Biology Commons^™

Lethal Effects Of Leaf Leachate From The Non-Native Invasive Shrub Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera Maackii) On A Model Aquatic Organism (Hyalella Azteca), Eric B. Borth, Kevin W. Custer, Ryan W. Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

The invasive shrub Lonicera maackii (Amur honeysuckle) is a problematic species in the eastern United States and there is growing evidence that materials from this species have toxic effects on some organisms. We used a sequence of microcosm bioassays to assess the influence of L. maackii leaf leachate on the macroinvertebrate Hyalella azteca, which is a standard aquatic organism for toxicity assessment. In a laboratory setting, H. azteca were exposed to a leaf leachate dilution series (6.25%, 12.5%, 25%, 50%, 100%) in 48-h toxicity tests. This was repeated throughout the growing season to assess the potential for changes in …

Analysis Of Gene Expression In Filamentous Cells Of Candida Albicans Grown On Agar Plates, Paul E. Creger, Jill R. Blankenship

Biology Faculty Publications

Candida albicans (C. albicans) is a commensal organism of the human gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. C. albicans is also a major human pathogen, causing disease ranging from cutaneous infections to lethal systemic disease. The ability of this fungus to switch between yeast and filamentous forms of growth has long been linked to its pathogenesis. Filamentation can be induced by a variety of distinct environmental cues and can occur in either liquid or solid media. While some evidence suggests that there are differences between filamentation in solid and liquid media, gene expression analysis of filamentation in C. albicans has focused strictly …

Highly Conserved Molecular Pathways, Including Wnt Signaling, Promote Functional Recovery From Spinal Cord Injury In Lampreys, Paige E. Herman, Angelos Papatheodorou, Stephanie A. Bryant, Courtney K. M. Waterbury, Joseph R. Herdy, Anthony A. Arcese, Joseph D. Buxbaum, Jeramiah J. Smith, Jennifer R. Morgan, Ona Bloom

Biology Faculty Publications

In mammals, spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to dramatic losses in neurons and synaptic connections, and consequently function. Unlike mammals, lampreys are vertebrates that undergo spontaneous regeneration and achieve functional recovery after SCI. Therefore our goal was to determine the complete transcriptional responses that occur after SCI in lampreys and to identify deeply conserved pathways that promote regeneration. We performed RNA-Seq on lamprey spinal cord and brain throughout the course of functional recovery. We describe complex transcriptional responses in the injured spinal cord, and somewhat surprisingly, also in the brain. Transcriptional responses to SCI in lampreys included transcription factor networks …

Genuine Faculty-Mentored Research Experiences For In-Service Science Teachers: Increases In Science Knowledge, Perception, And Confidence Levels, Christine E. Cutucache, Heather D. Leas, Neal F. Grandgenett, Kari L. Nelson, Steven N. Rodie, Robert Duncan Shuster, Chris Schaben, William E. Tapprich

Biology Faculty Publications

The overall purpose of this multifocused study was to explore how participation in genuine mentored scientific research experiences impacts in-service science teachers and the knowledge and skills needed for their own science teaching. The research experiences resulted from a partnership between the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha Public School District. This Teacher- Researcher Partnership Program facilitated opportunities in inquiry, science content, interaction with laboratory instrumentation and technologies, critical discussion of literature, and dissemination of findings for participating in-service science teacher professional development utilizing an inquiry-based theoretical framework wherein we examined science teacher preparation via inquiry-based methods in …

Comparison Of African And North American Velvet Ant Mimicry Complexes: Another Example Of Africa As The 'Odd Man Out', Joseph S. Wilson, Aaron D. Pan, Erica S. Limb, Kevin A. Williams

Biology Faculty Publications

Africa has the most tropical and subtropical land of any continent, yet has relatively low species richness in several taxa. This depauperate nature of the African tropical fauna and flora has led some to call Africa the “odd man out.” One exception to this pattern is velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae), wingless wasps that are known for Müllerian mimicry. While North American velvet ants form one of the world’s largest mimicry complexes, mimicry in African species has not been investigated. Here we ask do African velvet ant Müllerian mimicry rings exist, and how do they compare to the North American complex. …

