Biology Commons^™

Refinement Of Megakaryocyte Lineage Commitment In Hematopoietic Stem And Progenitor Cells During Postnatal And Adult Hematopoiesis, Ryan Michael Mack

Dissertations

Mammalian hematopoiesis ensures the continuous production of specialized blood cells, yet the mechanisms that govern megakaryocyte/erythroid (MK/E) bifurcation remain incompletely understood. While HSPCs sustain all blood lineages, how transient waves of progenitors arise and adapt from fetal to adult stages is less clear. This gap in knowledge limits our capacity to precisely manipulate platelet and red blood cell outputs in both developmental and therapeutic contexts. Using refined gating strategies and various bulk- and single-cell transcriptomics, we dissected the traditional “common myeloid progenitor” and Multipotent Progenitor (MPP) compartment into multiple functionally distinct subsets (C1, C2, C3). Within C1, an ESAM⁺ fraction …

Inflammasomes Primarily Restrict Cytosolic Salmonella Replication Within Human Macrophages, Marisa S. Egan, E. A. O'Rourke, S. Kumar Mageswaran, B. Zuo, I. Martynyuk, T. Demissie, E. N. Hunter, A. R. Bass, Y.-W. Chang, I. E. Brodsky, S. Shin

Biology Faculty Works

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a facultative intracellular pathogen that utilizes its type III secretion systems (T3SSs) to inject virulence factors into host cells and colonize the host. In turn, a subset of cytosolic immune receptors respond to T3SS ligands by forming multimeric signaling complexes called inflammasomes, which activate caspases that induce interleukin-1 (IL-1) family cytokine release and an inflammatory form of cell death called pyroptosis. Human macrophages mount a multifaceted inflammasome response to Salmonella infection that ultimately restricts intracellular bacterial replication. However, how inflammasomes restrict Salmonella replication remains unknown. We find that caspase-1 is essential for mediating inflammasome responses …

A Study To Identify The Causal Rare Genetic Variants In Primary Open And Closed Angle Glaucoma, Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome, And Associated Glaucoma, Suganya K

Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness globally typically diagnosed with a triad of clinical symptoms of increased intraocular pressure (IOP) with associated optic disc, optic nerve head (ONH) changes, and visual field defects. Genetic and environmental factors are some of the strong aetiology factors for glaucoma and identification of these factors has a potential implication in the management of the disease and its outcome. There is a paradigm shift towards understanding the genetics of glaucoma, wherein the variants in the nuclear, mitochondrial genome and other regulatory regions are being identified as contributing risk factors.

METHODOLOGY AND …

Induced Mutagenesis In West Nile Virus Non-Structural Protein 3 With A Discussion Of The Mutation's Effects On Viral Properties, Caden Connealy

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

West Nile Virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family and introduced to the Western hemisphere in 1999, presents a unique and emerging threat to human health. Infection in humans is often mild but can occasionally result in severe neurological impairment and even death. West Nile Virus non-structural protein 3 (NS3) plays an important role in the process of viral genome amplification. More specifically, the C-terminal domain of the protein folds into a helicase enzyme, which is responsible for the “unwinding” of double-stranded RNA intermediates and RNA secondary structure on the WNV genome. This is a vitally important step in …

College Of Natural Sciences 2024 Year-End Publication, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Page 2 Dean's Message
Page 3 Department Highlights
Page 4 One Day for State
Page 5 New Students in Wecota
Page 6-8 Faculty Excellence
Page 9 SDSU Physics Students Recognized
Page 9 Prairie Doc Watch Party
Page 10-11 Student Excellence
Page 11 Connections Abroad
Page 12-13 CNS’s Research Centers
Page 14 Connections Abroad
Page 14 Dean Wolf-Hall Retired
Page 15 Outreach Program
Page 15 Events and Traditions
Page 16 Student Spotlight
Page 17 Alumni Spotlight
Page 18-19 SDSU Alum at Paris Paralympics
Page 20 Work Anniversaries & Programs

