Biotechnology Commons^™

Unraveling Host-Gut Microbiota Dialogue And Its Impact On Response To Immune Checkpoint Blockade, Alexandria Cogdill

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Cancer is a disease with only one degree of separation, affecting one in two men and one in three women in their lifetimes; accounting for 1 of every 6 deaths. While cancer mortality rates continue to improve, incidence rates are expected to rise and shift through 2050 due to epidemiological and demographic transitions worldwide. As such, it is imperative to continue to investigate and improve our understanding of both disease etiology and hallmarks of response to treatment. Currently, conventional therapies include, but are not limited to, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, within the past decade, major advances have been made …

Optimum Medium For Lipase Production By Lipolytic Filamentous Fungi Isolated From Kendari Landfill Soil, Rayani Nur, Ilmi Miftahul

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Lipase produced by Aspergillus is widely known and used in many industrial sectors. In a previous study, three lipolytic filamentous fungi were isolated from Kendari (Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia) landfill soil and identified as Aspergillus niger KE1, Aspergillus terreus KC1, and Aspergillus fumigatus KE6. However, the optimization of these isolates has not been reported. In this study, statistical optimization was selected because it is more effective, efficient, economical, and robust in achieving results, and the possibility of analyzing the interaction effects among factors. Three lipolytic isolates were screened in the initial medium to obtain the highest lipolytic isolate, which was used …

Seismic Safety Assessment Of Existing Low-Rise Rc Buildings With Rapid Visual Screenings And Preliminary Evaluation Methods, Aung Moe Myat Myat, Aye Mya Nan

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Mandalay, the second largest city in Myanmar, is situated near the Sagaing Fault (the major fault in Myanmar). In the Mandalay region, the number of low-rise buildings is much greater than that of high-rise buildings. As such, seismic safety assessments of low-rise buildings play an important role in developing Mandalay as a smart city. In this study, the rapid visual screening (RVS) and preliminary evaluation for 26 numbers of three- to eight-story RC buildings were investigated with three different RVS and preliminary evaluation methods. Based on the RVS methods, the FEMA P154 Level 1 and 2 results gave the highest …

Investigation Of The Distribution Of The Daytime Employed Population Of Yangon, Myanmar, With And Without The Impact Of Work From Home, Aung Ye Wint, Myint San San

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Work from home (WFH) has gradually become more popular since COVID-19 started its transmission in Myanmar during the first quarter of 2020. Its consequence was a re-evaluation of the culture of workplaces and a significant change has occurred to the pattern of daytime employment distribution. In this paper, the network distribution model was built with three constraints, Distribution Bias 1, 2, and 3. These biases were determined through questionnaires, survey data collections of responses from Yangonites, and geographical data of urban employment cores. These percentile biases influenced the amount of employed population per distribution times and gave rise to two …

Understanding The Genetics Of Schizophrenia, Matthew Toohey

Thinking Matters Symposium

Schizophrenia has been considered heritable for a long time, but only with the advent of new technologies such as whole-genome sequencing and genome-wide association studies can we begin to identify specific molecular causes of schizophrenia. This poster will review some of the genetic variants that research groups have associated with schizophrenia. Current research has indicated that schizophrenia is a polygenic disease and has been linked to many genes. Some of these common risk variants are in protein coding sections of the DNA. These proteins are often linked to neurological development or immune system function. Other variants that have been associated …

Anticipating Ocean Deoxygenation In The Maritime Continent Of Southeast Asia, Wulandari Ita, Wahyudi A'An J., Triana Karlina

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Oxygen plays an essential role in the biogeochemical process and ocean productivity, especially during the recent trend of climate change. Development of the oxygen loss condition, deoxygenation, receives less attention than ocean acidification and warming. Therefore, understanding deoxygenation is indispensable. The maritime continent waters of Southeast Asia (SEA) are well-known for marine biodiversity and unique geological features. The area is inevitably impacted by climate change and will suffer more due to less oxygen in seawater. Based on previous research, Bengal Bay has been affected by oxygen depletion and climate change, in which hypoxic rate conditions continuously increase. In the other …

Importance Of Understanding Genetic Predisposition, Andrew Carter

Thinking Matters Symposium

Hypersensitivity reactions can be sudden and are often fatal. Many of these reactions occur as a result of allergies to prescribed medication. Adverse drug reactions or (ADR’s) were show in a recent study to affect over 6% of hospitalized patients and resulted in over 100,000 deaths a year in the US alone. This poster will review the importance of understanding genetic predisposition, through articles about possible genetic causes of allergies to penicillin and other beta-lactams. Changes in a specific HLA gene located on chromosome 6 showed a correlation to penicillin reactions in over 600,000 participants. Another study found a conclusive …

