Biotechnology Commons^™

Marine Gastrobot Final Design Report, Wesley B. Williams, Eric Kane Dreischerf, Tommy Nicholas Yath

Mechanical Engineering

The Marine Gastrobot sponsored by Dr. Christopher Kitts of the Cal Poly Center for Applications in Biotechnology was a research and development effort intended to explore the use of microbial fuel cell technology as a power source for underwater robots. Our team Ocean Locomotion succeeded in developing a first iteration of an underwater robotic platform suitable for microbial fuel cell integration. The primary feature of the design is its sinusoidal fin propulsion intended for benthic exploration with limited risk of entanglement. During the course of development, Ocean Locomotion explored the use of low power actuation methods and determined their limited …

Characterization Of Genes Involved In Phycobiliprotein Biosynthesis In Fremyella Diplosiphon And Thermosynechococcus Elongatus, Christina M. Kronfel

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic organisms that efficiently capture light by utilizing the light-harvesting complexes called phycobilisomes. In many cyanobacteria, phycobilisomes are composed of an allophycocyanin core with phycocyanin and phycoerythrin (PE) rods radiating from the core. These phycobiliproteins have multiple bilin chromophores, such as phycoerythrobilin (PEB), covalently attached to specific cysteine (Cys) residues for efficient photosynthetic light capture. Chromophore ligation on phycobiliprotein subunits occurs through bilin lyase catalyzed reactions.

This study mainly focuses on characterizing the roles of enzymes that are involved in the biosynthetic pathway of the phycobiliproteins within two cyanobacteria Thermosynechococcus elongatus and Fremyella diplosiphon. A combination of molecular …

B7h6: A Cancer Biomarker For The Development Of Novel Immunotherapy Approaches, Mariana Phillips

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Cancer-based immunotherapy has led the evolution of biologics that can stimulate immune responses towards tumor eradication. The synthesis of small to intermediate size molecules with the targeting and effector functions of mAb may represent a novel class of immunotherapeutics that may overcome the limitations of their biological counterparts.Towards this objective, B7H6 has been identified as a protein ligand localized on the cell surface of transformed tumor cells. B7H6 binds specifically to the activating receptor NKp30, constitutively expressed on all resting and active NK cells. Upon ligand:receptor binding, B7H6 triggers NK cell activation and release of chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines such …

Cloning, Purification, And Biochemical Characterization Of Human Prolyl Endopeptidase, Travis K. Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Eurygaster integriceps Puton, common name sunn Pest, is one of the primary sources of wheat crop wastes in North Africa, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. It feeds by injecting the wheat grain with an enzyme characterized as prolyl endoprotease (spPEP) that breaks down Gluten, the wheat’s main constitutive protein necessary for bread production (Darkoh et al., 2010). Previously, it has been shown that peptides isolated from Lactobacillus hydrolysates of caseins in bovine milk are able to inhibit mammalian PEP in colon cells, as well as bacterial PEP (Juillerat-Jeanneret et al., 2010). While recombinant versions of these peptides are also potential …

Survey Of Microbial Urea Degrader Diversity In Two Freshwater Ecosystems: Lake Shenandoah And The Shenandoah River, Naomi E. Gilbert

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

One of the primary drivers of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cHABs) in freshwater systems is nutrient loading, particularly of nitrogen and phosphorus. There has been an increased focus on assessing the role of nitrogen (N) in freshwater lakes and rivers that suffer cHABs. Urea, a widely-used, N-rich fertilizer, is a source of interest due to its abundance in freshwater ecosystems, primarily caused by anthropogenic nutrient loading. While recent work has shown that cHAB population succession may favor the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis in urea-rich waters, the diversity of the associated bacterial community capable of degrading urea has yet to be determined. …

Construction Of A Heterologous Vaccine Against Bordetella Avium And Campylobacter Jejuni Utilizing The B. Avium Transporter, Baa1, Rachel Korba

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

A Gram negative species of bacteria, Campylobacter jejuni, is the leading cause of food poisoning worldwide. Humans often contract food poisoning after ingesting contaminated poultry. Detecting the presence of C. jejuni in poultry is difficult because it is part of the natural flora and does not cause symptomatic infection. In a related manner, Bordetella avium is a Gram negative species of bacteria that causes bordetellosis in poultry. This disease is similar to whooping cough caused by the related pathogen of humans, B. pertussis. Though the mortality rate for bordetellosis is low, it weakens the birds’ immune systems, often …

Topical Administration Of Lacritin Peptide For The Treatment Of Canine Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca, Eliza A. Gaylord

