Other Chemistry Commons^™

Investigations Of Prokaryotic Defense Systems, Hannah Domgaard

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Bacteria are constantly threatened with infection by mobile genetic elements (MGE) such as bacteriophage and plasmids. Bacteriophage and plasmids require the bacteria's cellular infrastructure to replicate their genomes. Rampant replication can lead to cell death which is one reason why bacteria have developed a diverse array of immune systems to prevent or limit infection. This thesis studies three types of bacterial immune systems, type IV-A CRISPR-Cas (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat –CRISPR associated), type V-A2 CRISPR-Cas systems, and Wadjet systems.

The type IV-A system lies adjacent to a dinG-like helicase gene. Research has shown that this system can target …

Conservative Tryptophan Mutations In Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase Ptp1b And Its Effect On Catalytic Rate And Chemical Reaction, Teisha Richan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Protein-tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphorylated tyrosines by a 2-step mechanism involving nucleophilic attack by cysteine and general acid catalysis by aspartic acid. In most PTPs the aspartic acid resides on a flexible protein loop, consisting of about a dozen residues, called the WPD loop. PTP catalysis rates span several orders of magnitude, and differences in WPD loop dynamics have recently been show to correlate with the rate of enzymatic catalysis. The rate of WPD loop motion could possibly be related to a widely conserved tryptophan residue on the WPD loop. Therefore, point mutants were made in PTP1B …

Structural Insights Into The Regulation Of Electron Transfer In Nitrogenase, And Modulating The Reactivity Of The Isolated Iron Molybdenum Cofactor, Andrew J. Rasmussen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

One of the most important scientific advances in the last century was the Haber-Bosch process, the industrial process of fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere to ammonia. This allowed for the commercial production and sale of nitrogen for important uses such as fertilizer for farming. The Haber-Bosch process is partially credited with the population boom that has been seen in the last century and has greatly increased the standard of living in the developed world today. While this was a great scientific breakthrough, the cost of producing the required ammonia is high, and roughly 2% of worldwide energy is used annually …

Atp Usage In The Dark-Operative Protochlorophyllide Oxidoreductase, Mark S. Soffe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Chlorophylls are essential pigment molecules that function in photosynthesis, and serve to aid in utilizing energy from sunlight to power cellular processes in plants, and other organisms. To make chlorophyll, photosynthetic organisms devote an abundance of resources and energy to ensure their appropriate construction. This process of making chlorophylls is highlighted by the penultimate step in the pathway—the conversion of protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) to chlorophyllide a (Chlide).

This conversion can be mediated in two different ways, depending on the type of organism. The first method incorporates the use of a light-activated system called the light-dependent protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (LPOR). This system, as …

Magnesium Ion Inhibition Of Calcium Carbonate Precipitation And Its Relation To Water Quality, John J. Hassett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The effect of Mg⁺⁺ ion on the solubility of calcium carbonate was determined using P. K. Weyls "carbonate saturometer."

The amount of calcium carbonate precipitated or dissolved was measured for five series of waters when equilibrated with solid carbonate.

It was found that the effect of Mg⁺⁺ ion on solubility depend upon the nature of the solid phase: surface area, coprecipitated Mg⁺⁺, minerology, etc.

Pure low area calcite showed an increase in solubility which could be explained by ion-pair formation, while its other carbonates departed from this behavior.

Experiments On The Inactivation Of Zinc By The Mineral Fractions Of The Soil, John J. Hassett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Zinc deficiency, in many cases, is closely related to organic matter decomposition. DeRemer and Smith (1964) studied the effects of decomposing sugar beet tops on the reactions of Zn⁶⁵ in a Portneuf soil. They found that with time the Zn⁶⁵ associated with lime minerals, exchangeable, and water soluble fractions of the soil decreased, while that found with the organic and mineral fractions increased. This increase in the mineral fraction is of particular interest, since the majority of the Zn⁶⁵ was found to be with this fraction after a period of time. They also showed that the increase …

The Effect Of Chelates On Phosphorus Availability And Mobility, Salah Ahmed Tahoun

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Soil-phosphorus relations and plant-phosphorus relations have attracted the interest of many investigators since Liebig introduced his famous theory about the importance of the mineral matters to the plant in 1840. It was soon realized that phosphorus nutrition was a problem not easily solved for two reasons. 1. The added phosphorus fertilizers, soon after soil application are converted by some reactions in the soil to complex compounds far less soluble, consequently less available to the plant. Conclusions about this process led to controversial debates until it was discovered that a general statement covering all soils was impossible since the reactions involved …

The Effect Of Moisture And Temperature On Transformation Of Applied Ammonium Sulfate In Several Western Soils, Lloyd Richard Hossner

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The conversion of ammonia nitrogen to nitrite and nitrate forms of nitrogen has aroused much attention in the past and continues to receive much of the energy of the present day researcher.

Phosphorus Status Of Genola Soils In Utah, Warren E. Bendixen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

With increasing pressure on economical production of crops, more fertilizers are being applied to the soil each year to increase crop yields. Economical production of crops with applications of fertilizer requires an evaluation of the essential elements of the various crops so applications of fertilizer will not exceed the law of diminishing returns.

Because varying soil, moisture, and climatic conditions influence the response to added fertilizers, some workers (18, 26, 38) have contended that the only reliable way of determining the fertilization needs of a crop is to conduct a trial on the particular farm. The length of time involved …

The Mineral Content Of Various Sections Of Some Plants As Influenced By Conditions Associated With Lime-Induced Chlorosis, Hyrum Del Var Petersen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The so-called "lime-induced" chlorosis has been recognized for many years as a problem where plants are grown on calcareous soils. The characteristics associated with lime-induced chlorosis are the same as those associated with iron deficiency chlorosis--interveinal yellowing of the leaves at the meristemic region combined with reduced vigor of the plant as a whole. Lime-induced chlorosis is unique in that the iron content of both chlorotic plant and the soil do not always show a deficiency in iron when chemically analyzed. This leads to the theory that iron is inactivated in both the soil and plant.

Although no single factor …