Relationships Of Native And Exotic Strains Of Phragmites Australis To Wetland Ecosystem Properties, L. A. Volesky, S. Iqbal, J. J. Kelly, Pamela Geddes

Biology Faculty Publications

Invasions by exotic plant species like Phragmites australis can affect wetlands and the services they provide, including denitrification. Native and exotic Phragmites strains were genetically verified in 2002 but few studies have compared their ecosystem effects. We compared relationships between native and exotic Phragmites and environmental attributes, soil nutrient concentrations, and abundance and activity of soil denitrifying bacteria. There were no significant differences for any measured variables between sites with exotic and native strains. However, there were significant positive correlations between native Phragmites stem density and soil nutrient concentrations and denitrification rates. Furthermore, denitrifying bacterial abundance was positively correlated with …

Examination Of Enrichment Using Space And Food For African Elephants At The Sdzsp, Charlotte Hacker, Lance Miller, Bruce A. Schulte

Biology Faculty Publications

Concern for elephant welfare in zoological facilities has prompted a number of exhibit and management modifications, including those involving enrichment. Knowledge of how these changes impact indicators of welfare, such as elephant movement and behaviour, is crucial for continued improvement of elephant husbandry and care. The present study used observations and GPS-collected data to determine the effects of available space and food presentation on the walking distance and behaviour of thirteen African elephants (Loxodonta africana), which had a dominance structure ascertained by animal care staff at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (SDZSP). This facility has two exhibits of approximately …

Analysis Of The Transcription Factors Expressed In The Mature Seed Embryos Of Moringa Oleifera Lam. Using Rna-Sequencing And De Novo Transcriptome Assembly, Vivian A. Panes, R.D Baoas

Biology Faculty Publications

Moringa oleifera Lam. is well known for its numerous documented properties, particularly its significant applications in nutrition, therapeutics, biocontrol, energy, and bioremediation. These properties are the consequences of the vibrant physiological processes of the plant in the context of the ever-changing biotic and abiotic factors, in which transcription factors play substantial roles. Transcription factors (TFs) are the regulators of gene expression. Transcription factors enable the activation or repression of transcription. Along with the advent of ultrahighthroughput sequencing technologies such as RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq), in combination with bioinformatics techniques, the investigation of the TFs of M. oleifera was made possible. This …

Aquatic Polyphaga (Insecta: Coleoptera) From Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia, Hendrik Freitag, Bros Doeurk, Soksan Chhorn, Chandara Khin, Sopha Sin, Sarah Ehlers, Jody Voges, Jhoana Garces, Sophany Phauk

Biology Faculty Publications

We present the results of a faunistic inventory undertaken on aquatic Polyphaga beetles as part of a workshop organised by the BIO-PHIL project in Cambodia. Three small rivers and a pond in Kampong Speu Province were sampled in July 2018. Twenty-one taxa were collected during the sampling and identifi ed to species or morphospecies level. These are described with comments on habitat, distribution and further remarks, where applicable. A checklist of the genera and species of aquatic Dryopidae, Elmidae, Hydraenidae, Hydrophilidae, Psephenidae and Spercheidae of Cambodia is presented which includes new records for the country

Three New Species Of Grouvellinus Champion, 1923 From Maliau Basin, Sabah, Borneo, Discovered By Citizen Scientists During The First Taxon Expedition (Insecta, Coleoptera, Elmidae), Hendrik Freitag, Iva Njunjic, Clister V. Pangantihon

Biology Faculty Publications

Further results are presented of the first field course at Maliau Basin, Malaysian Borneo organized by Taxon Expeditions, an organization which enables citizen scientists to be directly involved in taxonomic discoveries. Three new species of the aquatic beetle genus Grouvellinus Champion, 1923, namely G. leonardodicaprioi sp. n., G. andrekuipersi sp. n., and G. quest sp. n. were collected jointly by the citizen scientists and taxonomists during the fieldwork in Maliau Basin. Material was mainly sampled from sandstone bottom rocks of blackwater streams at altitudes between 900 m and 1,000 m using fine-meshed hand-nets. The genus is widely distributed …

Sparsorythus Sescarorum, New Species From Mindoro, Philippines (Ephemeroptera, Tricorythidae), Jhoana Garces, Ernst Bauernfeind, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

A new mayfly species, Sparsorythus sescarorum sp. n. (Tricorythidae) is described from Mindoro Island, Philippines. Nymphs are characterized by the combination of the following characters: compound eyes of approximately equal size in both sexes, shape and setation of legs, presence of rudimentary gills on abdominal segment VII, and some details of mouthparts. Male imagines are characterized by the coloration pattern of wings and details of genitalia. The developmental stages are matched by DNA barcodes.

