Genetics Commons^™

Evolutionary And Ecological Determinism Of Host Specificity In Arthropod Parasites, Joseph Levey

UCARE: Research Products

Understanding why some diseases infect more species than others is crucial for predicting where and when disease will spread, which can inform the management of wildlife, agriculture, and human health. Currently, large scale patterns of host-parasite dynamics are being studied to understand where to look for and how to manage emerging human diseases (Leroy 2005; Benelli 2018). Previous research has used the Global Mammal Parasite Database (GMPD) to look at host breadth—the number and diversity of species a pathogen can infect—for various groups of parasites, e.g. helminths, arthropods, fungi, etc., from a host-centric perspective (Stephens et al. 2017; Park et …

Barcoding Adelpha Immatures To Understand Host Breadth, Connor P. Soderstrom, Elizabeth Song, Rylie Towne

Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC)

No abstract provided.

Genetic Studies Of Wildlife, Brittaney L. Buchanan

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Genetic techniques are being more frequently used to understand the biology and management of wildlife species. The wild turkey is one species of genetic interest because the correct identification of individuals to the subspecies level is difficult using traditional methods. Currently phenotypic differences in plumage, especially the upper tail coverts, are used to assign individuals to subspecies. To hunters wanting to complete a “grand slam,” identification of birds’ subspecies is important. This study focuses on the five extant subspecies: Eastern (M. g. silvestris), Osceola (M. g. osceola), Rio Grande (M. g. intermedia), Merriam’s ( …

A Basic Ddradseq Two‐Enzyme Protocol Performs Well With Herbarium And Silica‐Dried Tissues Across Four Genera, Ingrid E. Jordon-Thaden, James B. Beck, Catherine A. Rushworth, Michael D. Windham, Nicolas Diaz, Jason T. Cantley, Christopher T. Martine, Carl J. Rothfels

Faculty Journal Articles

Premise

The ability to sequence genome‐scale data from herbarium specimens would allow for the economical development of data sets with broad taxonomic and geographic sampling that would otherwise not be possible. Here, we evaluate the utility of a basic double‐digest restriction site–associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) protocol using DNAs from four genera extracted from both silica‐dried and herbarium tissue.

Methods

DNAs from Draba, Boechera, Solidago, and Ilex were processed with a ddRADseq protocol. The effects of DNA degradation, taxon, and specimen age were assessed.

Results

Although taxon, preservation method, and specimen age affected data recovery, large phylogenetically informative …

158— Optimization And Development Of The Luria-Delbrück Experiment For Geneseo Genetics Labs, Abigail Scheffler

GREAT Day Posters

The classic genetics experiment by Salvador Luria and Max Delbruck showed that mutations are present prior to selection rather than arising in response to selective pressures. In this experiment, we used Escherichia coli as our model organism and the antibiotics streptomycin and rifampicin to show students in a laboratory setting how this hypothesis can be applied. Specifically, we optimized antibiotic concentrations and the amount of bacterial cells to use in order for the activity to run smoothly and consistently in a student laboratory. We found that the ideal conditions are 1000 cells/ml and 25 micrograms/ml of streptomycin. These concentrations showed …

Biol 250: Curly Hair Trait: Homozygous Or Heterozygous, Kaysi Bing

Virtual 2020 Spring Student Showcase for Research and Creative Inquiry

Research Aim: To connect the SNP rs17646946 AG genotype and curly hair

Hypothesis: People expressing a GG genotype at the SNP rs17646946 are most likely to have the curly hair trait

Examining The Roles Of The Conserved Mrna Deadenylase Complex On Drosophila Neuronal Structures, Megan Mccaughey, Scott Barbee

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

The most common cause of inherited mental deficiency and monogenetic cause of autism is Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). There is little known about the origins of this disease which will be investigated in the present study. The series of experiments conducted examined the potential role of mRNA deadenylation proteins as contributing factors to the pathogenesis of FXS using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. One of the main complexes involved in deadenylation is the CNOT complex, which is comprised of many proteins, including POP2, TWIN, and NOT3. Each protein plays a unique role within the CNOT complex. This goal of …

No Association Between An Oxytocin Receptor Genetic Variant And Depressive Symptoms, Rachel Sisley, Grace Sullivan, Scott Stoltenberg

