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Full-Text Articles in Biotechnology

Determining The Impacts Of Corn Silage Mixing Ratios On Hydrogen Production From Beef Cattle Manure, Katya Faber-Quimby May 2024

Determining The Impacts Of Corn Silage Mixing Ratios On Hydrogen Production From Beef Cattle Manure, Katya Faber-Quimby

Honors Theses

With global warming becoming an increasingly serious threat and a growing population requiring additional energy resources, interest in the production of clean energy from the agricultural sector has surged in popularity. Biohydrogen, also known as green hydrogen, is H2 that has been produced using renewable energy, such as from agricultural byproducts or waste materials. It presents a promising alternative to nonrenewable resources due to its high potential for energy storage and lack of carbon emissions when used. Cattle manure has been explored as a resource for the production of biohydrogen. Selecting for hydrogen-producing microbes in the manure serves the …

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Quantifying Costs And Benefits Of Alternative Overwintering Strategies In A Southeastern Population Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus), John Powers, Amber Stubbs, Alfred J. Mead, Dominic L. Desantis Apr 2024

Quantifying Costs And Benefits Of Alternative Overwintering Strategies In A Southeastern Population Of Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus Horridus), John Powers, Amber Stubbs, Alfred J. Mead, Dominic L. Desantis

Graduate Research Showcase

Temperate reptile populations are under strong selective pressure to minimize the costs of extreme winter temperatures. For high latitude and high elevation snake populations, this has often favored communal overwintering behavior, wherein large numbers of conspecifics aggregate at optimal sites given the limited availability of such features in the environment. Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) are distributed across a wide latitudinal gradient in North America, and therefore represent ideal models for exploring how variable winter selective regimes might favor different strategies. Here, we leverage a unique intermediate population of C. horridus from central Georgia, USA, that exhibits both communal …

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Investigation Of Alzheimer’S Amyloid-Β Protein Aggregation With A New Fluorescent Dye., Emma Alberty Jan 2024

Investigation Of Alzheimer’S Amyloid-Β Protein Aggregation With A New Fluorescent Dye., Emma Alberty

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia characterized by the impairment of at least two brain functions such as memory loss and judgement. AD is a progressive illness that can last as many as 20 years. AD is largely considered to be caused by the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. A better understanding of the structure and function of these plaques may lead to clearer understanding of the disease. To analyze amyloid plaques, aggregation assays are often used. During these assays we begin with monomer and place the sample in biological conditions to …

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Development And Evaluation Of A Mitochondrial Dna Marker For The Detection Of Rattus Rattus And Rattus Norvegicus Fecal Contamination, A'Aden Redhead Jan 2024

Development And Evaluation Of A Mitochondrial Dna Marker For The Detection Of Rattus Rattus And Rattus Norvegicus Fecal Contamination, A'Aden Redhead

Graduate Research Showcase

No abstract provided.

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Electrospun Tamarindus Indica-Loaded Antimicrobial Pmma/Cellulose Acetate/Peo Nanofibrous Scaffolds For Accelerated Wound Healing: In-Vitro And In-Vivo Assessments, Elbadawy A. Kamoun, Elbadawy A. Kamoun Jan 2024

Electrospun Tamarindus Indica-Loaded Antimicrobial Pmma/Cellulose Acetate/Peo Nanofibrous Scaffolds For Accelerated Wound Healing: In-Vitro And In-Vivo Assessments, Elbadawy A. Kamoun, Elbadawy A. Kamoun

Nanotechnology Research Centre

In this work, Tamarindus indica (T. indica)-loaded crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/cellulose acetate (CA)/poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) electrospun nanofibers were designed and fabricated for wound healing applications. T. indica is a plant extract that possesses antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antimalarial and wound healing properties. T. indica leaves extract of different concentrations were blended with a tuned composition of a matrix comprised of PMMA (10 %), CA (2 %) and PEO (1.5 %), and were electrospun to form smooth, dense and continuous nanofibers as illustrated by SEM investigation. In vitro evaluation of T. indicaloaded nanofibers on normal human skin fibroblasts (HBF4) revealed a high …

