Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons^™

Defining The Requirements For Early Gene Expression In Bacteriophage Hk639, Amanda L. Seaton

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Lambdoid phages suppress transcription termination to fully express their genes. Antitermination of early gene expression in most lambdoid phages is mediated by an interaction between the N protein and a number of host-encoded factors. Bacteriophage HK022 does not rely on a protein for antitermination. To promote full expression of early phage genes, the transcripts of the HK022 put sites interact directly with RNA polymerase to convert it to a termination resistant form. Bacteriophage HK639 also uses RNA-mediated antitermination. However, it only possesses a single put-like element in its left operon. Because most lambdoid phages, including HK022, have antiterminator elements in …

Development And Characterization Of An In Vitro Four-Species Anaerobic Dental Biofilm Model, Fernando Andrade

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Dental caries is the most common chronic disease worldwide. It is characterized by the demineralization of tooth enamel caused by acid produced by cariogenic dental bacteria growing on tooth surfaces, termed bacterial biofilms. Cariogenesis is a complex biological process that is influence by multiple factors and is not attributed to a sole causative agent. Instead, caries is associated with multispecies microbial biofilm communities composed of some bacterial species that directly influence the development of a caries lesion and other species that are seemingly benign but must contribute to the community in an uncharacterized way. Clinical analysis of dental caries and …

Physiological Effects Of Nickel Chloride On The Freshwater Cyanobacterium Synechococcus Sp. Iu 625, Brian Nohomovich, Bao T. Nguyen, Michael Quintanilla, Lee H. Lee, Sean R. Murray, Tin-Chun Chu

Tinchun Chu, Ph.D.

Aerobic Degradation Of Α-, Β-, Γ-Hexachlorocyclohexane By Narragansett Bay Bacterioplankton, Ian M. Rambo

Senior Honors Projects

Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) are a family of chlorinated organic compounds that were previously used as agricultural insecticides. HCHs are recognized as persistent organic pollutants due to their toxicity, recalcitrant properties, and tendency to bioaccumulate in food webs. Although HCH was first synthesized in 1825, its use was not widespread until the discovery of the insecticidal activity of the γ-HCH isomer in 1942. γ-HCH and its toxic waste isomers α-HCH and β-HCH were banned from production and use by the United Nations in 2009, yet these chemicals still present environmental problems due to their persistence in soils and surface waters. HCHs continue …

Modifying Commercially Available Vectors For Expression Of Standardized Igem Biobricks, Merhawi T. Yigzaw, Dafna Lapido, Holly M. Bowman

Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Transcriptional Regulation Of Sunscreen Biosynthesis In Cyanobacteria, Tanya Soule

Tanya Soule

No abstract provided.

The Global Response Of Nostoc Punctiforme Atcc 29133 To Uva Stress, Assessed In A Temporal Dna Microarray Study, Tanya Soule, Qunjie Gao, Valerie Stout, Ferran Garcia-Pichel

Tanya Soule

Cyanobacteria in nature are exposed not only to the visible spectrum of sunlight but also to its harmful ultraviolet components (UVA and UVB). We used Nostoc punctiforme ATCC 29133 as a model to study the UVA response by analyzing global gene expression patterns using genomic microarrays. UVA exposure resulted in the statistically detectable differential expression of 573 genes of the 6903 that were probed, compared with that of the control cultures. Of those genes, 473 were up-regulated, while only 100 were down-regulated. Many of the down-regulated genes were involved in photosynthetic pigment biosynthesis, indicating a significant shift in this metabolism. …

The Use Of Course Response Systems To Assess Student Learning In The Classroom, Tanya Soule, Jordan Marshall

Tanya Soule

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Bacterial Microcompartments In The Fermentation Of D-Arabinose In Clostridium Phytofermentans, Megan A. Strough

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Bacterial microcompartments, or BMCs, are 80-200nm, enzyme-encompassing organelles composed of interlocking proteins that form cyclical hexamers with a small central pore. Clostridium phytofermentans or Cphy, is a Gram-positive, rod shaped, anaerobic soil microbe that has the ability to not only break down multiple polysaccharides simultaneously but also proceeds to ferment them into biofuels. The genome of Cphy contains 3 BMC loci. During growth on fucose and rhamnose, one of these loci is highly expressed and microcompartments can be viewed using TEM. Under these growth conditions, three products, ethanol, propanol and propionate, which could potentially be highly useful in the biofuel …

