Microbiology Commons^™

Raw Water Quality In The New Charleston, Illinois Pump Storage Reservoir, Kevin G. Lookis

Masters Theses

Charleston, Illinois, a city located in east-central Illinois, recently implemented a new concept in a raw water system. Due to storage capacity-sedimentation problems in the old Lake Charleston-Embarras River raw water supply, the Charleston Pump Storage Reservoir was constructed. The new system involved building a dike separating the Lake Charleston impoundment from the Embarras River. Water to increase the storage capacity of the reservoir can now be selectively pumped into the impoundment from the river.

Raw water quality in the reservoir was monitored on a weekly basis for a full year from August, 1981 to August, 1982. The levels of …

Inhibitors Affecting Bacterial Action In Reaerated Activated Sludge, Alice M. Dunn

Masters Theses

Inhibition of reaerated activated sludge was assessed using reduction of dissolved oxygen uptake by the microbial population as a criterion. Oxygen uptake is essential to biodegradation of the organic components in the activated sludge process; therefore, a decrease in dissolved oxygen uptake is an indication of reduced efficiency in wastewater treatment.

The irihibitors tested were cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, silver, 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), Terbacil and Zectran. The IIC₅₀, determined by extrapolation of plotted data, for each inhibitor in mg/l was Hg (20), Cu (50), Ag (43), Cd (115), Pb (550), and 2,4-D (430). The IIC₅₀ was determined …

A Study Of The Free-Floating Phytoplankton Of The Embarras River And Polecat Creek, Coles County, Il, Richard Gary Fried

Masters Theses

An investigation of 2 sites on the Embarras River and 1 site on Polecat Creek was undertaken for a one-year period. Special emphasis was given to phytoplankton species and to their seasonal variations. Approximately 170 species from 8 divisions of algae were encountered during the one-year period.

Temperature was found to have no direct correlation with algal periodicity.

Palmer's organic pollution genus index was applied to determine the approximate levels of organic pollution at all three sampling sites. Only one time during the year (10/1/79), did all three sites suggest high organic pollution.

Transeau's 6 ecological groups were used to …

Studies Of The Lysogenic Response As A Function Of Multiplicity Of Infection Of Lambdoid Bacteriophages, Mark Floyd Fedyk

Masters Theses

The lambdoid bacteriophages λimm^λ, λimm⁴³⁴ and λcI are ideal subjects for the study of gene product interactions at the molecular level due to their closely related genetic makeup. Previous work in this laboratory has indicated the possibility that phage λimm is sensitive to phage λimm⁴³⁴cI gene product and that phage λimm⁴³⁴ is sensitive to phage λimm^λcI gene product. The purpose of this research was to determine if the frequency of lysogeny for phage λimm^λ is affected by the multiplicity of coinfection with the λimm⁴³⁴ phage. By comparing the graph of …

The Biodegradation Of Crude Oil By Bacteria Isolated From Brine Pits, Larry Williams

Masters Theses

The biodegradation of crude oil by bacteria was studied. Hydrocarbon-utilizing bacteria were isolated from sixteen brine pits from an oil producing region of Clark County, Illinois. The bacteria were capable of growth from the vapors arising from crude oil as a sole carbon source. Some strains of bacteria were capable of emulsifying crude oil, apparently through the production of an emulsifying agent(s) that was found to be heat stable and cell bound but which can be partially stripped from the cell by autoclaving. The bacteria appear to belong to the genus Arthrobacter. The chemical environment of the pits was …

Siderocapsa Major-- Fact Or Artifact?, Ray W. Swanson

Masters Theses

The validity of the genus Siderocapsa, a group of unicellular iron-depositing bacteria, has been a subject of debate for many years. Lack of photomicroscopic and cultural studies has kept this group in taxonomic obscurity. Bacteria were collected from the Campus pond, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois, by a submerged slide/coverslip technique. These bacteria were identified as Siderocapsa major according to the description of Molisch (1909). Scanning electron microscopy of Siderocapsa major microcolonies has shown cells (0.5 by 1.15 μm), in a clear central well (2-6 μm), surrounded by an amorphous material which accumulates with the age of the colony. …

Bacteriophage Populations In Wastewater Effluent, Guy William Lawrence

Masters Theses

Effluent samples were taken at various stages of sewage treatment at a local wastewater treatment plant. Primary, secondary, tertiary and post-chlorinated effluents were sampled. The agar overlay method was used to determine the numbers of plaque-forming bacteriophage particles on thirty-six species of enteric bacteria from the Eastern Illinois University stock culture collection. Twenty-three pure culture phage isolates were prepared from selected plaques and their host range specificity was determined. For every host organism tested, a fifty percent or greater reduction of bacteriophage was evident through the sewage treatment process. Results obtained from investigation of host range specificity indicate that potential …

