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Full-Text Articles in Biology
High-Density Diffuse Optical Tomography During Passive Movie Viewing: A Platform For Naturalistic Functional Brain Mapping, Andrew Kelsey Fishell
High-Density Diffuse Optical Tomography During Passive Movie Viewing: A Platform For Naturalistic Functional Brain Mapping, Andrew Kelsey Fishell
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Human neuroimaging techniques enable researchers and clinicians to non-invasively study brain function across the lifespan in both healthy and clinical populations. However, functional brain imaging methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are expensive, resource-intensive, and require dedicated facilities, making these powerful imaging tools generally unavailable for assessing brain function in settings demanding open, unconstrained, and portable neuroimaging assessments. Tools such as functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) afford greater portability and wearability, but at the expense of cortical field-of-view and spatial resolution. High-Density Diffuse Optical Tomography (HD-DOT) is an optical neuroimaging modality directly addresses the image quality limitations associated with …
Regulation Of The Yeast Cell Cycle Checkpoint Kinase Tel1 At Double-Strand Dna Breaks And At Telomeres, Sarem Hailemariam
Regulation Of The Yeast Cell Cycle Checkpoint Kinase Tel1 At Double-Strand Dna Breaks And At Telomeres, Sarem Hailemariam
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
The work discussed in this dissertation focuses on two distinct areas that are critical for genome maintenance. Both areas are focused on the regulation of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae checkpoint kinase Tel1 by the MRX complex. Tel1 kinase initiates cell cycle checkpoint in response to double-strand DNA breaks. Tel1 also plays a major role in telomere maintenance. Tel1’s function both in checkpoint signaling and telomere regulation is dependent on the Mre11-Rad50-Xrs2 complex. In Chapter II, I describe a robust biochemical approach aimed at reconstituting the initial stages of double-strand DNA break response using purified proteins in order to address how the …
Genomic Signatures Of Conflict And Cooperation In Plants And Social Amoebae, Katherine Sylvia Geist
Genomic Signatures Of Conflict And Cooperation In Plants And Social Amoebae, Katherine Sylvia Geist
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Arms races involve bouts of reciprocal co-adaptation to a social environment. We have a strong sense for how arms races drive the evolution of genes in purely antagonistic contexts, such as host-pathogen or predator-prey. In these systems, conflict that produces arms races between two parties results in positive selection – the fixation of adaptive alleles between species – for both parties. However, we do not have an equal sense for how arms races during cooperative enterprises shape genic evolution. If we assume that arms races affect genic evolution similarly regardless of context – antagonistic or cooperative – then we would …
Understanding The Physiology Of Extracellular Electron Uptake In Purple Nonsulfur Bacteria, Michael Singh Guzman
Understanding The Physiology Of Extracellular Electron Uptake In Purple Nonsulfur Bacteria, Michael Singh Guzman
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Microbially catalyzed oxidation-reduction reactions drive nutrient cycling and energy flux on Earth. Photoautotrophs, which include the cyanobacteria (oxygenic) and purple and green sulfur bacteria (anoxygenic), transform light energy into chemical energy and are responsible for substantial global primary productivity. Anoxygenic phototrophs, in particular, play a crucial role in biogeochemical cycling in anoxic illuminated environments because of their ability to oxidize an array of inorganic compounds for CO2 fixation. Electron donors include molecular hydrogen, nitrite, and reduced sulfur compounds. Recent evidence has also suggested that solid-phase conductive substances (SPCSs), including rust (mixed-valent iron minerals) and their proxies (poised electrodes), can serve …
Visual And Chemosensory Pathways Associated With Male Courtship Decisions In Drosophila Melanogaster, Ross Mckinney
Visual And Chemosensory Pathways Associated With Male Courtship Decisions In Drosophila Melanogaster, Ross Mckinney
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Successful mating in diverse animal species often depends on ritualistic sequences of spatially and temporally coordinated behavioral elements. Yet, the sensory cues and neural circuits that mediate optimal mating display patterns are largely unknown. The courtship ritual in Drosophila melanogaster consists of a well-studied sequence of behavioral elements — including orienting, chasing, tapping, singing, and licking — that are known to depend on several sensory modalities, including both vision and chemosensation. However, the specific sensory inputs utilized by males to direct the spatial and temporal transitions between different elements of the courtship ritual are not well understood. In this thesis, …
