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Microbiology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Microbiology

What (Or Who) Lives Inside Scotch Broom Roots?, Lisa Fazzino Aug 2011

What (Or Who) Lives Inside Scotch Broom Roots?, Lisa Fazzino

Summer Research

Scotch broom (Cystis scoparius) is invading the South Puget lowlands, presumably with help from the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic bacteria that are found in its root nodules. With this nitrogen source, Scotch broom is not limited by low nitrogen levels in the soils like many other plants. The goals of our research are 1) to identify the nodulating bacteria of Scotch broom in the Northwest, British Columbia, and Canberra, Australia to explore the diversity of Scotch broom symbionts and 2) to explore the possibility of multiple occupancy in Scotch broom nodules. Using 16s rRNA sequencing, we will identify the bacteria of Scotch …


Exploring The Effects Of C-Amendment On The Soil Microbial Community In A Puget Lowland Prairie, Jessica Wong Jan 2011

Exploring The Effects Of C-Amendment On The Soil Microbial Community In A Puget Lowland Prairie, Jessica Wong

Summer Research

Scotch broom is a non-native plant that has invaded plant communities worldwide. Able to grow on a variety of soil conditions, Scotch broom associates with soil bacteria to fix nitrogen (N) from the atmosphere, elevating soil N and crowding out native plant species by encouraging the growth of non-natives like itself. Adding carbon (C) has been used in previous studies to lower soil N and restore native plant growth. However, little is known about C-amendment’s effects on the soil microbial community that correspond to changes in soil N and plant community composition. Recent studies have shown that C-amendment increases microbial …


Searching For Crp: Investigating Candidate Genes For The Camp Receptor Protein In Bdellovibrio Bacteriovorus, Kat Schmidt Jan 2011

Searching For Crp: Investigating Candidate Genes For The Camp Receptor Protein In Bdellovibrio Bacteriovorus, Kat Schmidt

Summer Research

Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus is a δ-proteobacter with an obligatory predatory lifestyle, consuming a wide variety of Gram-negative bacteria. Its unusual life cycle and genome make it a particularly interesting organism to study. In this experiment, three candidate crp homologs – Bd0446, Bd2590, and Bd2602 – were evaluated by complementation studies in Escherichia coli, and characterized by bioinformatic analysis. Based on the complementation studies, none of these genes function as a crp homolog in E. coli. However, comparative bioinformatic analysis strongly suggests that either Bd2590 or Bd2602 may indeed code for the cyclic AMP receptor protein in Bdellovibrio, and merit further investigation. …