Microbiology Commons^™

A Conserved Mechanism For Hormesis In Molecular Systems, Sharon N. Greenwood, Regina G. Belz, Brian P. Weiser

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Hormesis refers to dose-response phenomena where low dose treatments elicit a response that is opposite the response observed at higher doses. Hormetic dose-response relationships have been observed throughout all of biology, but the underlying determinants of many reported hormetic dose-responses have not been identified. In this report, we describe a conserved mechanism for hormesis on the molecular level where low dose treatments enhance a response that becomes reduced at higher doses. The hormetic mechanism relies on the ability of protein homo-multimers to simultaneously interact with a substrate and a competitor on different subunits at low doses of competitor. In this …

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Mucosal Attachment And Colonization By Clostridioides Difficile, Ben Sidner

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Clostridioides difficile is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacterium which causes gastrointestinal disease and is a leading cause of nosocomial infections. Although infection typically occurs following antibiotic therapy, in recent years there has been an increase in infections which are not preceded by antibiotic use. Additionally, community-associated infections and rates of disease recurrence have increased. While it is understood that a healthy gastrointestinal microbiota provides protection against infection, the molecular mechanisms which underly C. difficile's ability to colonize and persist in the gut are mostly unknown. Building on work from others that suggests C. difficile associates with the outer mucus …

Presence Of Blaper-1 And Blaveb-1 Beta-Lactamase Genes Among Isolates Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa From Burn And Trauma Hospital Peshawar, Pakistan, Suleman Khan, Samiyah Tasleem, Alfarah Rehmat Ullah,, Sarwat Moon, Saad Alghamdi, Raina Saad Suliman, Muhammad Ateeq, Muhmmad Salman, Anas S. Dablool,, Banan Atwah, Farkad Bantun

Journal of Bioresource Management

Pseudomonas aeruginosa spp are the most prevalent bacteria that cause nosocomial infections in hospitals. Most antibiotics, including novel new β-lactams, are already resistant to them, and they can become resistant during treatment, which can make the treatment fail. P. aeruginosa isolates from ICU patients who had Per-1 and VEB-1 were the main focus of this study. These two ESBLs are the two most common in ICU patients who had them. 50 isolates were gathered from Peshawar's LRH ICU facilities in the year 2021. The antibiotic susceptibility test was conducted in accordance with the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute's standards (CLSI). …

Dietary Fatty Acid Intake And The Colonic Gut Microbiota In Humans, Anthony A Xu, Luke K Kennedy, Kristi Hoffman, Donna L White, Fasiha Kanwal, Hashem B El-Serag, Joseph F Petrosino, Li Jiao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A high-fat diet has been associated with systemic diseases in humans and alterations in gut microbiota in animal studies. However, the influence of dietary fatty acid intake on gut microbiota in humans has not been well studied. In this cross-sectional study, we examined the association between intake of total fatty acids (TFAs), saturated fatty acids (SFAs), trans fatty acids (TrFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), n3-FAs, and n6-FAs, and the community composition and structure of the adherent colonic gut microbiota. We obtained 97 colonic biopsies from 34 participants with endoscopically normal colons. Microbial DNA was used to …

Effect Of Sub-Inhibitory Concentrations Of Nitrofurantoin, Ciprofloxacin And Trimethoprim On In-Vitro Biofilm Formation In Uropathogenic Escherichia Coli, Shane Whelan

ORBioM (Open Research BioSciences Meeting)

The purpose of the current study was to determine the effect of sublethal concentrations of nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim on biofilm formation in 57 uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains (UPEC).

The MIC of nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin and trimethoprim was determined for 57 UPEC isolates. Biofilm formation for each isolate with and without sub-lethal concentrations of each antibiotic was then quantified, and the statistical significance of changes in biofilm formation was ascertained by way of a Dunnett's test.

