Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Protein Aggregation Through Acoustic Cavitation, John A. Giarratano
Protein Aggregation Through Acoustic Cavitation, John A. Giarratano
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Therapeutic proteins represent an essential piece of a health management plan for diseases such as diabetes, cancer, hemophilia, Crohn's Disease, and myocardial infarction. These proteins, however, must be maintained in their correct, biologically active conformation throughout processing, transportation, and delivery. This requirement poses serious engineering challenges because of a protein's susceptibility to thermodynamic instabilities resulting from the weak bonds driving the tertiary structure of the molecule. A particularly problematic type of protein degradation is aggregation. Administration of aggregated proteins, a particularly problematic degradation form, can have dire consequences, including blocking a patient's responsiveness to therapy, inducing immunogenicity, and even anaphylactic …
Influence Of Soil Microorganisms On Plant Growth And Fitness, Benjamin Jayne
Influence Of Soil Microorganisms On Plant Growth And Fitness, Benjamin Jayne
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Most terrestrial plants benefit from symbiosis with soil microorganisms. Symbiotic bacteria and fungi have wide-ranging effects on host plants, including improved nutrition, disease resistance, and drought tolerance. Association with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) can enhance growth and protect plants from environmental stressors while they share products of photosynthesis with the resident fungi. Scores of studies indicate that mycorrhizal plants are more resistant to drought stress than their non-mycorrhizal counterparts. Use of microbes as a plant and soil supplement in home gardens represents a sustainable alternative to resource-intensive inputs and may allow for reduced water use. I investigated the effects of …