Leptodactylus Validus Garman, 1888 In Colombia: Its Distribution And Identification, Andres R. Acosta Galvis, Rafael O. De Sá

Biology Faculty Publications

Leptodactylus validus is reported for the first time for Colombia, corresponding to the tenth species of the L. melanonotus species group occurring in the country. In collections, all L. validus specimens were identified as L. colombiensis. Morphological, coloration, and ecological characters are provided to differentiate the two species in Colombia. Furthermore, the distribution of L. validus is expanded based on the examination of specimens in both collections and literature records. In addition, the advertisement call of L. validus from Colombia is compared with those reported for other continental and insular populations; the calls are slightly more similar to those …

Physiological Responses To Elevated Temperature Across The Geographic Range Of A Terrestrial Salamander, Alexander J. Novarro, Caitlin R. Gabor, Cory B. Goff, Tori D. Mezebish, Lily M. Thompson, Kristine L. Grayson

Biology Faculty Publications

Widespread species often possess physiological mechanisms for coping with thermal heterogeneity, and uncovering these mechanisms provides insight into species responses to climate change. The emergence of non-invasive corticosterone (CORT) assays allows us to rapidly assess physiological responses to environmental change on a large scale. We lack, however, a basic understanding of how temperature affects CORT, and whether temperature and CORT interactively affect performance. Here, we examine the effects of elevated temperature on CORT and whole-organism performance in a terrestrial salamander, Plethodon cinereus, across a latitudinal gradient. Using water-borne hormone assays, we found that raising ambient temperature from 15 to 25°C …

Review Of The Family Rivulidae (Cyprinodontiformes, Aplocheiloidei) And A Molecular And Morphological Phylogeny Of The Annual Fish Genus Austrolebias Costa 1998, Marcelo Loureiro, Rafael O. De Sá, Sebastián W. Serra, Felipe Alonso, Luis Esteban Krause Lanés, Matheus Vieira Volcan, Pablo Calviño, Et. Al.

Biology Faculty Publications

The family Rivulidae is the fourth most diverse clade of Neotropical fishes. Together with some genera of the related African family Nothobranchiidae, many rivulids exhibit a characteristic annual life cycle, with diapausing eggs and delayed embryonic development, which allows them to survive in the challenging seasonal ponds that they inhabit. Rivulidae also includes two species known as the only the self-fertilizing vertebrates and some species with internal fertilization. The first goal of this article is to review the systematics of the family considering phylogenetic relationships and synapomorphies of subfamilial clades, thus unifying information that is dispersed throughout the literature. From …

Black Cohosh Seed Germination And Conservation, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Like many plant enthusiasts, I have spent a considerable amount of time planting seeds. Every year I grow many vegetables—my garden always includes some annual bedding plants—and I sow seeds of cover crops (winter wheat, winter rye, and buckwheat) by the tens of thousands. While I have committed vast numbers of propagules to moist soil, I cannot say that I have watched every single one sprout. Nevertheless, I certainly have observed the germination process many, many times for lots of different seeds. For these seeds of garden plants, germination is quite rapid, just a few days to maybe as much …

Range Expansion Of Sigmodon Hispidus (Hispid Cotton Rat) Into Reclaimed Coal Surface-Mines In Southeastern Kentucky, Brittany L. Slabach, James J. Krupa

Biology Faculty Publications

Sigmodon hispidus (Hispid Cotton Rat) is the most wide-spread species of Sigmodon in North America. In recent years, this species has expanded northward and westward in the western part of its range due to changes in habitat and climate. Evidence suggests northward expansion is also occurring in Kentucky. Since the 1980s, extensive coal mining via surface mining and mountain-top removal has transformed more than 2300 km² of hardwood forests on the Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky. Mining has transformed the landscape, once characterized by forests with deep valleys, steep slopes, and narrow, winding ridgetops into reclaimed sites with a …