Elucidation Of The Role Of S100a8/A9 And Neutrophils In Chronic Tuberculosis, Ninecia Scott
Elucidation Of The Role Of S100a8/A9 And Neutrophils In Chronic Tuberculosis, Ninecia Scott
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), is the number one killer due to a single infectious agent. Although, there is a vaccine against TB and antimicrobial treatments available, approximately 1.8 million people die each year. This underlines the importance of identifying and understanding mediators of TB pathogenesis to develop new diagnostics for early detection and therapies to treat individuals progressing to active disease. One of the cellular mediators that may play a role in TB pathogenesis are neutrophils. Neutrophils have been associated with active Tuberculosis (ATB); however, the role that neutrophils play within Mtb infection and disease is still …
Mechanism Of Activation Of Uvrd Helicase By A Processivity Factor Mutl, Yerdos Ordabayev
Mechanism Of Activation Of Uvrd Helicase By A Processivity Factor Mutl, Yerdos Ordabayev
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
E. coli UvrD is a superfamily 1A helicase/translocase involved in DNA repair, recombination, and replication. I investigated the role of E. coli MutL, a regulatory protein involved in methyl-directed mismatch DNA repair, in the regulation of UvrD-catalyzed DNA unwinding. Using single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and single round stopped-flow DNA unwinding experiments I demonstrated that MutL can activate latent UvrD monomer helicase activity and also stimulate UvrD dimer helicase activity. Furthermore, using analytical ultracentrifugation experiments I determined that a single MutL dimer is sufficient to activate UvrD monomer helicase. DNA unwinding experiments with a series of DNA substrates …
Diverse Far-Red Light Utilization Strategies In Cyanobacteria And Algae, Benjamin Martin Wolf
Diverse Far-Red Light Utilization Strategies In Cyanobacteria And Algae, Benjamin Martin Wolf
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
In their natural environments, photosynthetic organisms are often exposed to widely varied light environments. Species adapted to shade light, often found growing in lower layers of photosynthetic biofilms, must survive on filtered light alone. Filtered light is highly enriched in far-red wavelengths, which are normally unavailable for photosynthetic energy production in most oxygenic phototrophs. To overcome light limitations in filtered light environments, some species of algae and cyanobacteria utilize specialized photosynthetic pigments and antenna systems to harvest these far-red wavelengths. By sampling the natural environment and using custom-built far-red light growth chambers, I have isolated several species of oxygenic phototrophs …
Mechanisms Of Nestmate Recognition Cue Production In The European Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera., Cassondra Leigh Vernier
Mechanisms Of Nestmate Recognition Cue Production In The European Honey Bee, Apis Mellifera., Cassondra Leigh Vernier
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Social insects are some of the world’s most ecologically successful animal groups, and their complex societies are considered one of the pinnacles of animal evolution. Since these organisms live in colonies composed of many individuals and stored resources, they are a target for intruders, such as parasites, predators and conspecific robbers. Therefore, many social insect species have evolved mechanisms for nest defense, including nestmate recognition, where guarding individuals at the entrance of the colony use cues on incoming individuals to determine whether they are nestmates or intruders. Although nestmate recognition is incredibly important for maintaining colony integrity and fitness, the …
Secretory Iga Enhances Gut B Cells Priming And Systemic Igg Responses Towards Commensals, You Zhou
Secretory Iga Enhances Gut B Cells Priming And Systemic Igg Responses Towards Commensals, You Zhou
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
IgA is the primary antibody response at mucosal surfaces and is reported to inhibit adaptive immune responses against gut bacteria. Here, we utilize an in vitro system to expand and screen IgA memory B cells for their ability to recognize gut bacteria in the context of secretory IgA (sIgA) deficiency in polymeric Ig receptor (Pigr–/–) mice. Contrary to the prevailing hypothesis that IgA provides an immune exclusionary function, we found that mice lacking sIgA showed decreased anti-bacterial IgA specificities as assessed using flow cytometry. IgA B cell responses against certain taxa such as those of order Bacteriodales showed greater dependence …
