Canopy Red Oak Trees, Jess T. Gersony, Arthur Mcclelland, N Michele Holbrook
Raman Spectroscopy Reveals High Phloem Sugar Content In Leaves Of Canopy Red Oak Trees, Jess T. Gersony, Arthur Mcclelland, N Michele Holbrook
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
A robust understanding of phloem functioning in tall trees evades us because current methods for collecting phloem sap do not lend themselves to measuring actively photosynthesizing canopy leaves. We show that Raman spectroscopy can be used as a quantitative tool to assess sucrose concentration in leaf samples. Specifically, we found that Raman spectroscopy can predict physiologically relevant sucrose concentrations (adjusted R2 of 0.9) in frozen leaf extract spiked with sucrose. We then apply this method to estimate sieve element sucrose concentration in rapidly frozen petioles of canopy red oak (Quercus rubra) trees and found that sucrose concentrations are > 1100 mM …
Androgen Receptor Modulates Multimodal Displays In The Bornean Rock Frog (Staurois Parvus), Sarah M. Smith, Amelia R. Eigerman, Kerry M. Lecure, Eseza Kironde, Auxenia Grace Privett-Mendoza, Matthew J. Fuxjager, Doris Preininger, Lisa A. Mangiamele
Androgen Receptor Modulates Multimodal Displays In The Bornean Rock Frog (Staurois Parvus), Sarah M. Smith, Amelia R. Eigerman, Kerry M. Lecure, Eseza Kironde, Auxenia Grace Privett-Mendoza, Matthew J. Fuxjager, Doris Preininger, Lisa A. Mangiamele
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Multimodal communication is common in the animal kingdom. It occurs when animals display by stimulating two or more receiver sensory systems, and often arises when selection favors multiple ways to send messages to conspecifics. Mechanisms of multimodal display behavior are poorly understood, particularly with respect to how animals coordinate the production of different signals. One important question is whether all components in a multimodal display share an underlying physiological basis, or whether different components are regulated independently. We investigated the influence of androgen receptors (ARs) on the production of both visual and vocal signal components in the multimodal display repertoire …
Promoting Inclusive Metrics Of Success And Impact To Dismantle A Discriminatory Reward System In Science, Sarah W. Davies, Hollie M. Putnam, Tracy Ainsworth, Julia K. Baum, Colleen B. Bove, Sarah C. Crosby, Isabelle M. Cote, Anne Duplouy, Robinson W. Fulweiler, Alyssa J. Griffin, Torrance C. Hanley, Tessa Hill, Adriana Humanes, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Anna Metaxas, Laura M. Parker, Hanny E. Rivera, Nyssa J. Silbiger, Nicola S. Smith, Ana K. Spalding, Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Brooke L. Weigel, Rachel M. Wright, Amanda E. Bates
Promoting Inclusive Metrics Of Success And Impact To Dismantle A Discriminatory Reward System In Science, Sarah W. Davies, Hollie M. Putnam, Tracy Ainsworth, Julia K. Baum, Colleen B. Bove, Sarah C. Crosby, Isabelle M. Cote, Anne Duplouy, Robinson W. Fulweiler, Alyssa J. Griffin, Torrance C. Hanley, Tessa Hill, Adriana Humanes, Sangeeta Mangubhai, Anna Metaxas, Laura M. Parker, Hanny E. Rivera, Nyssa J. Silbiger, Nicola S. Smith, Ana K. Spalding, Nikki Traylor-Knowles, Brooke L. Weigel, Rachel M. Wright, Amanda E. Bates
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Success and impact metrics in science are based on a system that perpetuates sexist and racist "rewards"by prioritizing citations and impact factors. These metrics are flawed and biased against already marginalized groups and fail to accurately capture the breadth of individuals' meaningful scientific impacts. We advocate shifting this outdated value system to advance science through principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. We outline pathways for a paradigm shift in scientific values based on multidimensional mentorship and promoting mentee well-being. These actions will require collective efforts supported by academic leaders and administrators to drive essential systemic change.
