Laboratory and Basic Science Research Commons^™

Introduction To Biomedical Research (Temporary) Cmb 240x, Michael Cerbo

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Mechanism Of Translation Inhibition By Type Ii Gnat Toxin Atat2, Stepan V Ovchinnikov, Dmitry Bikmetov, Alexei Livenskyi, Marina Serebryakova, Brendan Wilcox, Kyle Mangano, Dmitrii I Shiriaev, Ilya A Osterman, Petr V Sergiev, Sergei Borukhov, Nora Vazquez-Laslop, Alexander S Mankin, Konstantin Severinov, Svetlana Dubiley

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

Type II toxin-antitoxins systems are widespread in prokaryotic genomes. Typically, they comprise two proteins, a toxin, and an antitoxin, encoded by adjacent genes and forming a complex in which the enzymatic activity of the toxin is inhibited. Under stress conditions, the antitoxin is degraded liberating the active toxin. Though thousands of various toxin-antitoxins pairs have been predicted bioinformatically, only a handful has been thoroughly characterized. Here, we describe the AtaT2 toxin from a toxin-antitoxin system from Escherichia coli O157:H7. We show that AtaT2 is the first GNAT (Gcn5-related N-acetyltransferase) toxin that specifically targets charged glycyl tRNA. In vivo, the AtaT2 …

Biographical Feature: Robin Patel, M.D.(C.M.), D(Abmm), F(Aam), Fidsa, Facp, Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

Genomic And Transcriptomic Alterations In Metabolic Regulators And Implications For Anti-Tumoral Immune Response, Ryan J. King

Theses & Dissertations

Metabolic and immune alterations are ubiquitous hallmarks of cancer that are established during the foundational mutations and are further selected upon to generate highly aggressive tumors. Recent evidence suggests that cancer cells employ an altered metabolism to induce immune evasion. To further discover the relationship between metabolism and immunity in cancer, this thesis aimed to discover potential candidates of interest by first examining the mucin family for differences, as they exert a wide range of activities in cancer, including altered metabolism and immune alterations. Unique differences lead to further profiling in pancreatic and esophageal cancer. In pancreatic cancer, CD73 was …

Modulating Avidity Of H8f4-Car By Regulation Of Expression Via Codon Modification, Rolando Vedia

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Despite recent advances in the field of cancer immunotherapy and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) therapies for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), there is a need for more unique and innovative modalities to improve these therapies. Our group has extensively studied and demonstrated the potential of targeting the leukemia-associated antigen PR1 in the setting of AML. PR1 is an HLA-A2-restricted nonameric peptide derived from serine proteases neutrophil elastase and proteinase 3, is overexpressed on myeloid leukemia cells, and expressed at normal low levels in healthy hematopoietic cells. We have demonstrated efficacy in targeting PR1/HLA-A2 via the novel development of …

Axonal Regrowth Of Olfactory Sensory Neurons After Chemical Ablation And Removal Of Axonal Debris By Microglia, Rudy Chapman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are contained within the olfactory epithelium (OE) and are responsible for detecting odorant molecules in the air. The exposure of OSNs to the external environment is necessary for their function, but it also leaves them exposed to potentially harmful elements and thus results in a high turnover rate. Despite the high turnover, the olfactory sense is maintained throughout life through the division of a population of stem cells that produce new OSNs both during normal turnover and after an injury occurs in the OE. When new OSNs are born, they must extend axons from the OE …

Tactviz: A Vmd Plugin For Tactile Visualization Of Protein Structures, Olivia R. Shaw, Jodi A. Hadden-Perilla

Journal of Science Education for Students with Disabilities

Scientific disciplines spanning biology, biochemistry, and biophysics involve the study of proteins and their functions. Visualization of protein structures represents a barrier to education and research in these disciplines for students who are blind or visually impaired. Here, we present a software plugin for readily producing variable-height tactile graphics of proteins using the free biomolecular visualization software Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD) and protein structure data that is publicly available through the Protein Data Bank. Our method also supports interactive tactile visualization of proteins with VMD on electronic refreshable tactile display devices. Employing our method in an academic laboratory has enabled …

Comparative Analysis Of Lead In Crassostrea Angulata And Cerastoderma Edule From Cádiz, Spain, Margaret Mullen, Kyle Grice

DePaul Discoveries

In order to study the capacity of bivalve shells as bioindicators in estuarine ecosystems, a comparative analysis of lead concentration in oyster (C.angulata) and clam (C. edule) shells collected near the coast of Cádiz, Spain was performed. Infrared spectroscopy was used to assess calcite and aragonite compositional differences in the shells. An atomic absorption spectrometer was employed for lead concentation method development and analysis. Infrared spectroscopy results found that C. edule shells may contain more aragonite than C.angulata shells. The average lead concentration in oyster shells was calculated to be 44 ± 24 ppm from one …