Cyanogenesis And The Genetics Of Local Adaptation In White Clover (Trifolium Repens L.), Sara Jeanes Wright
Cyanogenesis And The Genetics Of Local Adaptation In White Clover (Trifolium Repens L.), Sara Jeanes Wright
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Geographically widespread species experience varied selection across their ranges, and adaptation to local environments plays a critical role in their ability to persist. Understanding the genetic basis of local adaptation is a longstanding goal in evolutionary biology and provides practical information for agriculture and conservation. However, the genetic architecture of local adaptation has been characterized in relatively few plant species, primarily those with short lifespans and high rates of self-fertilization. Moreover, for plants, chemical defenses are known to play an important role in adaptation, but the extent to which they contribute to local adaptation is less understood. This dissertation provides …
The Degenerating Star Clock: Circadian Clock Regulation Of Astrogliosis And Implications For Alzheimer’S Disease, Brian Vincent Lananna
The Degenerating Star Clock: Circadian Clock Regulation Of Astrogliosis And Implications For Alzheimer’S Disease, Brian Vincent Lananna
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Sleep disruption and circadian dysfunction are common symptoms of aging and neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The molecular rhythms in transcription/translation that govern these behavioral processes are mediated by clock genes and can be abrogated by deletion of the master circadian transcription factor Bmal1 (Arntl). We have shown that disruption of clock gene function in the mouse brain causes astrogliosis, synaptic damage, oxidative stress, and exacerbated neurodegeneration. However, the molecular mechanisms linking the circadian clock to these phenotypes and their implications for AD pathology remain largely unknown. Astrocyte activation occurs in response to diverse insults, and plays a critical …
The Evolutionary And Functional Roles Of Synonymous Codon Usage In Eukaryotes, Zhen Peng
The Evolutionary And Functional Roles Of Synonymous Codon Usage In Eukaryotes, Zhen Peng
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Most amino acids are encoded by multiple synonymous codons. Although alternative usage of synonymous codons does not affect the amino acid sequences of proteins, researchers have been reporting evidence for functional synonymous codon usage at the species- and gene-specific levels for over four decades. It has been shown that variations in synonymous codon usage can affect phenotypes through diverse mechanisms such as shaping translation efficiency and mRNA stability. On the other hand, the common view that cellular and organismal phenotypes are primarily determined by proteins whose functions are primarily determined by amino acid sequences, often drives the assumption that synonymous …
Mapping And Functional Analysis Of Cis-Regulatory Elements In Mouse Photoreceptors, Andrew Hughes
Mapping And Functional Analysis Of Cis-Regulatory Elements In Mouse Photoreceptors, Andrew Hughes
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Photoreceptors are light-sensitive neurons that mediate vision, and they are the most commonly affected cell type in genetic forms of blindness. In mice, there are two basic types of photoreceptors, rods and cones, which mediate vision in dim and bright environments, respectively. The transcription factors (TFs) that control rod and cone development have been studied in detail, but the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) through which these TFs act are less well understood. To comprehensively identify photoreceptor CREs in mice and to understand their relationship with gene expression, we performed open chromatin (ATAC-seq) and transcriptome (RNA-seq) profiling of FACS-purified rods and cones. …
Glycan Precursor Transport In Cryptococcus Neoformans, Lucy X. Li
Glycan Precursor Transport In Cryptococcus Neoformans, Lucy X. Li
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Glycans play diverse biological roles, ranging from structural and regulatory functions to mediating cellular interactions. For pathogens, they are also often required for virulence and survival in the host. Our interest in glycoconjugates stems from their role in the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. This yeast colonizes the lungs and disseminates to the brain of immunocompromised individuals, where it causes a meningoencephalitis that is frequently lethal, killing almost 200,000 people each year. The major virulence factor of this yeast is a polysaccharide capsule that enables it to manipulate the host immune response and resist host antimicrobial defenses.Synthesis of the capsular glycans …