Spurring Economic Growth In Terms Of Happiness, Human Development, Competitiveness And Global Innovation: The Asean Case, Zainurossalamia Za Saida, Amalia Siti, Darma Dio Caisar, Azis Musdalifah

ASEAN Journal on Science and Technology for Development

Happiness, human development, level of competitiveness, and capacity in innovation all play an important role in spurring long-term sustainable economic growth. This study presents the relationship between these factors—happiness, human development, competitiveness, and innovation in the ASEAN region—in how they influence economic growth. To date, there has been a lack of research on this specific issue, and thus it is an interesting and little-known one to study. Panel data were used comprising a combination of time series and cross-sections. The object of the study was ASEAN member countries using the multiple linear regression method. For the years of 2013–2019, we …

Europium Sulfide Nanoprobes Predict Antiretroviral Drug Delivery Into Hiv-1 Cell And Tissue Reservoirs, Jonathan Herskovitz, Mahmudul Hasan, Jatin Machhi, Insiya Mukadam, Brendan M. Ottemann, James R. Hilaire, Christopher Woldstad, Joellyn Mcmillan, Yutong Liu, Javier Seravalli, Anandakumar Sarella, Howard E. Gendelman, Bhavesh D. Kevadiya

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background: Delivery of long-acting nanoformulated antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) to human immunodeficiency virus type one cell and tissue reservoirs underlies next generation antiretroviral therapeutics. Nanotheranostics, comprised of trackable nanoparticle adjuncts, can facilitate ARV delivery through real-time drug tracking made possible through bioimaging platforms. Methods: To model HIV-1 therapeutic delivery, europium sulfide (EuS) nanoprobes were developed, characterized and then deployed to cells, tissues, and rodents. Tests were performed with nanoformulated rilpivirine (NRPV), a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) used clinically to suppress or prevent HIV-1 infection. First, CD4+ T cells and monocyte-derived macrophages were EuS-treated with and without endocytic blockers to identify …

Crispr/Cas9-Induced Fad2 And Rod1 Mutations Stacked With Fae1 Confer High Oleic Acid Seed Oil In Pennycress (Thlaspi Arvense L.), Brice A. Jarvis, Trevor B. Romsdahl, Michaela G. Mcginn, Tara J. Nazarenus, Edgar B. Cahoon, Kent D. Chapman, John C. Sedbrook

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) is being domesticated as an oilseed cash cover crop to be grown in the off-season throughout temperate regions of the world. With its diploid genome and ease of directed mutagenesis using molecular approaches, pennycress seed oil composition can be rapidly tailored for a plethora of food, feed, oleochemical and fuel uses. Here, we utilized Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 technology to produce knockout mutations in the FATTY ACID DESATURASE2 (FAD2) and REDUCED OLEATE DESATURATION1 (ROD1) genes to increase oleic acid content. High oleic acid (18:1) oil is valued for its oxidative stability that is …

Corticospinal Excitability During A Perspective Taking Task As Measured By Tms-Induced Motor Evoked Potentials, Elizabeth Murray, Janet Brenya, Katherine Chavarria, Karen J. Kelly, Anjel Fierst, Nathira Ahmad, Caroline Anton, Layla Shaffer, Kairavi Kapila, Logan Driever, Kayla Weaver, Caroline Dial, Maya Crawford, Iso Hartman, Tommy Infantino, Fiona Butler, Abigail Straus, Shakeera L. Walker, Brianna Balugas, Matthew Pardillo, Briana Goncalves, Julian Keenan

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Only by understanding the ability to take a third-person perspective can we begin to elucidate the neural processes responsible for one’s inimitable conscious experience. The current study examined differences in hemispheric laterality during a first-person perspective (1PP) and third-person perspective (3PP) taking task, using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Participants were asked to take either the 1PP or 3PP when identifying the number of spheres in a virtual scene. During this task, single-pulse TMS was delivered to the motor cortex of both the left and right hemispheres of 10 healthy volunteers. Measures of TMS-induced motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) of the contralateral abductor …

Herbal Extracts As Neuroprotective Agents In An In-Vitro Model Of Aluminum Neurotoxicity, Nada Ezzelarab

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Aluminum toxicity due to environmental or industrial exposure, medical applications, or from cooking utensils is a serious medical problem. The current study aims to investigate three herbal extracts: pomegranate peel extract, Achillea fragrantissima extract, and papaya fruit extract to combat this neurotoxicity.