Effects Of Clove Oil (Eugenol) On Proprioceptive Neurons, Heart Rate, And Behavior In Model Crustaceans, Samuel Wycoff, Kristin Weineck, Shannon Conlin, Chinni Suryadevara, Elizabeth Grau, Alec Bradley, Danielle Cantrell, Samantha Eversole, Carolyn Grachen, Kaylee Hall, Danielle Hawthorne, Claire Kinmon, Paula Ortiz Guerrero, Bhavik Patel, Kaitlyn Samuels, Gia Valdes, Andrew J. Ray, Leo J. Fleckenstein, Elena Piana, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Clove oil contains eugenol as an active ingredient and is used as a topical anesthetic in mammals to remedy pain and to anesthetize fish and other seafood for short periods; however, the exact mechanism of action of eugenol is not fully understood. We examined use of eugenol as a reversible anesthetic in crustaceans by examining its effect on sensory and motor neurons in the Red Swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and Whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) with electrophysiological recordings. The neurogenic heart rate in the three species was also monitored along with …

Cold Exposure Effects On Cardiac Function And Synaptic Transmission At The Neuromuscular Junction In Invertebrates, Yuechen Zhu, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

This review emphasizes how ectothermic animals respond physiologically to environmental temperature changes and cold stress. Generally ectothermic animals cannot generate heat to maintain their body temperature but they can still survive in various temperature zones. Various organisms have been analyzed anatomically and physiologically in the attempt to understand the underlying mechanisms of this temperature adaptation. A few of the changes in the metabolic and molecular function of proteins are discussed. The potential of how hormonal modulation of cardiac and nervous systems which influences responses during exposure cold exposure is also addressed. The focus of this review is on the effect …

Investigating The Effects Of Homocysteine As An Agonist On Invertebrate Glutamatergic Synapses, Elizabeth Grau, Alexandra E. Stanback, Alec Bradley, Danielle Cantrell, Samantha Eversole, Carolyn Grachen, Kaylee Hall, Danielle Hawthorne, Claire Kinmon, Paula Ortiz Guerrero, Bhavik Patel, Kaitlyn Samuels, Chinni Suryadevara, Gia Valdes, Samuel Wycoff, Robin L. Cooper

Biology Faculty Publications

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) in mammals can produce neurological deficits, such as memory loss. The cause of the neurological issues is assumed to be due to homocysteine (HCY) binding to glutamatergic receptors in the central nervous system (CNS). High levels of HCY in the CNS are also associated with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Parkinson’s disease. Thus, understanding the detailed mechanisms of HCY in model preparations could be useful in developing potential treatments to neurodegenerative diseases with overlapping symptoms to HHcy. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy of HCY as an agonist at glutamatergic synapses in invertebrates. The …

Caveolin-1 Is Dispensable For Early Lymphoid Development, But Plays A Role In The Maintenance Of The Mature Splenic Microenvironment, Tyler Herek, Jacob E. Robinson, Tayla B. Heavican, Catalina Amador, Javeed Iqbl, Christine E. Cutucache

Biology Faculty Publications

Objective

Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is known for its role as both a tumor suppressor and an oncogene, harboring a highly context-dependent role within a myriad of malignancies and cell types. In an immunological context, dysregulation of CAV1 expression has been shown to alter immunological signaling functions and suggests a pivotal role for CAV1 in the facilitation of proper immune responses. Nonetheless, it is still unknown how Cav1-deficiency and heterozygosity would impact the development and composition of lymphoid organs in mice. Herein, we investigated the impacts of Cav1-dysregulation on the lymphoid organs in young (12 weeks) and aged (36 weeks) …

Treatment Of Hiv-Infected Individuals With The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Panobinostat Results In Increased Numbers Of Regulatory T Cells And Limits Ex Vivo Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammatory Responses, Christel Rothe Brinkmann, Jesper Falkesgaard Højen, Thomas Aagaard Rasmussen, Anne Sofie Kjær, Rikke Olesen, Paul W. Denton, Lars Østergaard, Zhengyu Ouyang, Mathias Lichterfeld, Xu Yu, Ole Schmeltz Søgaard, Charles Dinarello, Martin Tolstrup