A Neural Network For Uncertainty Anticipation And Information Seeking, Jensen Kael White
A Neural Network For Uncertainty Anticipation And Information Seeking, Jensen Kael White
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
In a world flooded with ‘click bait’, ‘alternative facts’, and ‘fake news’ one’s ability to seek out, discern, and value information is of utmost importance. Although contemporary phenomena, these cultural ills take advantage of an evolutionarily-preserved drive for humans and nonhuman animals to monitor for and pursue opportunities to gain information. Indeed, in a natural environment where rewards are scarce and can be risky, animals often seek sensory cues as a source of information about future outcomes. Interestingly, humans and nonhuman animals will seek sensory information that provides advance information that predicts an outcome even when this information does not …
A Combinatorial Approach Of Ionomics, Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping, And Transcriptome Analysis To Characterize Element Homeostasis In Maize, Alexandra Asaro
A Combinatorial Approach Of Ionomics, Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping, And Transcriptome Analysis To Characterize Element Homeostasis In Maize, Alexandra Asaro
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
In plant systems, genetic and biochemical pathways impact uptake of elements from the soil. These environment-sensitive pathways often act in the root tissue to impact element concentrations throughout the plant. In order to characterize element regulation as well as apply ionomics to understand plant adaptation, perspectives are needed from multiple tissues and environments and from approaches that take interactions between elements into account. The work described in this thesis includes multi-environment and multi-tissue experiments that connect variation in genetic sequence, and in gene expression, with variation in element accumulation. The associations found here include those that are sensitive to environment, …
Activation Of Toll-Like Receptor 3 Translates To Long-Term Post-Viral Lung Disease, Xinyu Wang
Activation Of Toll-Like Receptor 3 Translates To Long-Term Post-Viral Lung Disease, Xinyu Wang
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) causes substantial human and economic costs both in the US and worldwide. To identify the molecular mechanisms to allow for targeted therapies for COPD, we developed a high-fidelity mouse model of chronic lung inflammation using the natural rodent pathogen Sendai virus (SeV). While nucleic acid-sensing pattern recognition receptors are important for innate immune responses to viral pathogens, there have been few studies investigating their role in the context of chronic disease. Here we show that Toll-like receptor 3 (Tlr3) signaling is required for the development of chronic lung disease in a postviral mouse model. Activation …
Defining Gastric Epithelial Cell Population Dynamics At Homeostasis And Following Injury, Joseph Ronald Burclaff
Defining Gastric Epithelial Cell Population Dynamics At Homeostasis And Following Injury, Joseph Ronald Burclaff
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Gastric diseases affect many people around the world, yet surprisingly little is known about the basic dynamics of gastric epithelial cells. Loss of acid-secreting parietal cells has long been observed to precede pre-cancerous gastric metaplasias like Spasmolytic Polypeptide-Expressing Metaplasia (SPEM), yet no signaling component from dying parietal cells has yet been implicated in initiating the metaplastic responses. Also, experiments pulsing 3H-thymidine and or examining intracellular components suggest that gastric mucous neck cells are short-lived transient intermediates between the gastric stem cell and mature zymogenic “chief” cells, yet specifics about this transition remain elusive. Here, we develop a novel mouse line …
Development Of Enteric Neurons And Muscularis Macrophages, Marina Avetisyan
Development Of Enteric Neurons And Muscularis Macrophages, Marina Avetisyan
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a complex interconnected network of neurons and glia in the bowel wall that regulates intestinal motility, blood flow, and epithelial function. The ENS also controls aspects of inflammatory signaling within the bowel. To perform these tasks, there are at least 20 types of enteric neuron and four types of enteric glia. Although much is known about early events in ENS development, signals governing the development of specific neuronal subtypes and communication with neighboring cell types within the bowel remain poorly understood. One fundamental hypothesis is that diverse trophic factors support distinct neuronal populations in …