Barriers And Breakthroughs In The Evolution Of Aggregative Multicellularity, Israt Jahan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The evolution of multicellular organization represents a key innovation in the history of life, yet fundamental questions remain about the evolutionary mechanisms that allowed some lineages to achieve remarkable complexity, while constrained others in their elaboration. The widely accepted single-cell bottleneck model provides a compelling explanation for the success of clonal multicellularity by reducing internal conflict and facilitating developmental integration. However, this perspective does not fully account for the stability and repeated evolution of aggregative multicellularity, where cooperation emerges among previously independent cells that may not be genetic relatives. Aggregative multicellularity demonstrates that the evolution of multicellularity is not a …

Barriers And Breakthroughs In The Evolution Of Aggregative Multicellularity, Israt Jahan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The evolution of multicellular organization represents a key innovation in the history of life, yet fundamental questions remain about the evolutionary mechanisms that allowed some lineages to achieve remarkable complexity, while constrained others in their elaboration. The widely accepted single-cell bottleneck model provides a compelling explanation for the success of clonal multicellularity by reducing internal conflict and facilitating developmental integration. However, this perspective does not fully account for the stability and repeated evolution of aggregative multicellularity, where cooperation emerges among previously independent cells that may not be genetic relatives. Aggregative multicellularity demonstrates that the evolution of multicellularity is not a …

The Anorexigenic Peptide Nesfatin-1 Dampens The B Cell Response To Receptor-Mediated Stimulation Through Inhibition Of Nf-Kb Signaling, Tara L. Steffen, Joshua D. Stafford, Colleen R. Boche, Willis K. Samson, Gina Yosten

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Nesfatin-1, a posttranslational product of the protein encoded by the nucleobindin 2 gene (NUCB2), was functionally identified as an appetite regulatory molecule in rat hypothalamic nuclei. In the years following the discovery, those findings have been corroborated and expanded upon, and we now know that nesfatin-1 is expressed throughout peripheral tissues and exerts physiological effects beyond feeding control. Literature indicates that adipose tissue is one of the peripheral sources of NUCB2/nesfatin-1, and in this setting, it has anti-inflammatory effects that have recently been implicated in regulating chronic inflammation associated with diet-induced obesity. Currently, there are gaps in our understanding of …

Murine Studies On Ketogenic Modulation Of Metabolism And Epigenetics In Olfaction- Based Learning, Lps Inflammatory Response, And Sex Dimorphisms In Dietary Response, Sara E. H. Moss

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ketogenic diets are well-established therapeutic interventions for epilepsy, with documented neuroprotective effects arising from their metabolic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Beyond epilepsy, ketogenic therapies are under investigation for various conditions including Alzheimer disease, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. These diets suppress insulin levels and shift metabolic physiology toward fat and ketone body metabolism. This elevates circulating levels of ketone bodies, namely beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and acetone, which serve as both energy substrates and signaling molecules. The state of elevated ketone bodies (ketosis) can be achieved with various formulations of a ketogenic diet as well as exogenous ketone supplementation, though the signaling …

Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substance (Pfas) Degradation In Water And Soil Using Cold Atmospheric Plasma (Cap): A Review, Victor Somtochukwu Mbanugo, Boluwatife Stephen Ojo, Ta Chun Lin, Yue-Wern Huang, Marek Locmelis, Daoru Han

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are persistent organic chemicals found in numerous industrial applications and everyday products. The excessive amounts of PFASs in water and soil, together with their link to severe health issues, have prompted substantial public concerns, making their removal from the environment a necessity. Existing degradation techniques are frequently lacking due to their low efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and potential for secondary contamination. Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) technology has emerged as a promising alternative, utilizing energized reactive species to break down PFASs under ambient conditions. Therefore, this review examines the efficacy and effectiveness of CAP in degrading PFASs by …

Defining B Cell Responses To Emerging Viral Pathogens, Wafaa Al Soussi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The primary series of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines greatly reduced the burden of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and saved millions of lives. However, waning levels of circulating neutralizing antibodies and the continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with increasing numbers of mutations in the spike (S) protein have decreased vaccine effectiveness and led to a recommendation for booster immunizations. In addition, new vaccines based on circulating variants have been developed to enhance the ability of induced antibodies to combat such variants. However, a critical unanswered question was how prior exposure to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain …

Defining B Cell Responses To Emerging Viral Pathogens, Wafaa Al Soussi

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The primary series of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines greatly reduced the burden of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and saved millions of lives. However, waning levels of circulating neutralizing antibodies and the continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants with increasing numbers of mutations in the spike (S) protein have decreased vaccine effectiveness and led to a recommendation for booster immunizations. In addition, new vaccines based on circulating variants have been developed to enhance the ability of induced antibodies to combat such variants. However, a critical unanswered question was how prior exposure to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain …

The Design, Construction, And Testing Of Mrna Vaccine Against Equine Herpes Virus, Bhawana Devkota

LSU Master's Theses

Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV 1) is a worldwide significant pathogen that causes respiratory illness, abortion, and neurological disorders in equine. Current vaccines, including live attenuated, inactivated, and subunit platforms, do not prevent viral latency, mucosal shedding, or cross-strain immunity, requiring alternative approaches. To address these gaps, this project explores the design, synthesis, and in vitro testing of an mRNA vaccine targeting immunogenic EHV 1 glycoprotein (gB, gC, gD, gG, and gM). Epitopes were computationally predicted using the Immune Epitope Database (IEDB), codon-optimized for Bos taurus, and cloned into pUCIDT vectors using SP6/T7 promoters. In vitro transcription (IVT) used nucleotide modifications …

Fossil Leaf Cuticle: Best Practices For Preparation And Paleo-Co2 Analysis, Xiaoqing Zhang, Dana L. Royer, Carina E. Colombi, Juan Martin Drovandi, Jennifer C. Mcelwain, Gaëtan Guignard, Qin Leng, Barry H. Lomax, Nathan D. Sheldon, Rebekah A. Stein, Garland R. Upchurch, Yongdong Wang, Hong Yang, Richard S. Barclay, Ying Cui, Wolfram Kürschner, Joseph N. Milligan, Isabel Montañez, Jon D. Richey, Tammo Reichgelt, Gongle Shi, Selena Y. Smith, Margret Steinthorsdottir

Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department Faculty Journal Articles

Leaf cuticle is the waxy envelope that protects leaves from desiccation, UV damage, and abrasion. The cuticle encodes information about a plant's chemistry and leaf epidermal and stomatal cell morphology. Fossil leaf cuticle has been used to determine taxonomic affinities for almost two centuries and recognized in recent decades for its value in reconstructing paleoenvironments and paleoclimates, especially atmospheric CO2. Fossil leaf cuticle preparation techniques are typically reported as single workflows tied to individual studies, starting with finding fossils in the field through the steps of preparing cuticle for chemical and morphological analysis, including decisions about type of microscopy and …

Session Ia: Biology Presentation 3 - Beyond Weight Loss: The Effects Of The Glp-1 Agonist, Semaglutide, On Weight Care, Type Ii Diabetes Management, And Cardiac Function In Obese Patients, Amber Smith

Life of the Scholar Multidisciplinary Conference

Determining whether the drug Semaglutide, also known as Ozempic or Wegovy, is not only an effective treatment for weight loss, but also for management of type II diabetes and obesity-related heart failure, such as adverse cardiac remodeling and left atrial volume increase.

Session Ia: Biology Presentation 4 - Parkinson's Disease: Understanding Risk Factors, Causes, And Potential Treatments, Emma Hewitt

Life of the Scholar Multidisciplinary Conference

No abstract provided.

Regeneration In Planarians Modifies Behavioral Switching, N. S. Tellakula, Eva-Maria S. Collins, W. B. Kristan Jr.

Biology Faculty Works

The planarian Dugesia japonica responds differently to localized stimuli: anterior regions turn, middle regions elongate, and posterior regions contract. If cut into several pieces, each piece immediately produces the same three responses. Over several days, each piece regenerates all transected body parts. This study tested how the pieces coordinate behavioral responses during regeneration. We first determined the locations of the turning/elongation and elongation/contraction behavioral switches. Immediately, all transections moved both switching sites away from the cut sites so that the worm pieces produced the same three responses as intact worms. During regeneration, the sites of behavioral switching moved progressively closer …

Environmental Conditions Explain Variability In Concentrations Of Nutrients But Not Emerging Contaminants, Megan L. Fork, Jerker Fick, Alexander J. Reisinger, Peter M. Groffman, Emma J. Rosi