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS), also known as dry-eye disease, causes a deficiency of tears in both humans and canines. Due to the lack of effective therapeutics for the treatment of dry-eye disease, there is a market potential for a novel secretion enhancing factor. Lacritin, a naturally occurring tear glycoprotein, increases basal tearing in rabbits when topically applied to the ocular surface and shows potential as a dry-eye therapeutic. This study aims to characterize Lacritin as a biomarker of dry-eye disease in canines with KCS. A total of 46 canine tear samples, 24 normal and 22 diagnosed with KCS, were obtained through …

Impact Of Burkholderia Phytofirmans Strain Psjn On The Ex Vitro Acclimatization And In Vitro Propagation Of Tissue Cultured Dionaea Muscipula (Venus Fly Trap), Peter L. Riley

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Dionaea muscipula, Venus fly trap, is an endangered plant that is propagated primarily through tissue culture. Tissue cultured plants must be acclimatized to their new environments when removed from their test tubes and the ensuing stress can result in plant mortality. A plant growth promoting rhizobacterium, Burkholderia phytofirmans strain PsJN, has been utilized in biotic hardening of tissue cultured plants and in the amelioration of stresses, particularly drought stress in potted plants. We investigated whether this bacterium could improve either propagation or acclimatization of tissue cultured Venus fly traps. Standardized inoculations were performed by adjusting cell density of inoculant …

Development Of A Core Clostridium Thermocellum Kinetic Metabolic Model Consistent With Multiple Genetic Perturbations, Satyakam Dash, Ali Khodayari, Jilai Zhou, Evert K. Holwerda, Daniel Olson, Lee Lynd, Costas Maranas

Dartmouth Scholarship

Clostridium thermocellum is a Gram-positive anaerobe with the ability to hydrolyze and metabolize cellulose into biofuels such as ethanol, making it an attractive candidate for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). At present, metabolic engineering in C. thermocellum is hindered due to the incomplete description of its metabolic repertoire and regulation within a predictive metabolic model. Genome-scale metabolic (GSM) models augmented with kinetic models of metabolism have been shown to be effective at recapitulating perturbed metabolic phenotypes.

In this effort, we first update a second-generation genome-scale metabolic model (iCth446) for C. thermocellum by correcting cofactor dependencies, restoring elemental and charge balances, …

Mammalian Cell Line Development Platform For Recombinant Protein Production: Expanding The Protein Expression Toolbox For Research And Drug Discovery Applications, Elizabeth Del Greco

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Recombinant proteins have revolutionized the biomedical industry, providing therapeutics for life-threatening diseases and protein reagents for research applications. BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. develops recombinant protein therapeutics to treat rare diseases including lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs), a group of about 50 individually rare disorders together affecting 1 in 8,000 live births. With an increase in the number of novel therapeutics in our drug discovery pipeline, there is a high demand to produce a variety of recombinant proteins for early-stage drug development projects. In order to equip our protein production process with the tools and capability for diverse protein expression, it is valuable …

Dynamic Protein Movement Involved In Photoreceptors, Daisy Spoer

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Ciliopathies are a class of genetic diseases which affect the function of primary cilium within multiple organs throughout the body. Although ciliopathies are known to present high morbidity and mortality rates, there are no current cures and only a limited amount of treatments. A universal function of cilia is to regulate cellular activities through the transduction of signals. Disruption of the localization of proteins following the reception of a stimuli can be responsible for the phenotypic effects of dysfunctioning cilia in ciliopathies. In order to address the pathogenesis, we must first understand how proteins move within the cilia, so that …

An Assessment Of Seven New Grape Varieties And A Study Of Grapevine Vein Clearing Virus In Native Vitaceae Plants, Kaylie A. Austin

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

One of the most effective methods of reducing pesticide application in vineyards is breeding hybrid varieties for disease resistance. The new varieties must be assessed for disease resistance and viticultural traits. This thesis focuses on seven new varieties from a cross of ‘Norton’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’. ‘Norton’ was chosen because of its disease resistance and cold hardiness. ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ was selected because of its high-quality wine making berries. The cross was made in 2005, seven were selected in 2011, and evaluation began in 2016. Using Botrytis cinerea as a model pathogen, resistance was measured with an incidence rate and severity …

Understanding The Mechanisms Of Insecticide Resistance In Phlebotomus Papatasi And Lutzoymia Longipalpis Sand Flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae), David Denlinger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Sand flies, like mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and lice, transmit pathogens that cause disease in humans. Leishmaniasis, caused by pathogens transmitted by sand flies, kills tens of thousands of people every year. Insecticides have been used to control sand flies, but there is evidence of insecticide resistance in populations of sand flies around the world. The goal of this dissertation was to develop tools to maintain sand flies in the laboratory, develop the ability to identify insecticide-resistant populations of sand flies, and to investigate the genetic mechanisms of how sand flies become resistant to insecticides. I began by comparing live animal …

Estimating Autoantibody Signatures To Detect Autoimmune Disease Patient Subsets, Zhenke Wu, Livia Casciola-Rosen, Ami A. Shah, Antony Rosen, Scott L. Zeger