Interactions In Lambdoid Bacteriophage Populations, Bruce Edward Mitchell

Masters Theses

The lambdoid bacteriophages are ideal subjects for the study of populational interactions at the molecular level because they do not mutually exclude one another in mixed infection of the same host cell. Previous work done in this laboratory using the lambdoid phage pairs λ-434 hy mi and λ-∅80 have demonstrated a density-dependent reduction in progeny yield per infected cell (burst size) as a function of increasing multiplicity of infection (m.o.i.). The λ cI gene which codes for the repress or molecule has been demonstrated to be the cause of the interaction in the λ-434 hy mi phage pair. …

The Effects Of Residual Chlorine On Selected Microflora Of Kickapoo And Cassell Creek, James A. Mcgaughey

Masters Theses

The survival of fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci, and heterotrophs after exposure to chlorine were compared in receiving waters of the Mattoon and Charleston, Illinois waste treatment facilities employing membrane filter techniques and Standard Plate Counts. Water samples were taken from receiving waters upstream from the treatment plant, from secondary effluent and chlorinated secondary effluent within the plant, and from downstream receiving waters. Stream flow contribution and plant effluent contribution required the calculation of dilution factors to determine expected numbers of the various microflora found downstream assuming no residual chlorine effect. Total chlorine concentration was measured by amperometric titration at the …

The Effect Of Ergosterol On The Desaturation Of 14c-Labeled Oleic Acid In Tetrahymena, Maynard E. Neville Jr.

Masters Theses

The ciliated protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis-Strain W desaturated ¹⁴C-labeled fatty acid substrate in both sterol supplemented (ergosterol) and nonsupplemented cultures. Cis-octadecenoic acid (¹⁴C-9-18:1), when added to the medium during the log phase of growth, was incorporated into the cells and also desaturated at the Δ⁶ and Δ¹² positions. The ¹⁴C labeled substrate and products, linoleate (9,12-18:2) or linolenate (6,9,12-18:3) were recovered and separated by silver-nitrate Unisil column chromatography. Initially, recovery of ¹⁴C compounds varied widely when expressed as the percent of total counts per minute recovered from column chromotography, and a variety of …

The Microbiological Ecology Of Slime Formation In A Paper Mill, Alexander E. Maccubbin

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Membrane Associated Glucose And Gluconate Oxidase Enzymes In Pseudomonas Fluorescens: Characterization And Regulation, Scott D. Feighner

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Statistical Approach To The Study Of The Ecosystems Of Seven Ponds In East-Central Illinois, Gregory Lee Orr

Masters Theses

Gross primary productivity, heterotrophic bacterial numbers, and net phytoplankton densities of seven ponds in Coles County, Illinois, were studied in relation to physical, chemical, and biological habitat variables (light intensity and duration, turbidity, water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, production, bacteria, and phytoplankton). Ten observations were made for each pond (except where otherwise noted) from 17 June through 25 August 1974. Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses of the data were used in order to determine those environmental factors which were important in predicting (i.e., significantly correlated with) bacterial and phytoplankton densities, and production. A multiple linear regression equation …

A Photomicrographic Guide To The Saprolegniaceae Of Illinois, Ronald L. Butler

Masters Theses

There is a paucity of information concerning the occurrence and distribution of the Saprolegniaceae of Illinois. These fungi, commonly called "water molds", are of particular interest as many are potential parasites of fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic plant and animal life. It is of considerable interest to students of the fungi and of practical value to the fisheries biologists and environmentalists to have available a means of identification for these organisms.

This paper provides a descriptive and photomicrographic account of the Saprolegniaceae of Illinois. Included herein are dichotomous keys to the genera of this family as well as generic descriptions …

Studies On The Membrane Associated L-Malate Dehydrogenase-Oxidase Complex Of Micrococcus Lysodeikticus, Jerry James Johnson

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Studies With An In Vitro Protein Synthesizing System Derived From Acetobacter Aceti Var. Liquefaciens, Joyce I. Cialdella

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Pesticide Effects In A Simulated Soil Ecosystem, Raymond J. Samp

Masters Theses

The screening of pesticides to determine which were most inhibitory to bacteria was accomplished by testing the effects of 10 pesticides on 9 different organisms using the disk assay method. Results showed that Gram positive bacteria were more sensitive to all pesticides tested than were the Gram negative bacteria. In addition, the hormone herbicides were found to be the most inhibitory to these bacteria and 2,4-D (2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid), a hormone herbicide, was chosen for subsequent in vivo studies.