Illuminating The First Bacteria, Laura A. Katz
Illuminating The First Bacteria, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
The ability to sequence genes and, more recently, whole genomes has transformed our understanding of the tree of life by elucidating the tremendous diversity of microorganisms and by placing plants, animals, and fungi as branches nested among microbial lineages (1–3). The resulting evolutionary tree divides life into three domains: the exclusively microbial Bacteria and Archaea, and Eukarya, organisms whose cells contain nuclei (including ciliates, amoebae, and animals). Yet, the ordering of the earliest branching events on the tree and the nature of now-extinct ancestors remains unclear. On page 588 of this issue, Coleman et al. (4) provide a new estimate …
Towards Complete And Error-Free Genome Assemblies Of All Vertebrate Species, Arang Rhie, Shane A. Mccarthy, Olivier Fedrigo, Joana Damas, Giulio Formenti, Sergey Koren, Marcela Uliano-Silva, William Chow, Arkarachai Fungtammasan, Juwan Kim, Chul Lee, Byung June Ko, Mark Chaisson, Gregory L. Gedman, Lindsey J. Cantin, Francoise Thibaud-Nissen, Leanne Haggerty, Iliana Bista, Michelle Smith, Bettina Haase, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Sylke Winkler, Sadye Paez, Jason Howard, Sonja C. Vernes, Tanya M. Lama, Frank Grutzner, Wesley C. Warren, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Dave Burt, Julia M. George, Matthew T. Biegler
Towards Complete And Error-Free Genome Assemblies Of All Vertebrate Species, Arang Rhie, Shane A. Mccarthy, Olivier Fedrigo, Joana Damas, Giulio Formenti, Sergey Koren, Marcela Uliano-Silva, William Chow, Arkarachai Fungtammasan, Juwan Kim, Chul Lee, Byung June Ko, Mark Chaisson, Gregory L. Gedman, Lindsey J. Cantin, Francoise Thibaud-Nissen, Leanne Haggerty, Iliana Bista, Michelle Smith, Bettina Haase, Jacquelyn Mountcastle, Sylke Winkler, Sadye Paez, Jason Howard, Sonja C. Vernes, Tanya M. Lama, Frank Grutzner, Wesley C. Warren, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Dave Burt, Julia M. George, Matthew T. Biegler
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
High-quality and complete reference genome assemblies are fundamental for the application of genomics to biology, disease, and biodiversity conservation. However, such assemblies are available for only a few non-microbial species1–4. To address this issue, the international Genome 10K (G10K) consortium5,6 has worked over a five-year period to evaluate and develop cost-effective methods for assembling highly accurate and nearly complete reference genomes. Here we present lessons learned from generating assemblies for 16 species that represent six major vertebrate lineages. We confirm that long-read sequencing technologies are essential for maximizing genome quality, and that unresolved complex repeats and haplotype heterozygosity are major …
Crocuta Crocuta (Carnivora: Hyaenidae), Virginia Hayssen, Paula Noonan
Crocuta Crocuta (Carnivora: Hyaenidae), Virginia Hayssen, Paula Noonan
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Crocuta crocuta (Erxleben, 1777), the spotted hyena, is a large, widespread, terrestrial carnivore with a female-dominant social system. It ranges from about 17°N to 28°S and lives in diverse habitats from savannas to swamps (but not rain forests) and up to 4,000 m in elevation. As assessed in 2014, C. crocuta is listed as "Least Concern"(LC) by The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species version 2016.1.
Teaching Computation In Neuroscience: Notes On The 2019 Society For Neuroscience Professional Development Workshop On Teaching, William Grisham, Mathew Abrams, Walt E. Babiec, Adriene L. Fairhall, Robert E. Kass, Pascal Wallisch, Richard F. Olivo
Teaching Computation In Neuroscience: Notes On The 2019 Society For Neuroscience Professional Development Workshop On Teaching, William Grisham, Mathew Abrams, Walt E. Babiec, Adriene L. Fairhall, Robert E. Kass, Pascal Wallisch, Richard F. Olivo
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
The 2019 Society for Neuroscience Professional 1Development Workshop on Teaching reviewed current tools, approaches, and examples for teaching computation in neuroscience. Robert Kass described the statistical foundations that students need to properly analyze data. Pascal Wallisch compared MATLAB and Python as programming languages for teaching students. Adrienne Fairhall discussed computational methods, training opportunities, and curricular considerations. Walt Babiec provided a view from the trenches on practical aspects of teaching computational neuroscience. Mathew Abrams concluded the session with an overview of resources for teaching and learning computational modeling in neuroscience.
Gene Expression Associated With Disease Resistance And Long-Term Growth In A Reef-Building Coral, Emma R. Kelley, Robin S. Sleith, Mikhail V. Matz, Rachel M. Wright
Gene Expression Associated With Disease Resistance And Long-Term Growth In A Reef-Building Coral, Emma R. Kelley, Robin S. Sleith, Mikhail V. Matz, Rachel M. Wright
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Rampant coral disease, exacerbated by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors, threatens reefs worldwide, especially in the Caribbean. Physically isolated yet genetically connected reefs such as Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) may serve as potential refugia for degraded Caribbean reefs. However, little is known about the mechanisms and trade-offs of pathogen resistance in reef-building corals. Here, we measure pathogen resistance in Montastraea cavernosa from FGBNMS. We identified individual colonies that demonstrated resistance or susceptibility to Vibrio spp. in a controlled laboratory environment. Long-term growth patterns suggest no trade-off between disease resistance and calcification. Predictive (pre-exposure) gene expression highlights …
Epigenetics As Driver Of Adaptation And Diversification In Microbial Eukaryotes, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Laura A. Katz
Epigenetics As Driver Of Adaptation And Diversification In Microbial Eukaryotes, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
No abstract provided.