The effects of sub-MIC antibiotics on biofilm formation of UPEC were variable. A total of 22.8% of strains were induced to form biofilm by nitrofurantoin, …

Temporal Changes In Gastrointestinal Fungi And The Risk Of Autoimmunity During Early Childhood: The Teddy Study, Thomas A Auchtung, Christopher J Stewart, Daniel P Smith, Eric W Triplett, Daniel Agardh, William A Hagopian, Anette G Ziegler, Marian J Rewers, Jin-Xiong She, Jorma Toppari, Åke Lernmark, Beena Akolkar, Jeffrey P Krischer, Kendra Vehik, Jennifer M Auchtung, Nadim J Ajami, Joseph F Petrosino

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Fungal infections are a major health problem that often begin in the gastrointestinal tract. Gut microbe interactions in early childhood are critical for proper immune responses, yet there is little known about the development of the fungal population from infancy into childhood. Here, as part of the TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) study, we examine stool samples of 888 children from 3 to 48 months and find considerable differences between fungi and bacteria. The metagenomic relative abundance of fungi was extremely low but increased while weaning from milk and formula. Overall fungal diversity remained constant over …

Discovery Of The First Lyticstaphylococcus Pseudintermedius/ Staphylococcus Aureus Polyvalent Bacteriophages, Haroldo Hernandez Santos, Justin Clark, Austen Terwilliger, Anthony Maresso

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background:

There are no verified lytic Staphylococcus pseudintermedius phages in the literature and few temperate phage genomes in databases. S. pseudintermedius is an opportunistic zoonotic pathogen of great importance in veterinary and human medicine.

Materials and Methods:

We discovered phages against canine-derived S. pseudintermedius isolates by screening dog feces, hair, and skin swabs. Fourteen new phages were isolated and characterized by genomic analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and host range determination.

Results:

Three phages—DH2, DH5, and DS10, a phage K variant—were predicted lytic by sequencing, a designation supported by mitomycin C induction. All three are S. pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus aureus polyvalent …

Gut Commensals Modulate Siv/Shiv Pathogenesis And Therapeutics, Samuel Johnson

Theses & Dissertations

Despite significant advancements in combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), ongoing inflammation in the brain and gut remain two of the most significant hurdles in the health of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Additionally, a viral reservoir in each compartment inhibits cure efforts by allowing rapid viral rebound following cART interruption. Emerging understanding of the gut-brain axis (GBA) implicates each compartment in the modulation of the other in a complex bi-directional interaction mediated by vagus innervation, circulating lymphocytes, and microbiome composition and biproducts. Using multiple models of the simian (and simian-human) immunodeficiency virus (SIV/SHIV) and therapeutic intervention, I present how …

Cdk8 Kinase Module Modifies Expression Of Specific Translation-Related Proteins Before And After Stress, Brittany Friedson, Katrina Cooper

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Translation is tightly coupled to growth status. Efficient protein synthesis is necessary for cell growth in nutrient rich environments, while global translation inhibition combined with selective translation of stress-responsive mRNAs helps limit growth in times of stress. Environmental stress cues which inhibit the nutrient-sensing complex TORC1 are known to reduce general translation, but how does the cell alter protein synthesis machinery to adapt to these conditions? A few mechanisms to promote cell survival in nitrogen starvation include post-translational modification and selective degradation of specific mRNA-binding translation factors, as well as inhibition of activators of genes whose products are required for …

Systems Biology Approach To Functionally Assess The Clostridioides Difficile Pangenome Reveals Genetic Diversity With Discriminatory Power, Charles J Norsigian, Heather A Danhof, Colleen K Brand, Firas S Midani, Jared T Broddrick, Tor C Savidge, Robert A Britton, Bernhard O Palsson, Jennifer K Spinler, Jonathan M Monk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Combatting Clostridioides difficile infections, a dominant cause of hospital-associated infections with incidence and resulting deaths increasing worldwide, is complicated by the frequent emergence of new virulent strains. Here, we employ whole-genome sequencing, high-throughput phenotypic screenings, and genome-scale models of metabolism to evaluate the genetic diversity of 451 strains of C. difficile. Constructing the C. difficile pangenome based on this set revealed 9,924 distinct gene clusters, of which 2,899 (29%) are defined as core, 2,968 (30%) are defined as unique, and the remaining 4,057 (41%) are defined as accessory. We develop a strain typing method, sequence typing by accessory genome (STAG), …