UCARE: Research Products

• Depression has the greatest impact on daily functioning capability of all diseases and adversely effects individuals globally (Flint & Kendler, 2014). • Human capital value of these losses has been about $40 billion dollars annually (Kessler, 2012). • Analysis of the genetic and biological systems associated with depressive symptoms, such as the oxytocin system, could lead to identifying risk variants and possible treatment development. • Genetic Variation in OXTR is associated with a variation in depressive symptoms including low selfesteem, pessimism, and low self-efficacy, etc. (Conner et al., 2018). • The A allele of the SNP rs53576 is considered …

Utilizing Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing Determine The Role Of Cnr1 During Zebrafish Development, Camme Sells

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

In a world where cannabinoids are being used more frequently as for medicinal purposes, the importance for research on cannabinoid biology is steadily increasing. The goal of this study was to gain a greater understanding of the effect cannabinoids have on developing zebrafish embryos. Work in this area of developmental biology could give way to an understanding of the safety of a human fetus during pregnancy with a mother who uses cannabis medicinal therapy. The CRISPR/Cas 9 system was utilized in this study to genetically edit the zebrafish embryo genome to remove the function of the Cannabinoid Receptor 1 ( …

Using Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing To Remove Twist2 To Determine Its Role During Somite Development In Zebrafish, Caleb Holdener

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Embryonic Mesoderm is a precursor to various types of tissues, such as the somatic mesoderm. Somites are a segmented tissue that gives rise to the sclerotome in vertebrates. This sclerotome further develops into the axial skeleton (Stickney, Barresi, and Devoto 2000). Somites are easily observable under low power microscopy during fish development. In fish, great strides have been made in studying the developmental fate of somites (Stoiber, Haslett, and Sänger 1999; Stickney, Barresi, and Devoto 2000). Zebrafish have been studied in many labs due to their similarities with higher vertebrates. These advantages include their inexpensive cost of care, external fertilization, …

Twist1b Knockout Generation In Zebrafish Using Crispr-Cas9, Grace Hurley

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The Twist gene is found in numerous organisms, including humans, mice and zebrafish (Yeo et al., 2009). It is a vital gene in development and is needed for the organism to survive (Yeo et al., 2009). Specifically, the Twist gene family aids in specialization and differentiation of mesodermal cells, telling somites, segmented blocks of mesoderm, what to become (Germanguz et al., 2007). Over time, the Twist gene has duplicated into paralogs, each having differences in their functions (Germanguz et al., 2007). Twist1b is a protein coding gene that is a paralog to the human Twist1 gene (ZFIN, 2020). In zebrafish, …

Utilizing Crispr/Cas9 Gene Editing Determine The Role Of Cnr1 During Zebrafish Development, Ellis Chase

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The CRISPR-Cas 9 system is a process used to create mutations, insertions, or deletions within a desired gene. It can be used to create mutant organisms necessary to study the function and impact of a particular gene¹. Cannabinoids are active chemicals found in cannabis, the most common of which being cannabinol (CBD)². Cannabinoid receptors are an integral part of the endocannabinoid system, recognizing cannabinoid signals to promote physiological processes like pain sensation, memory, mood, and appetite³. Studying these cannabinoid receptors can provide insight into how cannabis can affect bodily processes.

Zebrafish are small translucent …

Evolutionary Ecology Of Host-Parasite Relationships: Role Of Host Ecology, Phylogeny, And Demographics In Shaping Parasite Evolution, Erika Taylor Gendron

Biology ETDs

Host-parasite systems exist across complex and ecologically heterogeneous landscapes, and may occur across taxonomically and ecologically disparate host species. Under these conditions, mechanisms underlying microevolutionary processes (i.e. gene flow, genetic drift) are not always clear, and may be mediated by numerous co-occurring factors specific to individual hosts. Host traits such as host immunology, demographics, phylogeny and ecology may act in concert to shape host-parasite relationships, and ultimately evolutionary processes. The research described herein used phylogeographic, phylogenomic, and population genetic methods to further understanding of how host traits impact the evolutionary ecology of trematode systems, using avian schistosomes (Digenea: Schistosomatidae) as …