Biology Faculty Publications

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) modulate the transcriptional activity of all cells, including innate and adaptive immune cells. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate immunological effects of treatment with the HDACi panobinostat in HIV-infected patients during a clinical phase IIa latency reversal trial. Using flow cytometry, we investigated changes in T cell activation (CD69, CD38, HLA-DR) and the expression of CD39 and CTLA4 on regulatory T cells (Tregs). Whole-blood stimulations were performed and cytokine responses measured using Luminex. Gene expression in purified peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was evaluated using an Affymetrix HTA 2.0 gene chip. We found that proportions of CD4+ …

Tropical Herbivorous Phasmids, But Not Litter Snails, Alter Decomposition Rates By Modifying Litter Bacteria, Chelse M. Prather, Gary E. Belovsky, Sharon A. Cantrell, Grizelle Gonzalez

Biology Faculty Publications

Consumers can alter decomposition rates through both feces and selective feeding in many ecosystems, but these combined effects have seldom been examined in tropical ecosystems. Members of the detrital food web (litter-feeders or microbivores) should presumably have greater effects on decomposition than herbivores, members of the green food web. Using litterbag experiments within a field enclosure experiment, we determined the relative effects of common litter snails (Megalomastoma croceum) and herbivorous walking sticks (Lamponius portoricensis) on litter composition, decomposition rates, and microbes in a Puerto Rican rainforest, and whether consumer effects were altered by canopy cover presence. Although canopy presence did …

3.4 Million Real-World Learning Management System Logins Reveal The Majority Of Students Experience Social Jet Lag Correlated With Decreased Performance, Benjamin L. Smarr, Aaron E. Schirmer

Biology Faculty Publications

Misalignments between endogenous circadian rhythms and the built environment (i.e., social jet lag, SJL) result in learning and attention deficits. Currently, there is no way to assess the impact of SJL on learning outcomes of large populations as a response to schedule choices, let alone to assess which individuals are most negatively impacted by these choices. We analyzed two years of learning management system login events for 14,894 Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) students to investigate the capacity of such systems as tools for mapping the impact of SJL over large populations while maintaining the ability to generate insights …

The Role Of Environmental Filtering In Structuring Appalachian Tree Communities: Topographic Influences On Functional Diversity Are Mediated Through Soil Characteristics, Julia I. Chapman, Ryan W. Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

Identifying the drivers of community assembly has long been a central goal in ecology, and the development of functional diversity indices has provided a new way of detecting the influence of environmental gradients on biotic communities. For an old-growth Appalachian forest, we used path analysis to understand how patterns of tree functional diversity relate to topography and soil gradients and to determine whether topographic effects are mediated through soil chemistry. All of our path models supported the idea of environmental filtering: stressful areas (high elevation, low soil moisture, low soil nutrients) were occupied by communities of low functional diversity, which …

Prospective Study Of The Feasibility Of Point-Of-Care Testing Strategy For Carbapenem-Resistant Organism Detection, Rahul Pannala, Bruce Baldwin, Vijay Aluru, Thomas E. Grys, Jordan Holmes, Laurence J. Miller, M. Edwyn Harrison, Cuong C. Nguyen, Fred C. Tenover, David Persing, Douglas O. Faigel

Biology Faculty Publications

Background/aims: In an investigator-initiated, prospective study, we evaluated the feasibility of a five-gene sequence point-of-care (POC) testing strategy (Xpert CARBA-R Assay, Cepheid Inc., Sunnyvale, CA, USA), compared to reference laboratory PCR (48 – 72 hours turnaround time, two gene sequences), in patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and in a hospital outbreak investigation.