Antiviral Activity Of Olanexidine-Containing Hand Rub Against Human Noroviruses, Khalil Ettayebi, Wilhelm Salmen, Kaoru Imai, Akifumi Hagi, Frederick H Neill, Robert L Atmar, B V Venkataram Prasad, Mary K Estes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is the leading cause of epidemic and sporadic acute gastroenteritis worldwide. HuNoV transmission occurs predominantly by direct person-to-person contact, and its health burden is associated with poor hand hygiene and a lack of effective antiseptics and disinfectants. Specific therapies and methods to prevent and control HuNoV spread previously were difficult to evaluate because of the lack of a cell culture system to propagate infectious virus. This barrier has been overcome with the successful cultivation of HuNoV in nontransformed human intestinal enteroids (HIEs). Here, we report using the HIE cultivation system to evaluate the virucidal efficacy of an …

Investigating Alternative Induction Of The S. Aureus 80a Prophage, Jody Caretti

Student Scholar Showcase

Widespread antibiotic resistance has quickly become one of the most concerning crises affecting modern medicine, especially in cases of Staphylococcal infections, which have become resistant to all ��-lactam antibiotics. As a result, research into alternative forms of treatment for bacterial infections is a top priority. Bacteriophage therapy is a popular candidate for replacing antibiotics, due to the way the viruses interact with the bacteria. The 80�� prophage integrates its DNA into Staphylococcus aureus strain 10616 via the lysogenic cycle, and replicates with the bacterial cell. When stressed, the bacteria stop replicating and the prophage stimulates the lytic cycle, activating transcription …

Generation Of Crispr-Cas9-Mediated Genetic Knockout Human Intestinal Tissue-Derived Enteroid Lines By Lentivirus Transduction And Single-Cell Cloning, Shih-Ching Lin, Kei Haga, Xi-Lei Zeng, Mary K Estes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human intestinal tissue-derived enteroids (HIEs; also called organoids) are a powerful ex vivo model for gastrointestinal research. Genetic modification of these nontransformed cultures allows new insights into gene function and biological processes involved in intestinal diseases as well as gastrointestinal and donor segment-specific function. Here we provide a detailed technical pipeline and protocol for using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system to knock out a gene of interest specifically in HIEs by lentiviral transduction and single-cell cloning. This protocol differs from a previously published alternative using electroporation of human colonoids to deliver piggyback transposons or CRISPR-Cas9 constructs, as this protocol uses …

The Role Of Cd5 In The Periodontal Disease: Insights Into Chronic Inflammation, Ellie Bybee

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

A Quantitative Analysis Of The Efficacy Of Various Essential Oils Against The Sars Cov-2 Virus, Elizabeth Wagstaff, Chandrelyn Kraczek, Jack Brandon Lopez

Annual Research Symposium

A poster presentation and abstract for the Roseman Symposium. The project focuses on testing 3 essential oil blends and two disinfectants containing an essential oil blend against SARS CoV-2 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project procedure involves plaque assays, disinfection, and neutralization techniques.

Current Epidemiological Status And Antibiotic Resistance Profile Of Urinary Tract Infection, Muddasir Khan, Syed Hussain Shah, M. Abdullah, Muhammad Salman, Fawad Hayat, Raheela Sarwar, Neelma Hassan, Sohail Ahmad Jan, M. Saddam, Ziaur Rahman, Imran Qazi

Journal of Bioresource Management

With a longitudinal (2020–2021) completion, a set of 300 urine samples of individuals suspected of UTI was characterized based on the biochemical analysis and Kirby Bauer's disc diffusion method. Throughout, a total of 167 samples revealed UTI positivity by obtaining bacterial growth. Reporting that E. coli (69.4 %) was the most dominant when compared with Klebsiella (14.3 %), Proteus (5.9 %), S. aureus (4.7 %), P. aeruginosa (3.5 %), and Enterobacter (1.7 %), respectively. Gender-wise discrimination showed that E. coli was highly distributed among female (50.2 %) patients. A prominent percentage of E. coli (41.9 %) was found in the …

Gut-Derived Butyrate Suppresses Ocular Surface Inflammation, Laura Schaefer, Humberto Hernandez, Rosalind A Coats, Zhiyuan Yu, Stephen C Pflugfelder, Robert A Britton, Cintia S De Paiva