Biology Faculty Publications

Aquatic ecosystems are subjected to many chemical stressors, including nutrients and emerging contaminants like pharmaceuticals. While pharmaceutical concentrations in streams and rivers are often below the thresholds for acute toxicity, they nonetheless disrupt ecology through changes to organisms’ physiology, metabolism, and behavior. However, analyzing samples for the wide range of manufactured pharmaceuticals is often prohibitively expensive for many monitoring efforts. As such, the ability to predict pharmaceutical concentrations over space and time using easier-to-monitor water quality parameters would expand our understanding of the scope and consequences of pharmaceutical contamination in aquatic ecosystems. We applied random forest models to data from …

Molecular Mechanisms And Role Of Camel Milk Derived Bioactive Peptides Towards Insulin And Glp-1 Receptor Activation, Irfa Anwar

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Camel milk (CM), renowned for its exceptional nutritional and medicinal properties, has been a crucial resource in arid regions for centuries. Its notable antidiabetic effects, supported by extensive research through in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies, have gained significant scientific attention. However, the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms remain largely unclear. Our previous research demonstrated that camel milk whey hydrolysates (CWHs) induce insulin receptor (IR) activation and downstream signaling, promoting glucose uptake in vitro using HEK293 and HepG2 cells. Building on this foundation, the current study focused on synthesizing nine of the most potent peptides (designated P1-9) derived from …

Variation In Response To Phosphorus Among Sweetpotato (Ipomoea Batatas L.) Cultivars, Jeffrey Cole Denis Gregorie

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth and is often a major limiting nutrient in agriculture. In sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas), studies on the role of P on storage root yield have been limited because of the lack of response and inconsistent results across cultivars and years. Growing evidence shows that current phosphate (Pi) fertilizer rates can be reduced while maintaining productivity. Newly published molecular evidence shows differential expression of phosphate starvation response genes among sweetpotato cultivars, further supporting the hypothesis of cultivar-specific Pi sensitivity. The research herein sought to characterize root system architecture and yield response to Pi …

Atlantic Sharpnose (Rhizoprionodon Terraenovae) Jaw, Rileigh Gonzalez, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

First Record Of Nesting Ecology And Tumor-Forming Disease In Endangered Green Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) On Taiping Island, Taiwan, Tsung-Hsien Li, Po-Yu Wu, Ming-An Tsai

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Taiping Island is an important sea turtle nesting site in Taiwan. However, information on the nesting ecology on Taiping Island is still limited. The present study was conducted between 26 April and 3 June 2023 with the objective of collecting primary data on the sea turtle species that nest on the island. A total of 20 individual nesting green turtles were identified. No other sea turtle species were recorded nesting during this period. Five percent of nesting sea turtles had external tumors. The mean curved carapace length of all nesting female turtles was 98.2 cm. A total of 28 clutches …

Color Aberrations In Seven Bird Species In Costa Rica, Lucia Isabel Lopez, Jose Manuel Mora, Adrian Alvarado Rivera

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Although there are 935 species of birds in Costa Rica, scientific reports of pigmentation abnormalities in this group are limited. Nevertheless, several cases have been recently documented, including Leucism, Ino mutation, Progressive Graying, Dilution, and two unusual color aberrations in a toucan and a motmot. Here we describe seven cases of color aberrations observed over a period of five years in native birds of Costa Rica. An Eastern Wood-Pewee Contopus virens and a White-collared Manakin manacus candei were Brown. A Scintillant Hummingbird Selasphorus scintilla and a Talamanca Hummingbird, Eugenes spectabilis, also showed a Brown mutation, however, these two cases may …

Removal Of Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Using Commercially Available Sorbents, Zhiming Zhang, Sevda Joudiazar, Anshuman Satpathy, Eustace Fernando, Roxana Rahmati, Rupali Datta, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants of growing environmental and human health concern, widely detected across various environmental compartments. Effective remediation strategies are essential to mitigate their widespread impacts. This study compared the performance of two types of commercially available sorbent materials, granular activated carbon (GAC, Filtrasorb-400) and organoclays (OC-200, and modified organoclays Fluoro-sorb-100 and Fluoro-sorb-200) for the removal of three representative PFAS compounds: perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) from water. Both organoclays and modified organoclays outperformed GAC, likely due to electrostatic interactions between the anionic PFAS compounds and the cationic …

A Checklist Of The Bees Of Utah, Joseph S. Wilson, Anthony Hunsaker, Terry L. Griswold, Olivia Messinger Carril