Phenotypic And Genotypic Characterization Of Escherichia Coli Isolated From Untreated Surface Waters, Steven L. Daniel, Kai F. Hung, Kristopher J. Janezic, Blake Ferry, Eric W. Hendricks, Brian A. Janiga, Tiffany Johnson, Samantha Murphy, Morgan E. Roberts, Sarah M. Scott, Alexandra N. Theisen

Steven L. Daniel

A common member of the intestinal microbiota in humans and animals is Escherichia coli. Based on the presence of virulence factors, E. coli can be potentially pathogenic. The focus of this study was to isolate E. coli from untreated surface waters (37 sites) in Illinois and Missouri and determine phenotypic and genotypic diversity among isolates. Water samples positive for fecal coliforms based on the Colisure® test were streaked directly onto Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) agar (37°C) or transferred to EC broth (44.5°C). EC broth cultures producing gas were then streaked onto EMB agar. Forty-five isolates were identified as E. coli …

Cure From The Cave: Volcanic Cave Actinomycetes And Their Potential In Drug Discovery, Naowarat (Ann) Cheeptham Dr., Tara Sadoway, Devon Rule, Kent Watson, Paul Moote, Laiel C. Soliman, Nicholas Azad, Kingsley Donkor, Derrick Horne

International Journal of Speleology

Volcanic caves have been little studied for their potential as sources of novel microbial species and bioactive compounds with new scaffolds. We present the first study of volcanic cave microbiology from Canada and suggest that this habitat has great potential for the isolation of novel bioactive substances. Sample locations were plot ted on a contour map that was compiled in ArcView 3.2. Over 400 bacterial isolates were obtained from the Helmcken Falls cave in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia. From our preliminary screen, of 400 isolates tested, 1% showed activity against extended spectrum ß-lactamase E. coli, 1.75% against Escherichia …

Seroprevalence Of Brucellosis In Livestock Within Three Endemic Regions Of The Country Of Georgia, Eliso Mamisashvili, Ian T. Kracalik, Tinatin Onashvili, Lela Kerdzevadze, Ketevan Goginashvili, Tamar Tigilauri, Marina Donduashvili, Marina Nikolaishvili, Irma Beradze, Marina Zakareishvili, Maka Kokhreidze, Makvala Gelashvili, Nino Vepkhvadze, S. Elizabeth Rácz, Philip H. Elzer, Mikeljon P. Nikolich, Jason K. Blackburn

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Brucellosis is the one of most common livestock zoonoses in Georgia, resulting in significant economic losses. Livestock were sampled in three regions of Georgia (Kakheti, Kvemo Kartli, Imereti). Districts that historically reported high numbers of brucellosis related morbidity were selected for serological, bacteriological and molecular surveys. Surveying efforts yielded samples from 10,819 large and small ruminants. In total, 735 serological tests were positive on Rose Bengal and 33 bacterial isolates were recovered and identified as Brucella melitensis or Brucella abortus by microbiology and AMOS-PCR. A Bayesian framework was implemented to estimate the true prevalence of the disease given an imperfect …

Preservation Of H2 Production Activity In Nanoporous Latex Coatings Of Rhodopseudomonas Palustris Cga009 During Dry Storage At Ambient Temperatures, Magdalena Piskorska, Tanya Soule, J Gosse, C Milliken, M Flickinger, G Smith, C Yeager

Tanya Soule

To assess the applicability of latex cell coatings as an ‘off-the-shelf’ biocatalyst, the effect of osmoprotectants, temperature, humidity and O2 on preservation of H2 production in Rhodopseudomonas palustris coatings was evaluated. Immediately following latex coating coalescence (24 h) and for up to 2 weeks of dry storage, rehydrated coatings containing different osmoprotectants displayed similar rates of H2 production. Beyond 2 weeks of storage, sorbitol-treated coatings lost all H2 production activity, whereas considerable H2 production was still detected in sucrose- and trehalose-stabilized coatings. The relative humidity level at which the coatings were stored had a significant impact on the recovery and …