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Dry eye is a common ocular inflammatory disorder characterized by tear film instability and reduced tear production. There is increasing evidence that homeostasis of the ocular surface is impacted by the intestinal microbiome. We are interested in investigating the potential role of microbially produced small molecules in mediating the interaction between the intestinal microbiota and the ocular surface. One such molecule is butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced by certain members of the gut microbiota through fermentation of dietary fiber. Here we show that SCFA transporter SLC5A8 is expressed in vivo in murine conjunctival and corneal epithelium. Pre-treatment of …

Considerations For The Use Of Phage Therapy In Clinical Practice, Gina A Suh, Thomas P Lodise, Pranita D Tamma, Jane M Knisely, Jose Alexander, Saima Aslam, Karen D Barton, Erica Bizzell, Katherine M C Totten, Joseph L Campbell, Benjamin K Chan, Scott A Cunningham, Katherine E Goodman, Kerryl E Greenwood-Quaintance, Anthony D Harris, Shayla Hesse, Anthony Maresso, Veronique Nussenblatt, David Pride, Michael J Rybak, Zoe Sund, David Van Duin, Daria Van Tyne, Robin Patel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Increasing antimicrobial resistance and medical device-related infections have led to a renewed interest in phage therapy as an alternative or adjunct to conventional antimicrobials. Expanded access and compassionate use cases have risen exponentially but have varied widely in approach, methodology, and clinical situations in which phage therapy might be considered. Large gaps in knowledge contribute to heterogeneity in approach and lack of consensus in many important clinical areas. The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) has convened a panel of experts in phage therapy, clinical microbiology, infectious diseases, and pharmacology, who worked with regulatory experts and a funding agency to identify …

Identifying Causative Microorganisms In Left Ventricular Assist Device Infections As A Guide For Developing Bacteriophage Therapy, Ishan Kamat, Harveen Lamba, Casey Hines-Munson, Samuel Hudson, Kenneth Liao, Kenneth L Muldrew, Sabrina Green, Austen Terwilliger, Heidi B Kaplan, Robert F Ramig, Anthony Maresso, Barbara W Trautner

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: As more left ventricular-assist devices (LVADs) are implanted, multidrug-resistant LVAD infections are becoming increasingly common, partly due to bacterial biofilm production. To aid in developing bacteriophage therapy for LVAD infections, we have identified the most common bacterial pathogens that cause LVAD driveline infections (DLIs) in our heart transplant referral center.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied a retrospective cohort of patients who received LVADs from November 2003 to August 2017 to identify the common causative organisms of LVAD infection. We also studied a prospective cohort of patients diagnosed with DLIs from October 2018 to May 2019 to collect bacterial strains …

Fully Resolved Assembly Of Cryptosporidium Parvum, Vipin K Menon, Pablo C Okhuysen, Cynthia L Chappell, Medhat Mahmoud, Medhat Mahmoud, Qingchang Meng, Harsha Doddapaneni, Vanesa Vee, Yi Han, Sejal Salvi, Sravya Bhamidipati, Kavya Kottapalli, George Weissenberger, Hua Shen, Matthew C Ross, Kristi L Hoffman, Sara Javornik Cregeen, Donna M Muzny, Ginger A Metcalf, Richard A Gibbs, Joseph F Petrosino, Fritz J Sedlazeck

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidium parvum is an apicomplexan parasite commonly found across many host species with a global infection prevalence in human populations of 7.6%. Understanding its diversity and genomic makeup can help in fighting established infections and prohibiting further transmission. The basis of every genomic study is a high-quality reference genome that has continuity and completeness, thus enabling comprehensive comparative studies.

FINDINGS: Here, we provide a highly accurate and complete reference genome of Cryptosporidium parvum. The assembly is based on Oxford Nanopore reads and was improved using Illumina reads for error correction. We also outline how to evaluate and choose from …

Reducing Influenza Virus Transmission: The Potential Value Of Antiviral Treatment, Frederick G Hayden, Jason Asher, Benjamin J Cowling, Aeron C Hurt, Hideyuki Ikematsu, Klaus Kuhlbusch, Annabelle Lemenuel-Diot, Zhanwei Du, Lauren Ancel Meyers, Pedro A Piedra, Takahiro Takazono, Hui-Ling Yen, Arnold S Monto