Opinion: Genetic Conflict With Mobile Elements Drives Eukaryotic Genome Evolution, And Perhaps Also Eukaryogenesis, Adena B. Collens, Laura A. Katz
Opinion: Genetic Conflict With Mobile Elements Drives Eukaryotic Genome Evolution, And Perhaps Also Eukaryogenesis, Adena B. Collens, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Through analyses of diverse microeukaryotes, we have previously argued that eukaryotic genomes are dynamic systems that rely on epigenetic mechanisms to distinguish germline (i.e., DNA to be inherited) from soma (i.e., DNA that undergoes polyploidization, genome rearrangement, etc.), even in the context of a single nucleus. Here, we extend these arguments by including two well-documented observations: (1) eukaryotic genomes interact frequently with mobile genetic elements (MGEs) like viruses and transposable elements (TEs), creating genetic conflict, and (2) epigenetic mechanisms regulate MGEs. Synthesis of these ideas leads to the hypothesis that genetic conflict with MGEs contributed to the evolution of a …
Neglected Nematodes: The Neurolenin Solution, Kevin M. Shea, Steven Williams
Neglected Nematodes: The Neurolenin Solution, Kevin M. Shea, Steven Williams
Chemistry: Faculty Publications
Over 1 billion people worldwide are affected by Neglected Topical Diseases (NTDs). This group of pathogens encapsulates viruses, bacteria and parasites, and disproportionately affects the world’s poorest and most vulnerable communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) is an NTD caused by a parasitic nematode infection. The larvae of these filarial nematode worms are transmitted via mosquito bites and disrupt the functioning of the infected individual’s lymphatic system. LF can be caused by three types of filarial worms, Wuchereria bancrofti, Brugia malayi and Brugia timori, which are transmitted by the Culex, Anopheles and Aedes mosquito families. Symptomatic …
An Interview With Michael Barresi, Michael J.F. Barresi, Alex Eve
An Interview With Michael Barresi, Michael J.F. Barresi, Alex Eve
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Michael Barresi is Professor of Biological Sciences at Smith College, Northampton, MA, USA, where he uses the zebrafish to understand central nervous system development. Michael is also Program Director of the ‘Student Scientists’ outreach project and has made significant contributions to teaching developmental biology, including being co-author and illustrator of the textbook Developmental Biology, producing developmental documentaries and starting the Online Developmental Teaching Forums. He was awarded the 2021 Viktor Hamburger Outstanding Educator Prize from the Society of Developmental Biology (SDB). We caught up with Michael over Teams to hear more about his career and love of learning.
Direct And Indirect Effects Of Altered Temperature Regimes And Phenological Mismatches On Insect Populations, Mariana Abarca, Ryan Spahn
Direct And Indirect Effects Of Altered Temperature Regimes And Phenological Mismatches On Insect Populations, Mariana Abarca, Ryan Spahn
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Climate change is transforming ecosystems by altering species ranges, the composition of communities, and trophic interactions. Here, we synthesize recent reviews and subsequent developments to provide an overview of insect ecological and evolutionary responses to altered temperature regimes. We discuss both direct responses to thermal stress and indirect responses arising from phenological mismatches, altered host quality, and changes in natural enemy activity. Altered temperature regimes can increase exposure to both cold and heat stress and result in phenological and morphological mismatches with adjacent trophic levels. Host plant quality varies in a heterogenous way in response to altered temperatures with both …
Testosterone Amplifies The Negative Valence Of An Agonistic Gestural Display By Exploiting Receiver Perceptual Bias, Nigel K. Anderson, Martina Grabner, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Doris Preininger, Matthew J. Fuxjager
Testosterone Amplifies The Negative Valence Of An Agonistic Gestural Display By Exploiting Receiver Perceptual Bias, Nigel K. Anderson, Martina Grabner, Lisa A. Mangiamele, Doris Preininger, Matthew J. Fuxjager
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Many animals communicate by performing elaborate displays that are incredibly extravagant and wildly bizarre. So, how do these displays evolve? One idea is that innate sensory biases arbitrarily favour the emergence of certain display traits over others, leading to the design of an unusual display. Here, we study how physiological factors associated with signal production influence this process, a topic that has received almost no attention. We focus on a tropical frog, whose males compete for access to females by performing an elaborate waving display. Our results show that sex hormones like testosterone regulate specific display gestures that exploit a …