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Quantitative Raman Analysis Of Human Blood Serum Of Glaucoma Patients Supplemented With Macular Pigment Carotenoids., Joy Udensi, Ekaterina Loskutova, James Loughman, Hugh J. Byrne Jan 2024

Quantitative Raman Analysis Of Human Blood Serum Of Glaucoma Patients Supplemented With Macular Pigment Carotenoids., Joy Udensi, Ekaterina Loskutova, James Loughman, Hugh J. Byrne

Datasets

Carotenoids have been widely studied for their high dietary, antioxidant, and vision protection roles in the human body. Blood contains all major dietary carotenoids and hence presents as a suitable and efficient substrate for the estimation of dietary carotenoids in vivo. Following the 18-month supplementation of open angle glaucoma patients with macula pigment carotenoids (Lutein, Zeaxanthin and Meso-Zeaxanthin) in the European Nutrition in Glaucoma Management (ENIGMA) trial, Raman spectroscopic analysis of the pre-supplementation baseline and 18-month supplemented blood serum carotenoids from participants was carried out, to investigate the systemic impact of supplementation in the blood and explore a more direct …

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Catalytic Activity Of Co (Ii)‑Porphyrin Anchored Onto Polymeric Support Of Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber: Synthesis And Efficient Green Oxidation Of Crystal Violet Dye With Hydrogen Peroxide, Elbadawy A. Kamoun, Elbadawy A. Kamoun Nov 2023

Catalytic Activity Of Co (Ii)‑Porphyrin Anchored Onto Polymeric Support Of Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofiber: Synthesis And Efficient Green Oxidation Of Crystal Violet Dye With Hydrogen Peroxide, Elbadawy A. Kamoun, Elbadawy A. Kamoun

Nanotechnology Research Centre

novel method was explored in this study to address water contamination challenges by utilizing nanofiber mat-supported metalloporphyrin materials. Specifically, electrospinning was employed to create various compositions of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) mixed with different concentrations of Co(II) complex of tetrakis-5, 10, 15, 20 (4-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin Co(II)TPHPP 1 anchored to chloroacetylated poly (p-hydroxy styrene) CAPS. These resulting nanofiber mat-supported metalloporphyrin materials were comprehensively analyzed using UV, FTIR spectrum, SEM, and TGA thermographs. The study found that the designed nanofibers acted as efficient catalysts for the oxidative breakdown of crystal violet (CV) dye using H2O2 in aqueous solutions. Among these materials, the nanofiber composed of …

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Transcriptional Pausing Factor M1bp Regulates Cellular Homeostasis By Suppressing Autophagy And Apoptosis In Drosophila Eye, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Hannah Darnell, Akanksha Raj, Madhuri Kango-Singh Sep 2023

Transcriptional Pausing Factor M1bp Regulates Cellular Homeostasis By Suppressing Autophagy And Apoptosis In Drosophila Eye, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Hannah Darnell, Akanksha Raj, Madhuri Kango-Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

During organogenesis cellular homeostasis plays a crucial role in patterning and growth. The role of promoter proximal pausing of RNA polymerase II, which regulates transcription of several developmental genes by GAGA factor or Motif 1 Binding Protein (M1BP), has not been fully understood in cellular homeostasis. Earlier, we reported that M1BP, a functional homolog of ZKSCAN3, regulates wingless (wg) and caspase-dependent cell death (apoptosis) in the Drosophila eye. Further, blocking apoptosis does not fully rescue the M1BPRNAi phenotype of reduced eye. Therefore, we looked for other possible mechanism(s). In a forward genetic screen, members of the Jun-amino-terminal-(NH2)-Kinase (JNK) pathway …

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N-Acetyltransferase 9 Ameliorates Aβ42-Mediated Neurodegeneration In The Drosophila Eye, Prajakta Deshpande, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Emily E. Snider, Aditi Singh, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh Jul 2023