Development Of Novel Tumor-Targeted Compounds For Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, Micah John Luderer
Development Of Novel Tumor-Targeted Compounds For Boron Neutron Capture Therapy, Micah John Luderer
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) represents the most common primary brain tumor among adults. Despite surgical resection and aggressive chemoradiotherapy regimens, the current 2- and 5-year survival rates are only 27% and 9.8%, respectively. The low survival stems from the poor response to conventional therapy and underscores the critical need to develop new therapeutic approaches for GBM treatment. The high recurrence rate observed in GBM is in part attributed to the hypoxic (poorly oxygenated) tumor microenvironment. Hypoxic tumor conditions have been shown to increase metastasis, promote angiogenesis, and confer resistance to chemotherapy and radiation.Hypoxic tissues are inherently radiation resistant due to a …
Characterizing The Humoral Response To Flavivirus Infection, Estefania Fernandez
Characterizing The Humoral Response To Flavivirus Infection, Estefania Fernandez
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Flaviviruses are positive (+) sense, single-stranded RNA viruses of the Flaviviridae family that are transmitted by mosquitoes. For our studies, we focused on Zika virus (ZIKV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Most human infections with ZIKV historically resulted in a mild self-limiting febrile illness. However, since 2013, a worldwide spread and increase in ZIKV infections has been observed. Notably, ZIKV has been associated with autoimmune ascending paralysis (Guillain-Barré Syndrome) and ophthalmologic effects in adults and intrauterine growth restriction and microcephaly in developing fetuses. Current vaccine efforts utilize technologies implemented for related flaviviruses (yellow fever virus (YFV), Dengue virus (DENV), and …
Dissemination Of The Apicomplexan Parasite, Toxoplasma Gondii, Lisa L. Drewry
Dissemination Of The Apicomplexan Parasite, Toxoplasma Gondii, Lisa L. Drewry
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
The parasitic protist Toxoplasma gondii is a common pathogen of rodents and felines that also infects humans. The most severe clinical manifestations of toxoplasmosis in humans derive from the systemic dissemination of T. gondii, during which the parasite penetrates biological barriers and accesses protected host compartments such as the central nervous system. T. gondii dissemination is enabled by the intrinsic gliding motility of extracellular parasites, which allows for travel to new host cells and tissues, and also powers the invasion of diverse host cells including migratory leukocytes. Dissemination is further advanced when migrating infected leukocytes shuttle intracellular parasites to new …
Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 As A Therapeutic Target In Breast And Ovarian Cancer, Whitney Grither
Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 As A Therapeutic Target In Breast And Ovarian Cancer, Whitney Grither
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 (DDR2) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that utilizes the extracellular matrix protein collagen as its ligand. Recently, DDR2 was shown to be critical in facilitating breast cancer metastasis. DDR2 stabilizes protein levels of the epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) inducing transcription factor, SNAIL1 in basal K14+ epithelial cells that are known to be important for invasive leader cell properties during collective invasion/migration. DDR2 expression is present in a majority of human invasive ductal breast carcinomas, and expression is localized to the tumor-stroma boundary. Additionally, in genetic models of breast cancer, deletion of DDR2 within the stroma (MMTV-PyMT; DDR2 fl/fl; …
Exploring Infant Leukemia Through Exome Sequencing And An In Vitro Model Of Hematopoietic Development, Mark Cannon Valentine
Exploring Infant Leukemia Through Exome Sequencing And An In Vitro Model Of Hematopoietic Development, Mark Cannon Valentine
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Cancer is a heterogeneous disease with myriad causes and outcomes. Many of the cancers that occur in adult populations have become increasingly well characterized with the advent of affordable high-throughput sequencing. These studies have revealed that cancer is largely a disease of somatic mutation in the adult population. In strong contrast to this, childhood cancers have an exceedingly low rate of somatic mutation. At the extreme end of this spectrum is Infant Leukemia (IL). Sequencing of IL has revealed that these tumors frequently have one or fewer somatic SNP. In the absence of a somatic explanation for IL, many other …