Rectal Swabs As An Alternative Sample Collection Method To Bulk Stool For The Real-Time Pcr Detection Of Giardia Duodenalis, Jacqueline R.M.A. Maasch, Ahmed M. Arzika, Catherine Cook, Elodie Lebas, Nils Pilotte, Jessica R. Grant, Steven A. Williams, Jeremy D. Keenan, Thomas M. Lietman, Kristen Aiemjoy
Rectal Swabs As An Alternative Sample Collection Method To Bulk Stool For The Real-Time Pcr Detection Of Giardia Duodenalis, Jacqueline R.M.A. Maasch, Ahmed M. Arzika, Catherine Cook, Elodie Lebas, Nils Pilotte, Jessica R. Grant, Steven A. Williams, Jeremy D. Keenan, Thomas M. Lietman, Kristen Aiemjoy
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Though bulk stool remains the gold standard specimen type for enteropathogen diagnosis, rectal swabs may offer comparable sensitivity with greater ease of collection for select pathogens. This study sought to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of rectal swabs as a sample collection method for the molecular diagnosis of Giardia duodenalis. Paired rectal swab and bulk stool samples were collected from 86 children ages 0–4 years living in southwest Niger, with duplicate samples collected among a subset of 50 children. Infection was detected using a previously validated real-time PCR diagnostic targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Giardia duodenalis was …
Parasitic Infection Surveillance In Mississippi Delta Children, Richard S. Bradbury, Irene Arguello, Meredith Lane, Gretchen Cooley, Sukwan Handali, Silvia D. Dimitrova, Fernanda S. Nascimento, Sam Jameson, Kathryn Hellmann, Michelle Tharp, Paul Byers, Susan P. Montgomery, Lisa Haynie, Brian Kirmse, Nils Pilotte, Steven A. Williams, Charlotte V. Hobbs
Parasitic Infection Surveillance In Mississippi Delta Children, Richard S. Bradbury, Irene Arguello, Meredith Lane, Gretchen Cooley, Sukwan Handali, Silvia D. Dimitrova, Fernanda S. Nascimento, Sam Jameson, Kathryn Hellmann, Michelle Tharp, Paul Byers, Susan P. Montgomery, Lisa Haynie, Brian Kirmse, Nils Pilotte, Steven A. Williams, Charlotte V. Hobbs
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Some recent studies suggest ongoing transmission of parasitic diseases in the American South; however, surveys in Mississippi children are lacking. We enrolled 166 children (median age 8 years, range 4–13 years) from the Mississippi Delta region and carried out multi-parallel real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Necator americanus, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Strongyloides stercoralis on their stool samples. Dried blood spots were obtained for multiplex serology antibody detection. Of 166 children, all reported having flushable toilets, 11% had soil exposure, and 34% had a pet dog or cat. None had prior diagnosis or treatment of parasitic disease. Multi-parallel real-time PCRs were …
Consequences Of The Misidentification Of Museum Specimens: The Taxonomic Status Of Canis Lupaster Soudanicus, Andrew C. Kitchener, Fabio A. Machado, Virginia Hayssen, Patricia D. Moehlman, Suvi Viranta
Consequences Of The Misidentification Of Museum Specimens: The Taxonomic Status Of Canis Lupaster Soudanicus, Andrew C. Kitchener, Fabio A. Machado, Virginia Hayssen, Patricia D. Moehlman, Suvi Viranta
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Researchers are increasingly using museum collections for taxonomy, systematics, phylogenetics, and faunal analyses, and they assume that taxonomic identifications on museum labels are correct. However, identifications may be incorrect or out of date, which could result in false conclusions from subsequent research. A recent geometric morphometrics analysis of skulls of African canids by Machado and Teta (2020) suggested that Canis lupaster soudanicus is a junior synonym of Lupulella adusta. However, the holotype of soudanicus was not measured and further investigation of the putative soudanicus specimens used in this study showed that these originally were identified as L. adusta. …
Leaf Carbon Export And Nonstructural Carbohydrates In Relation To Diurnal Water Dynamics In Mature Oak Trees, Jess T. Gersony, Uri Hochberg, Fulton E. Rockwell, Maria Park, Paul P.G. Gauthier, N. Michele Holbrook
Leaf Carbon Export And Nonstructural Carbohydrates In Relation To Diurnal Water Dynamics In Mature Oak Trees, Jess T. Gersony, Uri Hochberg, Fulton E. Rockwell, Maria Park, Paul P.G. Gauthier, N. Michele Holbrook