A soil perfusion apparatus was used to determine the effects of 2,4-D in a typical soil ecosystem. Bacterial plate counts and nutrient …

Characterization Of Streptozotocin Induced Small Colony Phenotypes In Bacteria, David M. Zimmer

Masters Theses

Streptozocin-induced small colony variants of E. coli were characterized and found to have a genetic basis. Both E. coli and S. typhimurium were susceptible to the mutation causing small colonies. Small colony cell lines exhibited a greatly increased generation time and were shown to be non-motile, electron microscopy revealing a complete loss of flagella. The small colony phenotype was revertible by streptozotocin and nitrosoguanidine. The locus responsible for small colony phenotype in one strain of E. coli was found to map within a 19 minute segment of the chromosome between HfrH and HfrC.

Studies On Muropeptide Amino Acids Of Rhizobium Japonicum, Mohammed Alauddin

Masters Theses

The isolation of Rhizobium japonicum cell walls was performed by ultrasonication and the enzymatic digestion with DNase, RNase and pronase separately. Crude cell walls were washed with M NaCl and 5% SDS and were isolated by 20,000 g centrifugation. Muropeptide amino acids were freed by hydrolysis at 121C for 10 minutes in 6N HCl.

Detection of Rhizobium japonicum murein layer amino acids was done by 2-dimensional instant thin layer chromatography on silica gel plates. The solvents found most favorable, were n-butanol: acetic acid: water and n-propanol: 34% ammonium hydroxide. Amino acid spots were developed by spraying ninhydrin on the chromatograms, …

Morphological And Physiological Effects Of 2,4-D On Gram-Negative And Gram-Positive Bacteria, John H. Rupnow

Masters Theses

Manometric, spectrophotometric, photomicrographic and quantitative biochemical techniques were employed to determine the morphological and physiological effects of 2,4-D on Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

The growth and motility of Gram-positive bacteria appeared to be more adversely affected than the growth and motility of Gram-negative species. The terminal oxidation, lysis, and chain length of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria did not appear to be affected by the concentrations used. The average cell size of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria was observed to increase after exposure to 1000 ppm 2,4-D. The normal leakage of amino acid and ultraviolet light absorbing cell constituents appeared …

A Study Of Soil Amoebae Infective To Mice, Pamela Mcdaniel

Masters Theses

On January 1, 1973, 10 soil samples were collected from areas in Coles County, Illinois, in an effort to isolate soil amoebae. All 10 soil samples were cultured on bacto-nutrient agar and colonies of amoebae genera isolated were Acanthamoeba and Hartmannella. Amoebabacteria cultures prepared from soil isolates were injected into each of 10 adult mice which were sacrificed at the end of the nine days and examined for evidence of infection and pathogenicity. Lesions were observed in two mice and amoebae cysts and bacterial colonies were present in nine mice. Amoeba-bacteria cultures were purified using streptomycin antibiotic discs and …

The Organ-Specific Mammalian Host-Mediated Microbial Mutagen Assay (Oshma), Roger D. Beyer

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Investigation Of The Froth Flotation Process As A Means Of Concentrating Pulp And Paper Mill Sludge, Merwin Lee Miller

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Phospholipid And Fatty Acid Analysis Of The Membrane Of Acetobacter Aceti Var. Liquefaciens, Cathie S. W. Kuoh

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Nutritional Adequacy Of Five Strains Of Bacteria For Vorticella Microstoma And Oxytricha Sp., Michael J. Sinsko

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Lysis Of The Rhizobiaceae, Craig Richard Baumrucker

Masters Theses

The following members of the Rhizobiaceae were tested for their lytic response to various treatments: Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Chromobacterium violaceum, Rhizobium phaseoli, Rhizobium trifolii, Rhizobium lupini, and Rhizobium japonicum. Lysis was observed in spent growth media and as a function of saline concentration, pH, buffer composition, disodium (ethylenedinitrilo) tetraacetate (EDTA) concentration, and lysozyme.

Cells were harvested by centrifugation, washed, and resuspended in various treatment solutions. The lytic response was followed spectrophotometrically.

The different responses of the six cultures was applied to a summation of reclassification proposals evolved through modern taxonomic techniques such as DNA homology …

The Lichen Flora Of Rocky Branch Nature Preserve, Clark County, Illinois, James E. Wiedman

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Studies On The Nutritional Aspects Of Tubificid Worms, Thomas Nelson Seng

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Comparative Morphology Of The Female Gonads Of Two Members Of The Nematode Order Tylenchida, Owen G. Coker

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Survey Of The Incidence Of Salmonellosis In Three Groups Of Wild Animals, James T. Heiberger

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.