Johns Hopkins University, Dept. of Biostatistics Working Papers

Autoimmune diseases are characterized by highly specific immune responses against molecules in self-tissues. Different autoimmune diseases are characterized by distinct immune responses, making autoantibodies useful for diagnosis and prediction. In many diseases, the targets of autoantibodies are incompletely defined. Although the technologies for autoantibody discovery have advanced dramatically over the past decade, each of these techniques generates hundreds of possibilities, which are onerous and expensive to validate. We set out to establish a method to greatly simplify autoantibody discovery, using a pre-filtering step to define subgroups with similar specificities based on migration of labeled, immunoprecipitated proteins on sodium dodecyl sulfate …

Validation Of The Pre-B Cell Receptor As A Therapeutic Target In B Cell Precursor Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Michael Frank Erasmus

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

This dissertation is built upon the fundamental idea that the pre-B cell receptor (pre-BCR) is important to leukemia cell survival and a logical therapeutic target in B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BCP-ALL). The pre-BCR is expressed early at a specific stage during B cell development where it plays a central role in survival of healthy B lymphocytes. This receptor is composed of the membrane heavy chain (mIgμ) associated with surrogate light chain components, 5 and VpreB. Through the use of advanced imaging modalities, in particular two-color single particle tracking (SPT), we showed that pre-BCRs formed transient, homotypic interactions. These …

Crispr/Cas9 Genome Editing System And Its Use In Infectious Disease, Dustin Daws

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is an exciting new genetic engineering technology that was found in the chromosomes of certain bacteria and archaea. Bacteriophage are viruses that insert their DNA and hijack the host cell’s machinery to make new phage that can go on to infect new cells. Some microorganisms use CRISPR as a defense mechanism to disrupt the bacteriophage DNA after it is inserted into the cell. CRISPR/Cas9 uses genome editing as a means to alter very specific sections of a foreign genome. CRISPR works with a RNA-guided DNA endonuclease called Cas9. This enzyme can locate and …

A Study Of Methods For Detecting Gene Expression Of The Sterol Biosynthetic Pathway In The Microalgae Strain Heterosigma Akashiwo, Jessica C. Mayhew, Marcia Ackerman, Mike Lomas

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

Biotechnological applications for various microalgae strains are beginning to bloom. There is interest in these microbes for their production of useful compounds such as phytosterols and lipids which can be produced in mass culture for large scale manufacture in the food, pharmaceutical, and biofuel industries (Romano et al., 2016). To this end, we are using the gold-brown microalgae, Heterosigma akashiwo (CCMP1680), a known producer of phytosterols, to test a molecular method for quick and easy measurements of production of the phytosterol compound sitosterol, which has potential as an anti- inflammatory agent. (Giner et al., 2008).

Stem Cell Derived Osteoprogenitors And Their Role In Bone Repair Using Morphogenic Activators, George Washington Brownridge Iii, Sylvanna Islas, Angelina Miller, Warren Hoeffler

Student Research Posters

Bone constantly cycles through a dynamic process of breakdown and remodeling. Osteoblasts are the specialized mesenchymal stem cells that have a major role in bone formation and the remodeling process whereas their counterpart osteoclasts, handle bone resorption. Embryonic stem cells can be partially differentiated into Progenitor cells, and we worked with #18, a candidate for being an osteoprogenitor that has the potential to respond to morphogenic activators. In the case of bone remodeling, TGF-β 2, BMP-2 and an abundance of CA++ have been shown to be potential activators of differentiation into osteoblasts. Eight different trials were conducted with the cells …

Disappearance And Appearance Of An Indigestible Marker In Feces From Growing Pigs As Affected By Previous- And Current-Diet Composition, Brandy M. Jacobs, John F. Patience, Merlin D. Lindemann, Kenneth J. Stalder, Brian J. Kerr

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Indigestible markers are commonly utilized in digestion studies, but the complete disappearance or maximum appearance of a marker in feces can be affected by diet composition, feed intake, or an animal’s BW. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of previous (Phase 1, P1) and current- (Phase 2, P2) diet composition on marker disappearance (Cr) and appearance (Ti) in pigs fed 3 diets differing in NDF content.

Results: When pigs were maintained on the 25.1, 72.5, and 125.0 g/kg NDF diets, it took 5.1, 4.1, and 2.5 d, respectively, for Cr levels to decrease below the …

Oral History Conversation With Lydell Aaron (Beartha), Alexander Z. Bulkin, Kari Schattinger, Kate L. Gardner, Charbel Mouannes, Danielle Silvaggio

Philosophy: All Student Work

Oral History Interview conducted with Lydell Aaron. He founded Beartha Systems which builds scalable and smart systems that harness energy and resources for small communities.