Methods: After informed consent, patients undergoing ERCP (September 2015 – April 2016, n = 191) at Mayo Clinic and potential hospital contacts (n = 9) of an index carbapenem-resistant organism (CRO)-positive inpatient were included. Two rectal swabs, one each for reference and POC assays were obtained. The …

Range Expansion And The Origin Of Usa300 North American Epidemic Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, Lavanya Challagundla, Isabella A. Tickler, Xavier Didelot, David C. Coleman, Anna C. Shore, Geoffrey W. Coombs, Daniel O. Sordelli, Eric L. Brown, Robert Skov, Anders Rhod Larsen, Jinnethe Reyes, Iraida E. Robledo, Guillermo J. Vazquez, Paul Rivera, Paul D. Fey, Kurt Stevenson, Shu-Hua Wang, Barry N. Kreiswirth, Jose R. Mediavilla, Cesar A. Arias, Paul J. Planet, Rathel L. Nolan, Fred C. Tenover, Richard V. Goering, D. Ashley Robinson

Biology Faculty Publications

The USA300 North American epidemic (USA300-NAE) clone of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has caused a wave of severe skin and soft tissue infections in the United States since it emerged in the early 2000s, but its geographic origin is obscure. Here we use the population genomic signatures expected from the serial founder effects of a geographic range expansion to infer the origin of USA300-NAE and identify polymorphisms associated with its spread. Genome sequences from 357 isolates from 22 U.S. states and territories and seven other countries are compared. We observe two significant signatures of range expansion, including decreases in genetic diversity …

The Role Of Climate In The Dynamics Of Annual Plants In A Chihuahuan Desert Ecosystem, Danielle D. Ignace, Nancy Huntly, Peter Chesson

Biology Faculty Publications

Question: What is the role of temporal climate fluctuations in the dynamics of desert winter annual plants in the Portal Bajada, and in the sustained irruption of the non-native annual plant species, Erodium cicutarium?

Field site: Portal Bajada, San Simon Valley, Arizona, USA.

Methods: We counted plants at flowering over a 21-yeaer period on twelve permanent plots and related these numbers to weather data collected at an on-site weather station, supplemented by observations from the National Climate Data Center. Specific summary climate variables considered most relevant to annual plant biology were developed as candidate predictors of plant response variables. …

Concise Review: Translating Regenerative Biology Into Clinically Relevant Therapies: Are We On The Right Path?, Jennifer Simkin, Ashley W. Seifert

Biology Faculty Publications

Despite approaches in regenerative medicine using stem cells, bio-engineered scaffolds, and targeted drug delivery to enhance human tissue repair, clinicians remain unable to regenerate large-scale, multi-tissue defects in situ. The study of regenerative biology using mammalian models of complex tissue regeneration offers an opportunity to discover key factors that stimulate a regenerative rather than fibrotic response to injury. For example, although primates and rodents can regenerate their distal digit tips, they heal more proximal amputations with scar tissue. Rabbits and African spiny mice re-grow tissue to fill large musculoskeletal defects through their ear pinna, while other mammals fail to regenerate …

Investigation Of Conical Spinneret In Generating More Dense And Compact Electrospun Nanofibers, Aya Hamed, Nader Shehata, Mohammad Elosairy

Biology Faculty Publications

Electrospinning is an important, widely used process to generate nanofibers. However, there is still an open window for different designs of both spinneret and collector electrodes to be investigated. This paper introduces the impact of new design of conical spinneret electrode on the generated electrospun nanofibers. In this work, the conical feeder is used to generate electrospun Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofibers, and being compared to the traditional needle feeder at the same processing conditions. The jet’s mechanism is simulated using discrete bead model along with estimated calculations of both deposition area and fiber radius. The electric field distribution that is …

Editorial: Murine Models Of Leukemia And Lymphoma, Christine E. Cutucache, Pierluigi Porcu

Biology Faculty Publications

Murine models serve as an effective way to mimic the in vivo tumor microenvironmental interactions that take place in patients with leukemias and lymphomas. Specifically, leukemias and lymphomas rely heavily on the surrounding stroma and tissue microenvironmental cytokine and chemokine signals to ensure survival and expansion of tumor cells. Finally, leukemic cells migrate thanks to signals from varying regions of the host, furthering the progression and severity of disease. It is therefore impossible to fully understand such a dynamic relationship between tumor cells and their surrounding microenvironment, and the events to transformation in leukemias and lymphomas without an in vivo, …