Methods: Chemical characterization of the three extracts were evaluated using HPLC MS while their neuroprotective activity was assayed using MTT assay on SHSY5Y cells and nitric oxide levels.

Results: Using HPLC-MS chromatography, we have identified twenty-one compounds in the hydro-alcoholic Achillea fragrantissima, seventeen were determined in the pomegranate peel, eleven were assessed in the Carica papaya …

Impact Of Krasg13d Mutation On Colorectal Cancer Cell Line Hct116 Organelle Structure, Function, And Growth, Rachel Craig, Abigail Solitro

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

The Relationship Between Kras And The Endoplasmic Reticulum-Mitochondrial Calcium Flux In Isogenic Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines, Emma Anderson, Abigail Solitro

Liberty University Research Week

Undergraduate

Theoretical Proposal

B25: Generation And Characterization Of Sars-Cov-2 Spike Protein-Pseudotyped Lentivirus Particles For Use In Neutralizing Antibody Titer Testing Of Human Serum, Luis Sanchez

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Pertumbuhan Tunas Kunyit Tinggi Kurkumin Pada Berbagai Jenis Sitokinin Dan Auksin Secara In Vitro, Erni Suminar, Denny Sobardini Sobarna, Syariful Mubarok, Sulistyaningsih, Ade Setiawan

Jurnal Kultivasi

Kunyit merupakan salah satu tanaman yang banyak dimanfaatkan oleh masyarakat sebagai bahan baku obat tradisional, bumbu dapur, serta zat pewarna alami, sehingga kebutuhannya mengalami peningkatan setiap tahunnya. Penyediaan bibit yang memiliki produktivitas tinggi dalam jumlah banyak dapat dilakukan dengan metode kultur in vitro, namun perlu optimasi media yang sesuai. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mencari komposisi zat pengatur tumbuh yang dapat memberikan pertumbuhan planlet yang lebih vigor. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan yaitu Rancangan Acak Lengkap. Perlakuan terdiri dari penggunaan sitokinin dan auksin pada eksplan kunyit yang diulang tiga kali. Media Murashige and Skoog (MS) digunakan sebagai media dasar dengan perlakuan kombinasi …

Pengaruh Air Kelapa Sebagai Sitokinin Organik Dan Sukrosa Terhadap Pertumbuhan Protocorm Anggrek (Phalaenopsis Hybrid Mp 253 X F1 3363 (M)) In Vitro, Muhammad Isyraq, Lia Amalia, Iis Aisyah

Jurnal Kultivasi

Sitokinin dan sukrosa dibutuhkan untuk meregenerasi protocorm anggrek. Air kelapa diketahui memiliki kandungan sitokinin sehingga berpotensi dijadikan sebagai sitokinin organik. Percobaan ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh konsentrasi air kelapa sebagai sitokinin organik dan sukrosa terhadap pertumbuhan protocorm anggrek. Percobaan ini dilaksanakan di Laboratorium Bioteknologi Tanaman, Fakultas Pertanian Universitas Winaya Mukti, Kecamatan Tanjungsari Kabupaten Sumedang. Percobaan dimulai pada bulan Mei sampai dengan bulan Agustus 2019. Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah rancangan acak kelompok dengan dua faktor dan diulang dua kali. Faktor pertama adalah konsentrasi air kelapa, terdiri dari lima taraf yaitu 0 mL L-1, 50 mL L-1, 100 mL L-1, air …

Isoprene Production From Municipal Wastewater Biosolids By Engineered Archaeon Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Sean Carr, Jared Aldridge, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Wastewater biosolids are a promising feedstock for production of value-added renewable chemicals. Methane-producing archaea (methanogens) are already used to produce renewable biogas via the anaerobic treatment of wastewater. The ability of methanogens to efficiently convert dissolved organic carbon into methane makes them an appealing potential platform for biorefining using metabolic engineering. We have engineered a strain of the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans to produce the volatile hemiterpene isoprene in addition to methane. The engineered strain was adapted to grow in municipal wastewater through cultivation in a synthetic wastewater medium. When introduced to municipal wastewater the engineered methanogens were able to compete …

Isoprene Production From Municipal Wastewater Biosolids By Engineered Archaeon Methanosarcina Acetivorans, Sean Carr, Jared Aldridge, Nicole R. Buan