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Prompt antiviral treatment has the potential to reduce influenza virus transmission to close contacts, but rigorous data on the magnitude of treatment effects on transmission are limited. Animal model data indicate that rapid reductions in viral replication after antiviral treatment reduce the risk of transmission. Observational and clinical trial data with oseltamivir and other neuraminidase inhibitors indicate that prompt treatment of household index patients seems to reduce the risk of illness in contacts, although the magnitude of the reported effects has varied widely across studies. In addition, the potential risk of transmitting drug-resistant variants exists with all approved classes of …

Depletion Of The Apical Endosome In Response To Viruses And Bacterial Toxins Provides Cell-Autonomous Host Defense At Mucosal Surfaces, Keiko Maeda, Nicholas C Zachos, Megan H Orzalli, Stefanie S Schmieder, Denis Chang, Katlynn Bugda Gwilt, Michele Doucet, Nicholas W Baetz, Sun Lee, Sue E Crawford, Mary K Estes, Jonathan C Kagan, Jerrold R Turner, Wayne I Lencer

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Polarized epithelial cells form an essential barrier against infection at mucosal surfaces. Many pathogens breach this barrier to cause disease, often by co-opting cellular endocytosis mechanisms to enter the cell through the lumenal (apical) cell surface. We recently discovered that the loss of the cell polarity gene PARD6B selectively diminishes apical endosome function. Here, we find that in response to the entry of certain viruses and bacterial toxins into the epithelial cells via the apical membrane, PARD6B and aPKC, two components of the PARD6B-aPKC-Cdc42 apical polarity complex, undergo rapid proteasome-dependent degradation. The perturbation of apical membrane glycosphingolipids by toxin- or …

Age-Associated Gut Dysbiosis, Marked By Loss Of Butyrogenic Potential, Correlates With Altered Plasma Tryptophan Metabolites In Older People Living With Hiv, Smita Ghare, Richa Singhal, Vaughn Bryant, Sabina Gautam, Chanakya Charan Tirumala, Praneet Kumar Srisailam, Andrea Reyes-Vega, Dushan Ghooray, Craig J Mcclain, Kristi Hoffman, Joseph Petrosino, Kendall Bryant, Varan Govind, Ronald Cohen, Robert L Cook, Shirish Barve

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Imbalance in tryptophan (TRP) metabolism and its neuroactive metabolites, serotonin and kynurenine (KYN), is a known pathogenic mechanism underlying neurocognitive impairment. Gut microbiota plays an important role in TRP metabolism, and the production of these neuroactive molecules affects neurocognitive function. Although both HIV infection and normal aging independently induce gut dysbiosis and influence TRP metabolism, their interactive effects on compositional/functional changes in gut microbiota and consequent alterations in TRP metabolites remain largely undetermined.

METHODS: Older people living with HIV infection (PLWH, aged 50-70 years, n = 22) were enrolled in this cross-sectional pilot study. Metagenomic analysis of fecal microbiome …

Organoid Models For Infectious Disease, Sarah E Blutt, Mary K Estes

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Infectious diseases affect individual health and have widespread societal impacts. New ex vivo models are critical to understand pathogenesis, host response, and features necessary to develop preventive and therapeutic treatments. Pluripotent and tissue stem cell-derived organoids provide new tools for the study of human infections. Organoid models recapitulate many characteristics of in vivo disease and are providing new insights into human respiratory, gastrointestinal, and neuronal host-microbe interactions. Increasing culture complexity by adding the stroma, interorgan communication, and the microbiome will improve the use of organoids as models for infection. Organoid cultures provide a platform with the capability to improve human …

Enteroviruses And Type 1 Diabetes: Multiple Mechanisms And Factors?, Richard E Lloyd, Manasi Tamhankar, Åke Lernmark

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by insulin deficiency and resultant hyperglycemia. Complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors trigger the onset of autoimmune mechanisms responsible for development of autoimmunity to β cell antigens and subsequent development of T1D. A potential role of virus infections has long been hypothesized, and growing evidence continues to implicate enteroviruses as the most probable triggering viruses. Recent studies have strengthened the association between enteroviruses and development of autoimmunity in T1D patients, potentially through persistent infections. Enterovirus infections may contribute to different stages of disease development. We review data from both …

Trait Energy And Fatigue May Be Connected To Gut Bacteria Among Young Physically Active Adults: An Exploratory Study, Ali Boolani, Karyn M. Gallivan, Kristin S. Ondrak, Courtney J. Christopher, Hector F. Castro, Shawn R. Campagna, Christopher M. Taylor, Meng Luo, Scot E. Dowd, Matthew Lee Smith, Lauri O. Byerley

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Recent scientific evidence suggests that traits energy and fatigue are two unique unipolar moods with distinct mental and physical components. This exploratory study investigated the correlation between mental energy (ME), mental fatigue (MF), physical energy (PE), physical fatigue (PF), and the gut microbiome. The four moods were assessed by survey, and the gut microbiome and metabolome were determined from 16 S rRNA analysis and untargeted metabolomics analysis, respectively. Twenty subjects who were 31 ± 5 y, physically active, and not obese (26.4 ± 4.4 kg/m2) participated. Bacteroidetes (45%), the most prominent phyla, was only negatively correlated with PF. The second …

Whole Exome Sequencing Identifies A Novel Mutation In Aspm And Ultra-Rare Mutation In Cdk5rap2 Causing Primary Microcephaly In Consanguineous Pakistani Families, Ehtisham Ul Haq Makhdoom, Haseeb Anwar, Shahid Mahmood Baig, Ghulam Hussain

Department of Biological & Biomedical Sciences

Background & objectives: Primary Microcephaly (MCPH) is a rare neurogenetic disease, manifesting congenitally reduced head circumference and non-progressive intellectual disability (ID). To date, twenty-eight genes with biallelic mutations have been reported for this disorder. The study aimed for molecular genetic characterization of Pakistani families segregating MCPH.
Methods: We studied two unrelated consanguineous families (family A and B) presenting >2 patients with diagnostic symptoms of MCPH, born to asymptomatic parents. We employed whole-exome sequencing (WES) of probands to find putative causal mutations. The candidate variants were further confirmed and analyzed for co-segregation by Sanger sequencing of all available members of each …

Adenoviral-Vectored Centralized Consensus Hemagglutinin Vaccine Provides Broad Protection Against H2 Influenza A Virus, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Brianna L. Bullard, Matthew J. Pekarek, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Several influenza pandemics have occurred in the past century, one of which emerged in 1957 from a zoonotic transmission of H2N2 from an avian reservoir into humans. This pandemic caused 2–4 million deaths and circulated until 1968. Since the disappearance of H2N2 from human populations, there has been waning immunity against H2, and this subtype is not currently incorporated into seasonal vaccines. However, H2 influenza remains a pandemic threat due to consistent circulation in avian reservoirs. Here, we describe a method of pandemic preparedness by creating an adenoviral-vectored centralized consensus vaccine design against human H2 influenza. We also assessed the …

The Application Of The Skin Virome For Human Identification, Ema H. Graham, Jennifer Clarke, Samodha Fernando, Joshua Herr, Michael Adamowicz

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The use of skin virome offers a unique approach for human identification purposes in instances where a viable and statistically relevant human DNA profile is unavailable. The skin virome may act as an alternative DNA profile and/or an additional form of probative genetic material. To date, no study has attempted to investigate the human virome over a time series across various physical locations of the body to identify its diagnostic potential as a tool for human identification. For this study, we set out to evaluate the stability, diversity, and individualization of the human skin virome. An additional goal was to …

Expanding Mouse-Adapted Yamagata-Like Influenza B Viruses In Eggs Enhances In Vivo Lethality In Balb/C Mice, Matthew J. Pekarek, Erika M. Petro-Turnquist, Adam Rubrum, Richard J. Webby, Eric A. Weaver

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

Despite the yearly global impact of influenza B viruses (IBVs), limited host range has been a hurdle to developing a readily accessible small animal disease model for vaccine studies. Mouseadapting IBV can produce highly pathogenic viruses through serial lung passaging in mice. Previous studies have highlighted amino acid changes throughout the viral genome correlating with increased pathogenicity, but no consensus mutations have been determined. We aimed to show that growth system can play a role in mouse-adapted IBV lethality. Two Yamagata-lineage IBVs were serially passaged 10 times in mouse lungs before expansion in embryonated eggs or Madin–Darby canine kidney cells …