Molecular Mechanisms Responsible For Functional Cortical Plasticity During Development And After Focal Ischemic Brain Injury, Andrew Wiggen Kraft
Molecular Mechanisms Responsible For Functional Cortical Plasticity During Development And After Focal Ischemic Brain Injury, Andrew Wiggen Kraft
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
The cerebral cortex is organized into functional representations, or maps, defined by increased activity during specific tasks. In addition, the brain exhibits robust spontaneous activity with spatiotemporal organization that defines the brain’s functional architecture (termed functional connectivity). Task-evoked representations and functional connectivity demonstrate experience-dependent plasticity, and this plasticity may be important in neurological development and disease. An important case of this is in focal ischemic injury, which results in destruction of the involved representations and disruption of functional connectivity relationships. Behavioral recovery correlates with representation remapping and functional connectivity normalization, suggesting functional organization is critical for recovery and a potentially …
Integrative Analysis To Investigate Complex Interaction In Alzheimer’S Disease, Zeran Li
Integrative Analysis To Investigate Complex Interaction In Alzheimer’S Disease, Zeran Li
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder featuring progressive cognitive and functional deficits. Pathologically, AD is characterized by tau and amyloid β protein deposition in the brain. As the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., the disease course usually last from 7 to 10 years on average before the consequential death. In 2019 there are estimated 5.8 million Americans living with AD affecting 16 million family members. At certain stage of the disease course, patients with inability of maintaining their daily functioning highly depend on caregivers, primarily family caregivers, that incur estimated 18.4 billion unpaid hours of cares, …
Spatio-Temporal Principles Of Infra-Slow Brain Activity, Anish Mitra
Spatio-Temporal Principles Of Infra-Slow Brain Activity, Anish Mitra
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
In the study of systems where basic laws have eluded us, as is largely the case in neuroscience, the simplest approach to progress might be to ask: what are the biggest, most noticeable things the system does when left alone? Without any perturbations or fine dissections, can regularities be found in the basic operations of the system as a whole? In the case of the brain, it turns out that there is an amazing amount of activity even in the absence of explicit environmental inputs or outputs. We call this spontaneous, or resting state, brain activity. Prior work has shown …
The Role Of Smc3 In Mouse Embryonic And Adult Hematopoiesis, Tianjiao Wang
The Role Of Smc3 In Mouse Embryonic And Adult Hematopoiesis, Tianjiao Wang
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease, characterized by recurrent genetic mutations. Mutations in the cohesin complex are one of the 8 functional categories of mutations in AML. SMC3 encodes a subunit of the cohesin complex, which has important roles in chromosome segregation, genome instability, and gene expression. In the first chapter of the dissertation, we discuss the genetics of AML, normal functions of the cohesin complex, and the interplay between cohesin mutations and myeloid malignancies.SMC3 is recurrently mutated in AML and other myeloid malignancies. In the second chapter of the dissertation, we compare the consequences of Smc3 deficient …
Mechanics Of Phenotypic Aging Trajectories In C. Elegans And Humans, William Zhang
Mechanics Of Phenotypic Aging Trajectories In C. Elegans And Humans, William Zhang
Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations
Overall, my dissertation integrates longitudinal measurements of physiology to investigate the aging process. In the first half, I examine the surprising and largely unexplained degree of variation in lifespan within even homogeneous populations. I sought to understand how physiological aging differs between long- and short-lived individuals within a population of genetically identical C. elegans reared in a homogeneous environment. Using a novel culture apparatus, I longitudinally monitored aspects of aging physiology across a large population of isolated individuals. Aggregating several measures into an overall estimate of senescence, I find that long- and short-lived individuals start adulthood on an equal physiological …