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Wastewater biosolids are a promising feedstock for production of value-added renewable chemicals. Methane-producing archaea (methanogens) are already used to produce renewable biogas via the anaerobic treatment of wastewater. The ability of methanogens to efficiently convert dissolved organic carbon into methane makes them an appealing potential platform for biorefining using metabolic engineering. We have engineered a strain of the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans to produce the volatile hemiterpene isoprene in addition to methane. The engineered strain was adapted to grow in municipal wastewater through cultivation in a synthetic wastewater medium. When introduced to municipal wastewater the engineered methanogens were able to compete …

Development Of Miriplatin-Loaded Nanoparticles Against Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Zhongyue Yuan, Zizhao Xu, Xin Guo

Graduate and Professional Student Research Showcase

Lung cancer claims the highest mortality and the second-most new cases among all oncological diseases. NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of all newly diagnosed lung cancers. Although platinum-based drugs are standard first-line chemotherapy for stage IIIB/IV NSCLC, accumulating reports have shown the failure of conventional platinum-based regimens due to drug resistance. Miriplatin is a lipophilic anti-cancer drug that has been approved in Japan for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Lipid-based nanoparticles such as liposomes, micelles, and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) can encapsulate anti-cancer drugs to improve their water solubility and bioavailability.

Structural Basis For Clostridium Perfringens Enterotoxin Targeting Of Claudins At Tight Junctions In Mammalian Gut, Alex J. Vecchio, Sewwandi S. Rathnayake, Robert M. Stroud

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The bacterium Clostridium perfringens causes severe, sometimes lethal gastrointestinal disorders in humans, including enteritis and enterotoxemia. Type F strains produce an enterotoxin (CpE) that causes the third most common foodborne illness in the United States. CpE induces gut breakdown by disrupting barriers at cell–cell contacts called tight junctions (TJs), which are formed and maintained by claudins. Targeted binding of CpE to specific claudins, encoded by its C-terminal domain (cCpE), loosens TJ barriers to trigger molecular leaks between cells. Cytotoxicity results from claudin-bound CpE complexes forming pores in cell membranes. In mammalian tissues, ∼24 claudins govern TJ barriers—but the basis for …

Transcriptomic Analysis Of The Glycophytic Crop Ipomoea Aquatica Under Salinity Conditions Compared To Its Wild Halophyte Relative Ipomoea Pes-Caprae, Ruwan Saeed Aljneibi Husam Saeed Aljneibi

Theses

This study focuses on the glycophytic crop Ipomoea Aquatica (commonly known as water spinach) and its wild halophytic relative Ipomoea pes-caprae. I. Aquatica is a crop with economic value; however, it is unable to tolerate high levels of salinity. Whereas its relative Ipomoea pes-caprae is able to grow and thrive in the harsh environment of the UAE. The main aim of this study is to analyze the genetic differences underlying the variation in the two plants’ response to salinity and determine the genetic components that can be used to enhance I. Aquatica's tolerance to salinity. Accordingly, the plants were subjected …

Implementation Of A Small-Scale Wind Turbine, Lewis University

Sustainability

No abstract provided.

Responses Of Soil Surface Greenhouse Gas Emissions To Nitrogen And Sulfur Fertilizer Rates To Brassica Carinata Grown As A Bio-Jet Fuel, Dwarika Bhattarai, Gandura O. Abagandura, Thandiwe Nleya, Sandeep Kumar

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Carinata (Brassica carinata A. Braun), a non-food oilseed crop and an alternative bio-jet fuel feedstock, has received attention for its potential as a low-input option for production in the semi-arid region of the Northern Great Plains of the United States. Research addressing the impacts of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) fertilizers on soils and greenhouse gas (GHG; CO₂, N₂O, and CH₄) emissions from carinata production are limited. Thus, objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of different rates of N and S fertilizers applied to carinata on soil properties and GHG …

Highlighting Membrane Protein Structure And Function: A Celebration Of The Protein Data Bank, Fei Li, Pascal F. Egea, Alex J. Vecchio, Ignacio Asial, Meghna Gupta, Joana Paulino, Ruchika Bajaj, Miles Sasha Dickinson, Shelagh Fergunson-Miller, Brian C. Monk, Robert M. Stroud