Assessing Seed Handling Processes To Facilitate A Community-Engaged Approach To Regional Forest Restoration, Meredith Cobb, Michaela J. Woods, Ryan Mcewan

Biology Faculty Publications

In the Midwestern United States, there is a strong management impetus toward reforestation to replace trees lost to due to tree mortality and to establish forests on previously cleared properties. Here, we describe a public outreach and volunteer effort that aimed to generate positive, community-engaged restoration outcomes and report on a practical experiment involving seed handling. We obtained tree seeds that were donated by members of the community to local land managers. We evaluated the size of the seeds collected and tested the influence of common stratification media (none, sand and vermiculite) and seed size on germination success of three …

Assessing Social Media For Themes Of Trisomy 18 And 13, Falecia Metcalf

Theses and Dissertations

Themes within virtual communities have been explored examining topics such as prenatal diagnosis and termination for fetal anomalies, and it is known that when receiving a diagnosis of trisomy 18 or 13 parents may turn to online resources for information and emotional support. Knowledge of what content patients may encounter on various social media platforms about prenatal testing for trisomy 18 and 13 at large has not yet been established. However, this information would aid healthcare professionals in providing anticipatory guidance for patients using social media.

This study is a preliminary scan of social media to identify content areas and …

De Novo Sequencing And Analysis Of Salvia Hispanica Tissue-Specific Transcriptome And Identification Of Genes Involved In Terpenoid Biosynthesis, James Wimberley, Joseph Cahill, Hagop S. Atamian

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Salvia hispanica (commonly known as chia) is gaining popularity worldwide as a healthy food supplement due to its low saturated fatty acid and high polyunsaturated fatty acid content, in addition to being rich in protein, fiber, and antioxidants. Chia leaves contain plethora of secondary metabolites with medicinal properties. In this study, we sequenced chia leaf and root transcriptomes using the Illumina platform. The short reads were assembled into contigs using the Trinity software and annotated against the Uniprot database. The reads were de novo assembled into 103,367 contigs, which represented 92.8% transcriptome completeness and a diverse set of Gene Ontology …

Liver Ubd Is Upregulated In The Lew.1wr1 Rat, Helen Gibson, Amelia Clopp, Genoah Collins

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Care: Collecting And Assessing Cancer Family History To Identify At Risk Individuals Educational Intervention For Community Health Workers, Laura Moreno

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Background: Collection of family health history (FHH) can identify individuals at increased risk and guide disease-specific recommendations for management, early detection, and prevention. Yet, collection of FHH is often low or infrequent despite national initiatives. In the Hispanic/Latino population, community outreach and education professionals (CORE-Ps) have effectively increased cancer prevention and control behaviors; but, limited research has been conducted to assess genetic and family health history knowledge among CORE-Ps. We sought to evaluate an educational program designed to improve cancer FHH and cancer genetics knowledge, self-efficacy and attitudes. Methods: The ARBOLES Program educates bilingual (Spanish-English) CORE-P to increase knowledge about …

Journey Mapping The Minority Student’S Path Toward Genetic Counseling: A Holistic Picture, Tatiana E. Alvarado-Wing

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Reasons for limited ethnic and racial diversity among genetic counselors in the United States may be elucidated through better understanding the experiences of minority students who are attending genetic counseling graduate programs as well as recent graduates. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with minority participants using Journey Mapping to elicit touchpoints that positively or negatively impact success at varying points on the path to becoming a genetic counselor. Touchpoints with negative impacts include; late awareness of the profession, observing the lack of diversity in the field, the financial burden of the application process, and microaggressions from peers, program leadership, and clinical …

Terms Of Service: The Use And Protection Of Genomic Information By Companies, Databases, And Law Enforcement, Sophia Kallas

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Private genomic companies have become a popular trend in the last two decades by providing customers with information regarding their ancestry and health risks. However, the profiles received from these companies can also be uploaded to public databases for various purposes, including locating other family members. Both testing companies and public databases have private interests, and both are at risk of law enforcement intervention for the purpose of forensic familial searching. There is little federal legislation protecting the privacy of an individual’s genetic profile. Consequently, it has been up to federal agencies, state laws, and judicial precedents to prevent the …