N-Acetyltransferase 9 Ameliorates Aβ42-Mediated Neurodegeneration In The Drosophila Eye, Prajakta Deshpande, Anuradha Venkatakrishnan Chimata, Emily E. Snider, Aditi Singh, Madhuri Kango-Singh, Amit Singh

Biology Faculty Publications

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, manifests as accumulation of amyloid-beta-42 (Aβ42) plaques and intracellular accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) that results in microtubule destabilization. Targeted expression of human Aβ42 (GMR > Aβ42) in developing Drosophila eye retinal neurons results in Aβ42 plaque(s) and mimics AD-like extensive neurodegeneration. However, there remains a gap in our understanding of the underlying mechanism(s) for Aβ42-mediated neurodegeneration. To address this gap in information, we conducted a forward genetic screen, and identified N-acetyltransferase 9 (Mnat9) as a genetic modifier of GMR > Aβ42 neurodegenerative phenotype. Mnat9 is known to stabilize microtubules by inhibiting c-Jun-N- …

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Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate Reductase-2 Promotes Colorectal Carcinogenesis By Modulating Microtubule-Associated Serine/Threonine Kinase-Like/Wnt/Β-Catenin Signaling, Raju Lama Tamang, Balawant Kumar, Sagar M. Patel, Ishwor Thapa, Alshomrani Ahmad, Vikas Kumar, Rizwan Ahmad, Donald F. Becker, Dundy Kiran Bastola, Punita Dhawan, Amar B. Singh Jul 2023

Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate Reductase-2 Promotes Colorectal Carcinogenesis By Modulating Microtubule-Associated Serine/Threonine Kinase-Like/Wnt/Β-Catenin Signaling, Raju Lama Tamang, Balawant Kumar, Sagar M. Patel, Ishwor Thapa, Alshomrani Ahmad, Vikas Kumar, Rizwan Ahmad, Donald F. Becker, Dundy Kiran Bastola, Punita Dhawan, Amar B. Singh

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: Despite significant progress in clinical management, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. A positive association between PYCR2 (pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase-2), a terminal enzyme of proline metabolism, and CRC aggressiveness was recently reported. However, how PYCR2 promotes colon carcinogenesis remains ill understood. Methods: A comprehensive analysis was performed using publicly available cancer databases and CRC patient cohorts. Proteomics and biochemical evaluations were performed along with genetic manipulations and in vivo tumor growth assays to gain a mechanistic understanding. Results: PYCR2 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC and associated with poor patient survival, specifically among PYCR …

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Editorial: Rising Stars In Microbial Physiology And Metabolism: 2022, Nicole R. Buan, Ulrike Kappler Jul 2023

Editorial: Rising Stars In Microbial Physiology And Metabolism: 2022, Nicole R. Buan, Ulrike Kappler

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

This Research Topic was initiated to highlight work by young authors, the rising stars in the field of microbial physiology and metabolism. Microbial physiology and metabolism is an interdisciplinary field of research that seeks to uncover how the metabolic pathways of a cell work together to determine cell fate and function, whether that be growth, replication, pathogenicity, predation, respiration and fermentation, homeostasis or death. Ultimately, researchers like the ones featured here seek to integrate biological information and physicochemical parameters to try to find the underlying rules governing microbial function so that we can understand, predict and design microbes and microbial …

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Evaluation Of Bio-Friendly Formulations From Siderophore-Producing Fluorescent Pseudomonas As Biocontrol Agents For The Management Of Soil-Borne Fungi, Fusarium Oxysporum And Rhizoctonia Solani, Gaber Attia Abo-Zaid, Ahmed Salah Abdullah, Nadia Abdel-Mohsen Soliman, Ebaa Ebrahim El-Sharouny, Abdulaziz A. Al-Askar, Yiming Su, Ahmed Abdelkhalek, Soraya Abdel-Fattah Sabry Jul 2023