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Biological membranes define the boundaries of cells and compartmentalize the chemical and physical processes required for life. Many biological processes are carried out by proteins embedded in or associated with such membranes. Determination of membrane protein (MP) structures at atomic or near-atomic resolution plays a vital role in elucidating their structural and functional impact in biology. This endeavor has determined 1198 unique MP structures as of early 2021. The value of these structures is expanded greatly by deposition of their three-dimensional (3D) coordinates into the Protein Data Bank (PDB) after the first atomic MP structure was elucidated in 1985. Since …

Comparative Expression Studies Of Fiber Related Genes In Cotton Spp., Muhammad Nadeem, Nadia Iqbal, Ummara Waheed, Zia Ullah Zia, Muqarrab Ali, Zulqurnain Khan

Journal of Bioresource Management

Cotton fibers are the seed trichomes that are developed around the seed and are used to make clothes and yarn for the textile industry. Expression profiling of cotton fiber genes is very important to estimate the differential gene expression level at different fiber developmental stages. Expression analysis of fiber developing genes are very important to enhance the fiber length of cotton. The expression profiling of three gene families in five stages (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 DPA) of cotton fiber tissues was carried out through real-time PCR. Expression analysis revealed that transcripts of GA-20 Oxidase, XTH, …

A Co-Opted Steroid Synthesis Gene, Maintained In Sorghum But Not Maize, Is Associated With A Divergence In Leaf Wax Chemistry, Lucas Busta, Elizabeth Schmitz, Dylan K. Kosma, James Schnable, Edgar B. Cahoon

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Virtually all land plants are coated in a cuticle, a waxy polyester that prevents nonstomatal water loss and is important for heat and drought tolerance. Here, we describe a likely genetic basis for a divergence in cuticular wax chemistry between Sorghum bicolor, a drought tolerant crop widely cultivated in hot climates, and its close relative Zea mays (maize). Combining chemical analyses, heterologous expression, and comparative genomics, we reveal that: 1) sorghum and maize leaf waxes are similar at the juvenile stage but, after the juvenile-to-adult transition, sorghum leaf waxes are rich in triterpenoids that are absent from maize; 2) …

Primer Payload System For Higher-Order Multiplex Lamp: Design And Development Of Unit Processes, Tochukwu Dubem Anyaduba

KGI Theses and Dissertations

Design and Development of Platforms for the Application of Loop-mediated Isothermal Nucleic Acid Amplification, LAMP, in the Diagnosis of Polymicrobial Diseases

Tochukwu Dubem Anyaduba, Travis Schlappi (PI)

For the past two decades, several isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies have emerged. These are mostly in response to the need for robust molecular diagnostic tools amenable to point-of-care and limited-resource settings. Of these, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, LAMP, stands out as a highly specific and rapid alternative to the polymerase chain reaction, PCR. One of LAMP's significant characteristics involves using four essential and two loop (rate increasing) primers to recognize six to eight …

Nih Funding For Vaccine Readiness Before The Covid-19 Pandemic, Anthony E. Kiszewski, Ekaterina Galkina Cleary, Matthew J. Jackson, Fred D. Ledley

Natural & Applied Sciences Faculty Publications

Rapid development of vaccines for COVID-19 has relied on the application of existing vaccine technologies. This work examines the maturity of ten technologies employed in candidate vaccines (as of July 2020) and NIH funding for published research on these technologies from 2000–2019. These technologies vary from established platforms, which have been used successfully in approved products, to emerging technologies with no prior clinical validation. A robust body of published research on vaccine technologies was supported by 16,358 fiscal years of NIH funding totaling $17.2 billion from 2000–2019. During this period, NIH funding for published vaccine research against specific pandemic threats …

Structural Basis For Clostridium Perfringens Enterotoxin Targeting Of Claudins At Tight Junctions In Mammalian Gut, Alex J. Vecchio, Sewwandi S. Rathnayake, Robert M. Stroud

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

The bacterium Clostridium perfringens causes severe, sometimes lethal gastrointestinal disorders in humans, including enteritis and enterotoxemia. Type F strains produce an enterotoxin (CpE) that causes the third most common foodborne illness in the United States. CpE induces gut breakdown by disrupting barriers at cell–cell contacts called tight junctions (TJs), which are formed and maintained by claudins. Targeted binding of CpE to specific claudins, encoded by its C-terminal domain (cCpE), loosens TJ barriers to trigger molecular leaks between cells. Cytotoxicity results from claudin-bound CpE complexes forming pores in cell membranes. In mammalian tissues, 24 claudins govern TJ barriers—but the basis for …