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Trees typically experience large diurnal depressions in water potential, which may impede carbon export from leaves during the day because the xylem is the source of water for the phloem. As water potential becomes more negative, higher phloem osmotic concentrations are needed to draw water in from the xylem. Generating this high concentration of sugar in the phloem is particularly an issue for the ∼50% of trees that exhibit passive loading. These ideas motivate the hypothesis that carbon export in woody plants occurs predominantly at night, with sugars that accumulate during the day assisting in mesophyll turgor maintenance or being …
A Novel Quantitative Real-Time Pcr Diagnostic Assay For Fecal And Nasal Swab Detection Of An Otariid Lungworm, Parafilaroides Decorus, Kalani M. Williams, M. K. Fessler, R. A. Bloomfield, William D. Sandke, Clara R. Malekshahi, Caroline D. Keroack, Pádraig J. Duignan, Samantha D. Torquato, Steven A. Williams
A Novel Quantitative Real-Time Pcr Diagnostic Assay For Fecal And Nasal Swab Detection Of An Otariid Lungworm, Parafilaroides Decorus, Kalani M. Williams, M. K. Fessler, R. A. Bloomfield, William D. Sandke, Clara R. Malekshahi, Caroline D. Keroack, Pádraig J. Duignan, Samantha D. Torquato, Steven A. Williams
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Parafilaroides decorus, also known as sea lion lungworm, is a metastrongyloid nematode that infects otariid hosts, such as the charismatic California sea lion, Zalophus californianus. P. decorus causes bronchointerstitial pneumonia, respiratory distress, reduced ability to swim, dive and hunt and as a result, increased mortality particularly in young animals. Respiratory disease is a leading cause of stranding and admission to rehabilitation centers on the Pacific coast. Low-coverage genomic sequencing of four P. decorus individuals analyzed through Galaxy's RepeatExplorer identified a novel repeat DNA family we employed to design a sensitive quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for diagnosing infections from fecal or …
High Diversity Of Testate Amoebae (Amoebozoa, Arcellinida) Detected By Hts Analyses In A New England Fen Using Newly Designed Taxon-Specific Primers, Alistaire Ruggiero, Jean David Grattepanche, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Laura A. Katz
High Diversity Of Testate Amoebae (Amoebozoa, Arcellinida) Detected By Hts Analyses In A New England Fen Using Newly Designed Taxon-Specific Primers, Alistaire Ruggiero, Jean David Grattepanche, Agnes K.M. Weiner, Laura A. Katz
Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications
Testate (shell-building) amoebae, such as the Arcellinida (Amoebozoa), are useful bioindicators for climate change. Though past work has relied on morphological analyses to characterize Arcellinida diversity, genetic analyses revealed the presence of multiple cryptic species underlying morphospecies. Here, we design and deploy Arcellinida-specific primers for the SSU-rDNA gene to assess the community composition on the molecular level in a pilot study of two samplings from a New England fen: (1) 36-cm horizontal transects and vertical cores; and (2) 26-m horizontal transects fractioned into four size classes (2–10, 10–35, 35–100, and 100–300 μm). Analyses of these data show the following: (1) …
Interactions Of Deet And Novel Repellents With Mosquito Odorant Receptors, Gariel G. Grant, Rachel R. Estrera, Narendra Pathak, C. Dennis Hall, Maia Tsikolia, Kenneth J. Linthicum, Ulrich R. Bernier, Adam C. Hall
Interactions Of Deet And Novel Repellents With Mosquito Odorant Receptors, Gariel G. Grant, Rachel R. Estrera, Narendra Pathak, C. Dennis Hall, Maia Tsikolia, Kenneth J. Linthicum, Ulrich R. Bernier, Adam C. Hall
Neuroscience: Faculty Publications
The carboxamide N,N-di-ethyl-meta-Toluamide (DEET) is the most effective and widely used insect repellent today. However, drawbacks concerning the efficacy and the safety of the repellent have led to efforts to design new classes of insect repellents. Through quantitative structure-Activity relationships, chemists have discovered two chemical groups of novel repellents: The acylpiperidines and the carboxamides, with the acylpiperidines generally more potent in biological assays. Although the exact mechanism of action of DEET and other repellents has not yet been thoroughly elucidated, previous research shows that the activity of insect odorant receptors are inhibited in the presence of repellents. The present electrophysiological …