Evaluation Of Bio-Friendly Formulations From Siderophore-Producing Fluorescent Pseudomonas As Biocontrol Agents For The Management Of Soil-Borne Fungi, Fusarium Oxysporum And Rhizoctonia Solani, Gaber Attia Abo-Zaid, Ahmed Salah Abdullah, Nadia Abdel-Mohsen Soliman, Ebaa Ebrahim El-Sharouny, Abdulaziz A. Al-Askar, Yiming Su, Ahmed Abdelkhalek, Soraya Abdel-Fattah Sabry

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Secretion of siderophores by Pseudomonas aeruginosa F2 and P. fluorescens JY3 was evaluated on chrome azurol S (CAS) agar plates and their inhibitory effect was inspected against Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani. Production of siderophores as biocontrol agents from F2 and JY3 was accomplished in two optimized media. Afterward, cell-free supernatants of the bacterial cultures containing siderophores were used for the preparation of two bio-friendly formulations for the management of F. oxysporum and R. solani under greenhouse conditions. The investigated bacterial isolates, F2 and JY3, showed antagonistic activity in vitro against F. oxysporum and R. solani and produced siderophores …

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Chloroquine And Cytosolic Galectins Affect Endosomal Escape Of Antisense Oligonucleotides After Stabilin-Mediated Endocytosis, Ekta Pandey, Ed Harris Jul 2023

Chloroquine And Cytosolic Galectins Affect Endosomal Escape Of Antisense Oligonucleotides After Stabilin-Mediated Endocytosis, Ekta Pandey, Ed Harris

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Non-DNA-binding Stabilin-2/HARE receptors expressed on liver sinusoidal endothelial cells specifically bind to and internalize several classes of phosphorothioate antisense oligonucleotides (PS-ASOs). After Stabilin-mediated uptake, PS-ASOs are trafficked within endosomes (>97%–99%), ultimately resulting in destruction in the lysosome. The ASO entrapment in endosomes lowers therapeutic efficacy, thereby increasing the overall dose for patients. Here, we use confocal microscopy to characterize the intracellular route transverse by PS-ASOs after Stabilin receptor-mediated uptake in stable recombinant Stabilin-1 and -2 cell lines. We found that PS-ASOs as well as the Stabilin-2 receptor transverse the classic path: clathrincoated vesicle-early endosome-late endosome-lysosome. Chloroquine exposure facilitated endosomal …

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A Novel Method Of Rapid Detection For Heavy Metal Copper Ion Via A Specific Copper Chelator Bathocuproinedisulfonic Acid Disodium Salt, Yali Wang, Tinglin Ma, Joseph Brake, Zhaoyue Sun, Jiayu Huang, Jing Li, Xiaobin Wu Jul 2023

A Novel Method Of Rapid Detection For Heavy Metal Copper Ion Via A Specific Copper Chelator Bathocuproinedisulfonic Acid Disodium Salt, Yali Wang, Tinglin Ma, Joseph Brake, Zhaoyue Sun, Jiayu Huang, Jing Li, Xiaobin Wu

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The extensive usage and production of copper may lead to toxic effects in organisms due to its accumulation in the environment. Traditional methods for copper detection are time consuming and infeasible for field usage. It is necessary to discover a real-time, rapid and economical method for detecting copper to ensure human health and environmental safety. Here we developed a colorimetric paper strip method and optimized spectrum method for rapid detection of copper ion based on the specific copper chelator bathocuproinedisulfonic acid disodium salt (BCS). Both biological assays and chemical methods verified the specificity of BCS for copper. The optimized reaction …

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Putrescine Detected In Strains Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Javier Seravalli, Frank Portugal Jun 2023

Putrescine Detected In Strains Of Staphylococcus Aureus, Javier Seravalli, Frank Portugal

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Most forms of life, including the archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes synthesize the polyamine putrescine. Although putrescine is widely distributed, several Gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), appear to be the exceptions. We report here that strains of S. aureus can produce the polyamine putrescine, as well as the derivative N-acetyl-putrescine. Three strains of S. aureus from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), one strain listed in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database, whose genomic sequence is well defined, and well as eight strains from S. aureus-induced brain abscesses of individual patients from multiple …

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Type Iv Pilus-Mediated Inhibition Of Acinetobacter Baumannii Biofilm Formation By Phenothiazine Compounds, Nam Vo, Benjamin S. Sidner, Yafan Yu, Kurt H. Piepenbrink Jun 2023

Type Iv Pilus-Mediated Inhibition Of Acinetobacter Baumannii Biofilm Formation By Phenothiazine Compounds, Nam Vo, Benjamin S. Sidner, Yafan Yu, Kurt H. Piepenbrink

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Infections by pathogenic Acinetobacter species represent a significant burden on the health care system, despite their relative rarity, due to the difficulty of treating infections through oral antibiotics. Multidrug resistance is commonly observed in clinical Acinetobacter infections and multiple molecular mechanisms have been identified for this resistance, including multidrug efflux pumps, carbapenemase enzymes, and the formation of bacterial biofilm in persistent infections. Phenothiazine compounds have been identified as a potential inhibitor of type IV pilus production in multiple Gram-negative bacterial species. Here, we report the ability of two phenothiazines to inhibit type IV pilus-dependent surface (twitching) motility and biofilm formation …

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Hematopoietic Stem Cells And Betaherpesvirus Latency, Lindsey B. Crawford Jun 2023

Hematopoietic Stem Cells And Betaherpesvirus Latency, Lindsey B. Crawford

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The human betaherpesviruses including human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human herpesvirus (HHV)-6a and HHV-6b, and HHV-7 infect and establish latency in CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HPCs). The diverse repertoire of HPCs in humans and the complex interactions between these viruses and host HPCs regulate the viral lifecycle, including latency. Precise manipulation of host and viral factors contribute to preferential maintenance of the viral genome, increased host cell survival, and specific manipulation of the cellular environment including suppression of neighboring cells and immune control. The dynamic control of these processes by the virus regulate inter- and intra-host signals critical to the …

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Bola3 And Nfu1 Link Mitoribosome Iron-Sulfur Cluster Assembly To Multiple Mitochondrial Dysfunctions Syndrome, Hui Zhong, Alexandre Janer, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Hana Antonicka, Eric Shoubridge, Antoni Barrientos May 2023

Bola3 And Nfu1 Link Mitoribosome Iron-Sulfur Cluster Assembly To Multiple Mitochondrial Dysfunctions Syndrome, Hui Zhong, Alexandre Janer, Oleh Khalimonchuk, Hana Antonicka, Eric Shoubridge, Antoni Barrientos

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The human mitochondrial ribosome contains three [2Fe-2S] clusters whose assembly pathway, role, and implications for mitochondrial and metabolic diseases are unknown. Here, structure-function correlation studies show that the clusters play a structural role during mitoribosome assembly. To uncover the assembly pathway, we have examined the effect of silencing the expression of Fe-S cluster biosynthetic and delivery factors on mitoribosome stability. We find that the mitoribosome receives its [2Fe-2S] clusters from the GLRX5-BOLA3 node. Additionally, the assembly of the small subunit depends on the mitoribosome biogenesis factor METTL17, recently reported containing a [4Fe-4S] cluster, which we propose is inserted via the …

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Dietary Marine-Derived Ingredients For Stimulating Hair Cell Cycle, Aleksandra Augustyniak, Helena Mcmahon May 2023

Dietary Marine-Derived Ingredients For Stimulating Hair Cell Cycle, Aleksandra Augustyniak, Helena Mcmahon

Publications

In normal condition human hair growth occurs through three phases, anagen (growth phase included about 85 % of hairs, last from 2 to 6 years), catagen (transitional phase lasting up to 2 weeks) and telogen (resting phase which last from 1 to 4 months). Natural dynamics of the hair growth process can be impaired by several factors, such as genetic predisposition, hormonal disorders, aging, poor nutrition or stress, which can lead to the slowdown in the growth of hair or even hair loss. The aim of the study was to assess the hair growth promotion effect of marine-derived ingredients, hair …

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Green Biorefinery Systems For The Production Of Climate-Smart Sustainable Products From Grasses, Legumes And Green Crop Residues, James Gaffey, Gaurav Rajuaria, Helena Mcmahon, Rajeev Ravindran, Carmen Dominguez, Morten Ambye Jensen, Macella F. Souza, Erik Meers, Marta Macias Aragonés, Dubravka Skunka, Johan P. M. Sanders May 2023

Green Biorefinery Systems For The Production Of Climate-Smart Sustainable Products From Grasses, Legumes And Green Crop Residues, James Gaffey, Gaurav Rajuaria, Helena Mcmahon, Rajeev Ravindran, Carmen Dominguez, Morten Ambye Jensen, Macella F. Souza, Erik Meers, Marta Macias Aragonés, Dubravka Skunka, Johan P. M. Sanders

Publications

Grasses, legumes and green plant wastes represent a ubiquitous feedstock for developing a bioeconomy in regions across Europe. These feedstocks are often an important source of ruminant feed, although much remains unused or underutilised. In addition to proteins, these materials are rich in fibres, sugars, minerals and other components that could also be used as inputs for bio-based product development. Green Biorefinery processes and initiatives are being developed to better capitalise on the potential of these feedstocks to produce sustainable food, feed, materials and energy in an integrated way. Such systems may support a more sustainable primary production sector, enable …

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Rapid & Sensitive Detection Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes By Utilizing New Diagnostic Probe Tales With 2d-Nanosheet Graphene Oxide, Jihye Kang May 2023

Rapid & Sensitive Detection Of Antibiotic Resistance Genes By Utilizing New Diagnostic Probe Tales With 2d-Nanosheet Graphene Oxide, Jihye Kang

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

As antibiotic resistance is one of the major health concerns in infectious diseases because of reducing the efficacy of antibiotics, rapid and sensitive detection of antibiotic resistance genes is critical for the effective treatment of infectious diseases. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is widely used to detect nucleic acids, but it requires additional steps involved in DNA denaturation and subsequent hybridization. A new class of DNA-binding domains called transcriptional activator-like effectors (TALEs) provide a novel scaffold for designing versatile DNA-binding proteins due to their modularity and predictability. Here, we developed a simple, rapid, and sensitive system for detecting antibiotic resistance genes …

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From Deep Mutational Mapping Of Allosteric Protein Landscapes To Deep Learning Of Allostery And Hidden Allosteric Sites: Zooming In On “Allosteric Intersection” Of Biochemical And Big Data Approaches, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Mohammed Alshahrani, Grace Gupta, Sian Xiao, Peng Tao Apr 2023

From Deep Mutational Mapping Of Allosteric Protein Landscapes To Deep Learning Of Allostery And Hidden Allosteric Sites: Zooming In On “Allosteric Intersection” Of Biochemical And Big Data Approaches, Gennady M. Verkhivker, Mohammed Alshahrani, Grace Gupta, Sian Xiao, Peng Tao

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have driven the design of new expert systems and automated workflows that are able to model complex chemical and biological phenomena. In recent years, machine learning approaches have been developed and actively deployed to facilitate computational and experimental studies of protein dynamics and allosteric mechanisms. In this review, we discuss in detail new developments along two major directions of allosteric research through the lens of data-intensive biochemical approaches and AI-based computational methods. Despite considerable progress in applications of AI methods for protein structure and dynamics studies, the intersection between allosteric …

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Flexible Materials And Applications For Wearable Sensors, Brock Ferrari Apr 2023

Flexible Materials And Applications For Wearable Sensors, Brock Ferrari

Senior Honors Theses

This literature review aimed to address the limitations of rigid wearable sensors in the medical community by investigating the development of flexible materials for remote health monitoring. A keyword search was conducted on Google Scholar, PubMed, and the Jerry Falwell Library, which yielded 9,102 articles. After applying filtering techniques, the results were narrowed down to 21 articles, which were categorized into "Present Market Conditions," "Flexible Materials for Medical Use," "Applications for Wearable Sensors," and "Potential Use Cases." Discussions were held on prominent materials such as substrate, nanocomposite, and liquid metal materials, exploring their potential applications for chemical and physical sensing, …

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Dairy Bioactives And Functional Ingredients With Skin Health Benefits, Aleksandra Augustyniak, Davide Gottardi, Barbara Giordani, James Gaffey, Helena Mcmahon Apr 2023

Dairy Bioactives And Functional Ingredients With Skin Health Benefits, Aleksandra Augustyniak, Davide Gottardi, Barbara Giordani, James Gaffey, Helena Mcmahon

Publications

The potential of whey from Italian cheese productions to support skin health and anti-ageing mechanism was studied. The effect of whey on dermal and epidermal cells was evaluated. Whey inhibited the activity of elastase and tyrosinase enzymes by 60% and 32%, respectively. Whey cytotoxicity against tested skin cell lines, human fibroblasts (HDFa) and keratinocytes (HaCaT) was not observed. Moreover, the antioxidant activity of the samples was noted, after treatment with whey intracellular ROS level was decreased by 87% in comparison with the hydrogen peroxide-treated cells. Fibroblasts produced a significant amount of extracellular matrix molecules, collagen I, elastin and glycosaminoglycans as …

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Surveillance And Stewardship: Where Infection Prevention And Antimicrobial Stewardship Intersect, Fred C. Tenover, Debra A. Goff Mar 2023

Surveillance And Stewardship: Where Infection Prevention And Antimicrobial Stewardship Intersect, Fred C. Tenover, Debra A. Goff

Biology Faculty Publications

Colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) is a risk factor for subsequent infection. Surveillance for MDROs, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales, and carbapenemase-producing organisms, is commonly conducted in hospitals to prevent spread of MDROs, in part to reduce the potential for additional infections. Although colonization is a risk factor for infection, data on colonization with various MDROs are often not considered when selecting anti-infective therapy. There are conflicting data on the strength of the positive and negative predictive values of the colonization test results to guide therapeutic strategies. Defining therapeutic strategies for patients with complicated or …

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A Multiscale Mechanistic Model Of Human Dendritic Cells For In-Silico Investigation Of Immune Responses And Novel Therapeutics Discovery, Sara Sadat Aghamiri, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Rada Amin, Tomáš Helikar Mar 2023

A Multiscale Mechanistic Model Of Human Dendritic Cells For In-Silico Investigation Of Immune Responses And Novel Therapeutics Discovery, Sara Sadat Aghamiri, Bhanwar Lal Puniya, Rada Amin, Tomáš Helikar

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) with the unique ability to mediate inflammatory responses of the immune system. Given the critical role of DCs in shaping immunity, they present an attractive avenue as a therapeutic target to program the immune system and reverse immune disease disorders. To ensure appropriate immune response, DCs utilize intricate and complex molecular and cellular interactions that converge into a seamless phenotype. Computational models open novel frontiers in research by integrating large-scale interaction to interrogate the influence of complex biological behavior across scales. The ability to model large biological networks will likely pave the …

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Editorial: Structure And Function Of Chloroplasts, Volume Iii, Hongbo Gao, Alistair J. Mccormick, Rebecca Roston, Yan Lu Mar 2023

Editorial: Structure And Function Of Chloroplasts, Volume Iii, Hongbo Gao, Alistair J. Mccormick, Rebecca Roston, Yan Lu

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Chloroplasts are endosymbiotic organelles derived from cyanobacteria. They have a double envelope membrane, including the outer envelope and the inner envelope. A complex membrane system, thylakoids, exists inside the chloroplast. It is the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. The stroma is the main site of the carbon fixation reactions. Although photosynthesis is a very complicated process with many proteins involved, there are many other important processes that occur in chloroplasts, including the regulation of photosynthesis, the biogenesis and maintenance of the structures, carbohydrate, lipid, tetrapyrrole, amino acid, and isoprenoid metabolism, production of some phytohormones, production of specialized metabolites, …

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Directed Carbapenemase Testing Is No Longer Just For Enterobacterales: Cost, Labor, And Workflow Assessment Of Expanding Carbapenemase Testing To Carbapenem-Resistant P. Aeruginosa, Fred C. Tenover, Christian M. Gill, Poonam Rajkotia, Amity L. Roberts, David P. Nicolau Feb 2023

Directed Carbapenemase Testing Is No Longer Just For Enterobacterales: Cost, Labor, And Workflow Assessment Of Expanding Carbapenemase Testing To Carbapenem-Resistant P. Aeruginosa, Fred C. Tenover, Christian M. Gill, Poonam Rajkotia, Amity L. Roberts, David P. Nicolau

Biology Faculty Publications

Molecular carbapenem-resistance testing, such as for the presence of carbapenemases genes, is commonly implemented for the detection of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales. Carbapenemase-producing P. aeruginosa is also associated with significant morbidity and mortality, although; prevalence may be underappreciated in the United States due to a lack of carbapenemase testing. The present study sought to compare hands-on time, cost and workflow implementation of carbapenemase gene testing in Enterobacterales and P. aeruginosa isolates versus sending out isolates to a public health laboratory (PHL) for testing to assess if in-house can provide actionable results. The time to carbapenemase gene results were compared. Differences in cost …

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Endogenous L- To D-Amino Acid Residue Isomerization Modulates Selectivity Between Distinct Neuropeptide Receptor Family Members, Baba M. Yussif, Cole V. Blasing, James W. Checco Feb 2023

Endogenous L- To D-Amino Acid Residue Isomerization Modulates Selectivity Between Distinct Neuropeptide Receptor Family Members, Baba M. Yussif, Cole V. Blasing, James W. Checco

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The L- to D-amino acid residue isomerization of neuropeptides is an understudied post-translational modification found in animals across several phyla. Despite its physiological importance, little information is available regarding the impact of endogenous peptide isomerization on receptor recognition and activation. As a result, the full roles peptide isomerization play in biology are not well understood. Here, we identify that the Aplysia allatotropin-related peptide (ATRP) signaling system utilizes L- to D-residue isomerization of one amino acid residue in the neuropeptide ligand to modulate selectivity between two distinct G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). We first identified a novel receptor for ATRP that is …

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Supplementation Of Sulfide Or Acetate And 2-Mercaptoethane Sulfonate Restores Growth Of The Methanosarcina Acetivorans Δhdrabc Deletion Mutant During Methylotrophic Methanogenesis, Alicia M. Salvi, Niaz Bahar Chowdhury, Rajib Saha, Nicole R. Buan Jan 2023

Supplementation Of Sulfide Or Acetate And 2-Mercaptoethane Sulfonate Restores Growth Of The Methanosarcina Acetivorans Δhdrabc Deletion Mutant During Methylotrophic Methanogenesis, Alicia M. Salvi, Niaz Bahar Chowdhury, Rajib Saha, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Methanogenic archaea are important organisms in the global carbon cycle that grow by producing methane gas. Methanosarcina acetivorans is a methanogenic archaeum that can grow using methylated compounds, carbon monoxide, or acetate and produces renewable methane as a byproduct. However, there is limited knowledge of how combinations of substrates may affect metabolic fluxes in methanogens. Previous studies have shown that heterodisulfide reductase, the terminal oxidase in the electron transport system, is an essential enzyme in all methanogens. Deletion of genes encoding the nonessential methylotrophic heterodisulfide reductase enzyme (HdrABC) results in slower growth rate but increased metabolic efficiency. We hypothesized that …

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