Biology Faculty Publications

Understanding bee distributions is essential to protecting these vital pollinators. Since conservation efforts and policies are often made at the state level, maintaining state-specific bee species lists can aid conservationists and policy makers. While several North American state- and province-level bee species lists have been published, few exist for the arid western states, where bee diversity tends to be higher. Here we provide a bee species list for Utah, compiled from online occurrence records from the Symbiota Collection of Arthropods Network (SCAN) and specimen records housed in the USDA-ARS Pollinating Insect Research Unit (BBSL). In total we document 1167 bee …

Juvenile And Adult Survival Estimates Of American Kestrels Throughout The Full Annual Cycle In Eastern North America, Mercy Melo, Joseph M. Kolowski, Rebecca A. Mccabe, John A. Smallwood, Allison Cornell, David King, Jean François Therrien

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Measuring survival in a declining species provides the foundation for continued research, demographic modeling, and informed conservation strategies. Although American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) populations have continued to decline since the 1970s, little is known about their survival throughout the full annual cycle, making it difficult to identify factors responsible for these declines. We used radio telemetry to provide the first known-fate estimates of adult kestrel survival, and we present data across breeding stages, and between resident and migratory wintering individuals, in addition to separately modeling fledgling survival. Temporal and spatial stratification of study sites allowed for the investigation of different …

General Biology 2 Laboratory Manual: In Person Edition, Dmitry Y. Brogun, Azure N. Faucette, Farshad Tamari, Kristin Polizzotto

Open Educational Resources

The completed project is an in-person teaching version of the General Biology II OER (Open Educational Resource) lab manual. This lab manual was initially written by the four of us during the pandemic when all courses were online, but it is now has been adapted for in-person lab activities. We also ensured it aligns with UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and accessibility principles. This adaptation aims to make the lab manual suitable for traditional classroom settings while incorporating diverse teaching practices to accommodate diverse learners.

Commodity Thermoplastic Elastomer-Enabled Templated Synthesis Of Large-Pore Ordered Mesoporous Materials, Anthony Griffin, Parker Frame, Yizhi Xiang, Zhe Qiang

Faculty Publications

Fabrication of ordered mesoporous materials (OMMs) has predominantly relied on templating-based methods. However, these methods are constrained by several limitations, especially the limited pore sizes attainable with commercially available surfactants used as structure-directing agents. To unlock the full potential of the OMMs, it is essential to develop synthetic strategies that facilitate the production of large-pore OMMs using scalable processes and cost-effective precursors. This work demonstrates the use of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)-derived carbon replicas for synthesizing ordered mesoporous silica (OMS) and metal oxides (OMMOs) via precursor infiltration and template removal. The nanostructural evolution of the resulting inorganic materials was systematically investigated. …

Impact Of Changes In Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Diagnostic Criteria During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jessica Neville, Kelly Foley, Seán Lacey, Antoinette Tuthill, Oratile Kgosidialwa, Mairead O’Riordan, Fiona O’Halloran, Seán J. Costelloe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Background/Aims

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Health Service Executive (HSE) and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) recommended fasting and random plasma glucose (FPG/RPG) alongside glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) to replace the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for diagnosing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM).

Methods

The study compared testing patterns and diagnostic rates for GDM before and after implementing the RCOG guidelines (01/05/2020) in pregnancies beginning 01/11/2018 to 31/03/2021. Trends were inspected using Cochrane-Armitage tests. Differences between General Practice (GP) and Secondary Care (SCare) were assessed by chi-square analysis. A significance level of p <  0.05 was used for all analyses. Information on maternal and pregnancy characteristics was accessed where available.

Results

Data indicated a significant reduction in …

Energy-Aware Clustering Using Intelligent Scheme For Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks, Enaam A. Al-Hussain, Ghaida A. Al-Suhail

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Heterogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) involve nodes with varying capabilities, such as different energy levels, sensing ranges, and computational abilities, which enable them to execute different tasks professionally. Clustering techniques play a crucial role in improving energy efficiency and reliability in WSNs. The evolution of cluster based WSNs from homogeneous into heterogeneous techniques allowed the deployment of smart devices capable of performing complex operations in in diverse environments. However, the heterogeneity of nodes necessitates more sophisticated and adaptive algorithms to fully exploit these capabilities. This paper proposes a new protocol, referred to as IT2F-HLEACH, which integrates Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic …