Microbiology Commons^™

Invasive Silver Carp (Hypophthalmichthys Moltrix) Protein Hydrolysates And Their Efficacy In Increasing Seedling Vigor And Reducing Seed Borne Pathogen Growth, Shanleigh Pauline Thomson

Open Access Theses

Silver carp are an invasive fish species introduced into the United States within the last forty years. Unable to be effectively eradicated or commercialized as a source of food, other methods must be developed to control and/or use these fish. Fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) are products derived from the proteins inherent within fish. Development of FPH from Silver carp for a variety of uses could aid in controlling their expanding population and provide organic produces with a seed treatment option which is not available to them currently.

In the first study, FPH were used as a seed vigor treatment for …

Diversity Of Bacteria Carried By Pinewood Nematode In Usa And Phylogenetic Comparison With Isolates From Other Countries, Diogo Neves Proença, Luís Fonseca, Thomas Powers, Isabel M.O. Abrantes, Paula V. Morais

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Pine wilt disease (PWD) is native to North America and has spread to Asia and Europe. Lately, mutualistic relationship has been suggested between the pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus the causal nematode agent of PWD, and bacteria. In countries where PWN occurs, nematodes from diseased trees were reported to carry bacteria from several genera. However no data exists for the United States. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity of the bacterial community carried by B. xylophilus, isolated from different Pinus spp. with PWD in Nebraska, United States. The bacteria carried by PWN belonged to Gammaproteobacteria …

Growing Conditions For Algae, Angeles Mora, Tamar Melkonian, Alejandro Calderon-Urrea

STAR Program Research Presentations

With the growing demands of water in California and the increasing cost of fossil fuels to operate water-cleaning equipment, Algae was cultivated in different concentrations of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium (NPK) during different trails to identify the best growing conditions for the removal water contaminates. Before testing algae in waste water, the Algae: Dunaliella Primolecta, Chlorella Vulgaris, and Scenedesmus Dimorphus were cultivated in four different media containing distilled water and plant vitamins. The different mediums used include: Orchid Grow More (20-20-20), Miracle Grow (30-10-10), Murashige & Skoog, and Orchid Bloom Boster (11-35-15). As a result of the investigation, the algae, …

Ammonia-Oxidizing Bacteria And Archaea Under Continuous Maize: The Influence Of Tillage, N Input And Aggregation On Abundance And Community Composition, Lauren Segal

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Nitrification involves the oxidation of ammonium (NH₄⁺) and is an important component of the overall N cycle. Nitrification occurs in two steps; first by oxidizing ammonium to nitrite, and then to nitrate. The first step is often the rate limiting step. Until recently ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were thought to be the sole contributors to this process; however, the discovery of crenarchaeota, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), in marine environments has led to further study of their role in nitrification. Current literature supports the dominance of AOA over AOB in terrestrial ecosystems; however, little is known about what drives their …

Understanding The Factors Affecting Microbiological Quality Of Wheat Milled Products: From Wheat Fields To Milling Operations, Luis E. Sabillón Galeas

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

Although regarded as a low-risk commodity, wheat flour-based mixes have been implicated in several food safety incidents. The present thesis is a compilation of five scientific manuscripts on the effect of weather variation, milling steps and implementation of pre-milling interventions on the microbiological quality and safety of wheat and milled products. The first manuscript is a review of the microbiological quality and safety of wheat-based products. Despite the low water activity, wheat flour may harbor dormant but viable microorganisms, which could lead to safety concerns when flour is used to produce refrigerated dough products. The second manuscript illustrates the effect …

Management Of Root Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne Incognita ) In Indiana Soybeans, David Edgardo Perla Martinez

Open Access Theses

The aim of this project was to evaluate different strategies for management of Root Knot Nematode (RKN) on soybean and tomato in Indiana. Seed treatments were evaluated under field and greenhouse conditions, but no effect on RKN populations was observed. Soybean lines evaluated for resistance to RKN under greenhouse conditions showed that six lines may be resistant to RKN. Four different commercial mustard cover crops were evaluated for their bio-fumigant impact on RKN populations in the production of tomato. Euruca sativa, Cv. Nemat was a poor host of RKN. A positive impact on the vigor of the tomato plants followed …

Morphometric Studies On Subadult Liza Subviridis And Sillago Sihama From Sonmiani Bay (Miani Hor), Balochistan, Pakistan, Muhammad A. Gondal, Naureen A. Qureshi, Noor U. Saher

Journal of Bioresource Management

Length-weight relationship of Liza subviridis and Sillago sihama (Family: Mugilidae; Class: Pisces and Family: Sillaginidae; Class: Pisces) in subadults sampled from Somiani Bay Balochistan, Pakistan during 2002, 2003 and 2006 was analyzed. Liza subviridis showed positive allometry (3.23) in 2002, and negative allometry during 2003 (2.95) and 2006 (1.95). Sub adults of Sillago sihama showed positive allometry during 2002 (3.10) and 2003 (3.13). An isometric condition (3.02) was observed in the samples of Sillago sihama collected from Bhaira in 2006.

On Individual, Sex And Age Differentiation Of Indian House Crow (Corvus Splendens) Call: A Preliminary Study In Potohar, Pakistan, Waqas Hameed, Inayat Ullah, Safia Janjua, Fakhar -I- Abbas, Afsar Mian

Journal of Bioresource Management

Considering importance of acoustics studies in population biology, 500 calls of the Indian House Crow (Corvus splendens) were recorded in morning - mid-afternoon hours (January-February, 2009) from 23 sites of urban areas of Potahar (Punjab, Pakistan). Calls were recorded using Sony CFS 1030 S sound records (sampling rate = 48 KHz) and edited using Sound Analysis Pro (Version 1.02). software using FFT method rate 50%, data window 9.27 ms, advanced window 1.36 ms. Through editing of calls, we selected 60 (37 ♂♂, 17 ♀♀, 6 Juvenile ♂♂) good quality spectrograms for detailed analysis. Spectrograms were characterized by rapid frequency modulations …

Review: Pollination, Pollinated And Pollinators Interaction In Pakistan, Mohammad Irshad, Elizabeth Stephen

Journal of Bioresource Management

The agriculture sector is important in the overall economy and export earnings of Pakistan. Pollination is an essential ecosystem service that depends on symbiosis between species, the pollinated and the pollinator. Animal mediated pollination contributes to the sexual production of over 90% species of modern angiosperms. Effective pollination results in increased crop production, quality improvement and more seed production. Many fruits, vegetables, edible oil crops, stimulant crops and nuts are highly dependent on bee pollination. Worldwide value of pollinators is €153 billion (217 billion US dollars). The production value of pollinated dependent crop in Pakistan is quantified to be 1.59 …

Research Note: Contribution To Mushroom Flora Of Rawalpindi-Islamabad, Pakistan, Kishwar Sultana, Naveeda Riaz, Gulshan Irshad, Ali Nauman Khan

Journal of Bioresource Management

Seven hymenomycetous fungi (mushrooms) were collected from the twin cities area during July 2008. These were identified as the members of the order Agaricales, class Basidiomycetes. They belong to five genera: *Clitocybe fragrans, *Collybia cookie, *Coprinus radians, *Coprinus sterculinus, *Volvariella bingensis, Volvariella parvula, and Termitomyces microcarpus. Five of them, marked with asterisk were reported for the first time from Pakistan.

Diagnostic Accuracy Of C-Reactive Protein In Neonatal Sepsis, Sidra Younis, Muhammad Ali Sheikh, Amjad Ali Raza

Journal of Bioresource Management

Sepsis is the most common cause of neonatal mortality and is responsible for 30-50% of total neonatal deaths each year in developing countries. The objective of the study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of C-reactive protein (CRP) in neonatal sepsis. Fifty nine consecutive patients with risk factors and clinical features suggestive of CRP sepsis were selected as per operational definition and fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Detailed physical examination was carried out. Blood sample for culture and CRP was taken from all the patients. Results of blood culture and CRP were noted down in the performa. Statistical analysis …

Plant-Microbial Interactions Change Along A Prairie Restoration Chronosequence, Anna Herzberger

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Soil microbial communities are critical in determining the performance and density of species in plant communities. However, their role in regulating the success of restorations is much less clear. This study assessed the ability of soil microbial communities to regulate the growth and performance of two potentially dominant grasses and two common forbs in prairie restorations. Specifically, I examined the effects of soil microbial communities along a restoration chronosequence from agricultural fields to remnant prairies using experimentally inoculated soils. The two grass species, Andropogon gerardii and Sorghastrum nutans, produced larger biomass with the agricultural inoculates and experienced a decline …

Population Dynamics Of Triticum Mosaic Virus In Various Host Species, Melissa S. Bartels

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

It has been established that RNA viruses should be genetically diverse, due to the high error rate of their RNA-dependent RNA polymerases and the lack of proof-reading capabilities. Plant RNA viruses are not as genetically diverse as expected. Evolutionary factors, such as purifying selection and bottlenecks that favor genetic stability, might be affecting plant viral populations. Otherwise RNA virus populations, with their potential for extreme diversity, might acquire a lethal number of mutations leading to the collapse of the population.

Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) populations maintained in a controlled greenhouse environment displayed genetic stability. The mutation frequency per nucleotide of …

Biochar And Vermicompost Amendments In Vegetable Cropping Systems: Impacts On Soil Quality, Soil-Borne Pathogens And Crop Productivity, Nathan Lee Shoaf

Open Access Theses

Amending soils with biochar and vermicompost has the potential to provide multiple benefits for specialty crops including pathogen suppression and increased crop productivity. Oomycete pathogens such as Phytophthora capsici can devastate crop fields and they are difficult to control presenting significant management challenges for Midwestern growers. Soils amended with a microbially-inoculated softwood biochar increased carrot root growth relative to the control and corn stover biochar in 2011, while the corn stover biochar also increased carrot root growth relative to the control, but only in two varieties. Neither biochar treatment influenced carrot growth in 2012. In greenhouse trials, vermicompost amendments provided …

Phages Of Non-Diary Lactococci: Isolation And Characterization Of Phi L47, A Phage Infecting The Grass Isolate Lactococcus Lactis Ssp Cremoris Dpc6860, Daniel Cavanagh, Caitríona M. Guinane, Horst Neve, Aidan Coffey, R. Paul Ross, Gerald F. Fitzgerald, Olivia Mcauliffe

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

Lactococci isolated from non-dairy sources have been found to possess enhanced metabolic activity when compared to dairy strains. These capabilities may be harnessed through the use of these strains as starter or adjunct cultures to produce more diverse flavor profiles in cheese and other dairy products. To understand the interactions between these organisms and the phages that infect them, a number of phages were isolated against lactococcal strains of non-dairy origin. One such phage, ΦL47, was isolated from a sewage sample using the grass isolate L. lactis ssp. cremoris DPC6860 as a host. Visualization of phage virions by transmission electron …

Key Roles Of Sub-Cellular Membranes And Co-Chaperone In Tombusvirus Replication, Kai Xu

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Positive strand RNA viruses, inculding tombusviruses, are known to utilize cellular membranes to assemble their replicase complexes (VRCs). Two tombusviruses , Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and Carnation Italian ringspot virus (CIRV), replicate on different organellar membranes, peroxisomes or endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for TBSV and mitochodria outer membranes in case of CIRV. I showed that both TBSV and CIRV replicase proteins could assemble VRCs and replicate viral RNA on purified microsomes (ER) and mitochondria. Different efficiencies of assembly was shown determined by multiple domains on TBSV or CIRV replication proteins.

To study why VRC assembly could occur on an alternative …

Rna Sequence Determinants Of A Coupled Termination-Reinitiation Strategy For Translation Of Downstream Orf In Helminthosporium Victoriae Virus 190s And Other Victoriviruses (Family Totiviridae), Hua Li

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Double-stranded RNA fungal virus Helminthosporium victoriae virus 190S (genus Victorivirus, family Totiviridae) contains two large open reading frames (ORFs) that overlap in the tetranucleotide AUGA. Translation of the downstream ORF, which encodes the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), was previously proposed to depend on ribosomal reinitiation following termination of the upstream ORF, which encodes the capsid protein. In this study, I provided evidence to confirm that coupled termination-reinitiation (stop-restart) is indeed used. A dual-fluorescence method was established to define the RNA sequence determinants for RdRp translation. Stop-restart depends on a 32-nt stretch of RNA sequence immediately upstream of the …

Ether Bridge Formation And Chemical Diversification In Loline Alkaloid Biosynthesis, Juan Pan

Theses and Dissertations--Plant Pathology

Loline alkaloids, found in many grass-Epichloë symbiota, are toxic or feeding deterrent to invertebrates. The loline alkaloids all share a saturated pyrrolizidine ring with a 1-amine group and an ether bridge linking C2 and C7. The steps in biosynthesis of loline alkaloids are catalyzed by enzymes encoded by a gene cluster, designated LOL, in the Epichloë genome. This dissertation addresses the enzymatic, genetic and evolutionary basis for diversification of these alkaloids, focusing on ether bridge formation and the subsequent modifications of the 1-amine to form different loline alkaloids.

Through gene complementation of a natural lolO mutant and comparison …

Different Meal, Same Flavor: Cospeciation And Host Switching Of Haemosporidian Parasites In Some Non-Passerine Birds, Diego Santiago-Alarcon, Adriana Rodríguez-Ferraro, Patricia Parker, Robert Ricklefs

Biology Department Faculty Works

BackgroundPrevious studies have shown that haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus(Parahaemoproteus) and Plasmodium) infecting passerine birds have an evolutionary history of host switching with little cospeciation, in particular at low taxonomic levels (e.g., below the family level), which is suggested as the main speciation mechanism of this group of parasites. Recent studies have characterized diverse clades of haemosporidian parasites (H. (Haemoproteus) and H. (Parahaemoproteus)) infecting non-passerine birds (e.g., Columbiformes, Pelecaniiformes). Here, we explore the cospeciation history of H. (Haemoproteus) and H. (Parahaemoproteus) parasites with their non-passerine hosts.MethodsWe sequenced the mtDNA cyt b gene of both haemosporidian parasites and their avian non-passerine hosts. We …

Soil Microbial Community Distributions And Disease Suppressiveness In The Coastal Plain Of Georgia, Michael J. Sabula

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

This study compared the soil microbial communities of three vegetation types in the coastal plain of Georgia: 1. crop land actively in use for agricultural production, 2. transitional grassland in early stages of secondary succession, and 3. pristine unmanaged forest land. Microbial species diversity and quantities of microbial DNA were determined from each of these vegetation types at three separate locations near Statesboro, Georgia. Length heterogeneity PCR(LH-PCR) methods and subsequent analysis of fungal, bacterial, and metazoan communities by analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) revealed high within-group similarity by vegetation type, indicating land management intensity and vegetation cover is a strong determining …

Respon Tanaman Kelapa Sawit Terhadap Bakteri Pelarut Fosfat Dan Bakteri Penambat Nitrogen Di Pembibitan Awal (Pre Nursery), Intan Ratna Dewi Anjarsari, Mochamad Arief Soleh, Erni Suminar

Jurnal Kultivasi

The objective of this experiment was to study response of oil palm seedlings in prenursery to Phosfat solubilizing bacteria and nitogen fixaxing bacteria. This experiment was conducted at experimental field, Jatinangor, KabupatenSumedang from April until October 2012. Experimental field located at altitude 753 m above sea level with rainfall C type according to the classification of Schmidt and Fergusson. Experimental design was the simple pattern of Randomized Design Group (RDG), consisting of twelve treatment and repeated three times. The treatment were Without inoculation; Azotobacter 20 mL/plant; BPF 20 mL/plant; 10 mL/plant BPF + 10 ml/plant Azotobacter; 10 mL/plant BPF + …

Pengaruh Berbagai Dosis Pupuk Kandang Sapi Dan Pupuk Hayati Terhadap Pertumbuhan Dan Hasil Kacang Hijau (Vigna Radiata L.) Varietas Sriti Pada Inceptisols Jatinangor, Agus Wahyudin, Tati Nurmala, Intan Rachma Yulia

Jurnal Kultivasi

The objective of the experiment was to determine the dosage of cow manure and biofertilizer on the growth and yield of mungbean (Vigna radiata L.). The experiment was conducted from June until August 2013 at the Experimental Station of the Agricultural Faculty, Universitas Padjadjaran, Sumedang, West Java. This experimental station located at 813 meters above sea level with Inceptisols soils and C3 climate type of Oldeman.A randomized block design (RBD) was used in this experiment with nine treatments and three replications. The several treatment was applied namely: (A) without cow manure + biofertilizer; (B) 5 t ha-1cow manure; (C) 5 …

The Influence Of Hydrogeomorphology, Soil Redox Conditions, And Salinity On The Spatial Zoning Of Saltgrass, Salt Rush, And Cattails In Scotts Creek Marsh, Swanton Pacific Ranch, Ca, Mark D. Gormley

Master's Theses

Scotts Creek Marsh (SCM) is a small coastal wetland ecosystem in Davenport, CA. The vegetation of SCM is dominated by three halophytic zones comprised of saltgrass, salt rush, cattails. The objectives of the study were (i) to investigate the variables that influence the zoning of the three dominant halophyte communities in SCM and (ii) to the test the effectiveness of Indicator of Reduction in Soil (IRIS) tubes to indicate the reduction of S. The study examined the following parameters from April 6 to July 21, 2013: (i) the HGM of Scotts Creek Marsh, (ii) soil oxidation and reduction (redox) conditions, …

Impact Of Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus And Triticum Mosaic Virus On Transmission By Aceria Tosichella Keifer (Eriophyidae) And Virus Epidemiology In Wheat, Camila F. De Oliveira

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella Keifer, transmits a complex of viruses, Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV) and Wheat mosaic virus (WMoV), to wheat, Triticum aestivum, in the Great Plains. Co-infection of wheat by these viruses is frequently observed, increasing disease severity and yield loss.

Current genetic work classifies WCM populations into two genotypes, Type 1 and Type 2. It has been shown that different mite genotypes are able to transmit viruses at varying rates. WCM-virus relations are very specific and can impact vector biology. In this study, the primary objective was to determine …

Tracking The Cellulolytic Activity Of Clostridium Thermocellum Biofilms, Alexandru Dumitrache, Gideon M. Wolfaardt, David Allen, Steven N. Liss, Lee R. Lynd

Dartmouth Scholarship

Microbial cellulose conversion by Clostridium thermocellum 27405 occurs predominantly through the activity of substrate-adherent bacteria organized in thin, primarily single cell-layered biofilms. The importance of cellulosic surface exposure to microbial hydrolysis has received little attention despite its implied impact on conversion kinetics.

Identification Of Proteins For Salt Tolerance Using A Comparative Proteomics Analysis Of Tomato Accessions With Contrasting Salt Tolerance, Peter Nveawiah-Yoho, Jing Zhou, Marsha Palmer, Roger Sauve, Suping Zhou, Kevin J. Howe, Tara Fish, Theodore W. Thannhauser

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) has a wide variety of genotypes differing in their responses to salinity. This study was performed to identify salt-induced changes in proteomes that are distinguishable among tomatoes with contrasting salt tolerance. Tomato accessions [LA4133 (a salt-tolerant cherry tomato accession) and ‘Walter’ LA3465 (a salt-susceptible accession)] were subjected to salt treatment (200 mm NaCl) in hydroponic culture. Salt-induced changes in the root proteomes of each tomato accession were identified using the isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) method. In LA4133, 178 proteins showed significant differences between salt-treated and non-treated control root tissues (P ≤ 0.05); 169 …

Epilithic And Aerophilic Diatoms In The Artificial Environment Of Kungsträdgården Metro Station, Stockholm, Sweden, Lena Norbäck Ivarsson, Magnus Ivarsson, Johannes Lundberg, Therese Sallstedt, Catarina Rydin

International Journal of Speleology

The Kungsträdgården metro station is an artificial and urban subsurface environment illuminated with artificial light. Its ecosystem is almost completely unknown and as a first step to better understand the biology and rock wall habitats the diatom flora was investigated. A total of 12 species were found growing on the rock walls of Kungsträdgården metro station. The results show the diatom flora in Kungsträdgården to be dominated by e.g. Diadesmis contenta, Diadesmis perpusilla, Pinnularia appendiculata, Nitzschia amphibia, Nitzschia sinuata and Diploneis ovalis. One species, Caloneis cf. aerophila, has never been reported from Sweden before. …

Mscs-Like Mechanosensitive Channels In Plants And Microbes, Margaret E. Wilson, Grigory Maksaev, Elizabeth S. Haswell

Biology Faculty Research

The challenge of osmotic stress is something all living organisms must face as a result of environmental dynamics. Over the past three decades, innovative research and cooperation across disciplines have irrefutably established that cells utilize mechanically gated ion channels to release osmolytes and prevent cell lysis during hypoosmotic stress. Early electrophysiological analysis of the inner membrane of Escherichia coli identified the presence of three distinct mechanosensitive activities. The subsequent discoveries of the genes responsible for two of these activities, the mechanosensitive channels of large (MscL) and small (MscS) conductance, led to the identification of two diverse families of mechanosensitive channels. …

Respon Tanaman Kelapa Sawit Terhadap Bakteri Pelarut Fosfat Dan Bakteri Penambat Nitrogen Di Pembibitan Awal (Pre Nursery), Intan Ratna Dewi Anjarsari, Mochamad Arief Soleh, Erni Suminar

Jurnal Kultivasi

The objective of this experiment was to study response of oil palm seedlings in prenursery to Phosfat solubilizing bacteria and nitogen fixaxing bacteria. This experiment was conducted at experimental field, Jatinangor, KabupatenSumedang from April until October 2012. Experimental field located at altitude 753 m above sea level with rainfall C type according to the classification of Schmidt and Fergusson. Experimental design was the simple pattern of Randomized Design Group (RDG), consisting of twelve treatment and repeated three times. The treatment were Without inoculation; Azotobacter 20 mL/plant; BPF 20 mL/plant; 10 mL/plant BPF + 10 ml/plant Azotobacter; 10mL/plant BPF + 15 …

Pertumbuhan Bibit Batang Bawah Karet (Hevea Brasiliensis (Willd.) Mull.-Arg.) Klon Pr 261 Yang Diberi Fungi Mikoriza Arbuskula (Fma) Dan Pupuk Fosfat, Cucu Suherman, Ari Wahyudi

Jurnal Kultivasi

This Research aims to determine the effect of interaction between the dosage AMF and dosage of P fertilizer on growth of rootstock seedling of rubber Clone PR 261. The experiments started in April until August 2009 at Cikumpay Plantation, PT. Perkebunan Nusantara VIII, Purwakarta, West Java, with altitude ± 70 m above sea level. Randomize Block Design (RBD) with factorial pattern used in this experiment, consisted of two treatment factors and repeated three times. The first factor was the dosage of AMF, consisted of four dosages level, without AMF, 10 g/seedling, 15 g/seedling and 20 g/seedling. The second factor was …