Moving Targets Of Bacterial Taxonomy Revision: What Are They And Why Should We Care?, Erik Munson

Clinical Lab Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Due to the increased widespread use of molecular diagnostics, genome sequencing, and microbiome analysis in microbiology, the field has experienced a massive influx of novel taxa and nomenclature revisions. A subset of these changes is relevant to the clinical microbiology laboratory, particularly in the context of appropriate antimicrobial susceptibility testing and epidemiology of emerging infections. However, assimilation of these changes into daily clinical microbiology laboratory operations can be challenging for a variety of reasons. Recent taxonomic revisions to Enterobacteriaceae, as well as the genera Borrelia, Mycoplasma, and Mycobacterium, are reviewed as examples that illustrate discrepancies between resources …

Anatomical Organization And Distinction Of The Sympathetic Inputs To Interscapular Brown Adipose Tissue And Inguinal White Adipose Tissue In The Mouse, Clara Jane Huesing

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Adipose tissue is a dynamic endocrine organ that contains both the problem and the solution to discovering new therapies for individuals with obesity. Excessive adipose tissue disrupts energy balance and causes a host of comorbidities like insulin resistance and hypertension. On the other hand, adipose tissue is essential for life. During periods of energy demand, sympathetic nerve activity in brown and white adipose tissue stimulates thermogenesis and lipolysis; both of which decrease body weight and improve metabolic health. Therefore, comprehensive insight into the organization of sympathetic innervation and how it communicates with adipocytes is critical in order to utilize its …

Plankton Dynamics In An Urban, Subtropical Lake Prior To Lake Restoration, Jennifer C. Pulsifer

LSU Master's Theses

This research assessed plankton dynamics in two urban, subtropical lakes (University Lake and City Park Lake) shortly before a proposed and approved lake restoration project. Plankton dynamics were determined in University Lake by the dilution method to attempt to quantify growth rates of phytoplankton and grazing rates of zooplankton. Landry and Hassett’s (1982) dilution method has been widely used in marine systems to estimate rates of growth and grazing. In many marine systems, nutrients must be added to prevent nutrient limitation. However, it is assumed, due to the hypereutrophic conditions, that nutrients would not be a limitation in University Lake. …

Analysis Of Biofilm Remediation Capacity For Octenyl Succinic Anhydride (Osa), A Bioactive Food Starch Modifier Compound, Matthew R. Borglin

Master's Theses

Matthew R. Borglin

This thesis demonstrates efficacy of Octenyl Succinic Anhydride (OSA), as a biofilm sanitizer. Biofilms allow bacteria to adhere to solid surfaces with the use of excreted polymeric compounds. For example, surfaces found in food production or processing facilities such as the interior of a raw milk holding tank, are some of the most susceptible to biofilm contamination. When present, biofilms can cause a variety of negative effects, which include; reduction of product shelf life, corrosion, and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The close association of biofilms with the majority of foodborne illness cases led the US Environmental Protection …

Portable Fluorescence Illuminator, Katherine Hui, Emran Baryal, Emmett Lambert

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review (FDR) document outlines the senior design project implemented by a team of three mechanical engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for a professor in the biochemistry and chemistry department, Dr. Javin Oza. The project involved designing and manufacturing a portable ultraviolet fluorescence illuminator that will indicate the fluorescent glow of biomaterials for viewing purposes. The goal was to create a portable product out of recyclable material that can be used in field applications and increase accessibility to affordable science equipment. The initial sponsor and user interviews, technical background research, product research, and …

Identifying And Understanding Factors That Affect The Translation Of Therapies From The Laboratory To Patients: A Study Protocol, Manoj M. Lalu, Joshua Montroy, C Glenn Begley, Tania M. Bubela, Victoria Hunniford, David Ripsman, Neil Wesch, Jonathan Kimmelman, Malcolm Macleod, David Moher

Office of the Provost

Background: The process of translating preclinical findings into a clinical setting takes decades. Previous studies have suggested that only 5-10% of the most promising preclinical studies are successfully translated into viable clinical applications. The underlying determinants of this low success rate (e.g. poor experimental design, suboptimal animal models, poor reporting) have not been examined in an empirical manner. Our study aims to determine the contemporary success rate of preclinical-to-clinical translation, and subsequently determine if an association between preclinical study design and translational success/failure exists.
Methods: Established systematic review methodology will be used with regards to the literature search, article screening …

Dna Damage Recognition And Uvrb Loading By Uvra Within The Nucleotide Excision Repair Pathway, Silas Hartley

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Maintaining the cellular genome is paramount to survival by any organism. A mutated genome can have detrimental effects on different cellular processes, especially replication and transcription. Cells maintain their genome using different deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair pathways. The nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway has a unique capability of repairing the genome from several different mutations, deletions, and adducts. In bacteria, the NER pathway accomplishes repair through four important steps: damage recognition by UvrA, damage verification by UvrB, DNA incision by UvrC, and repair synthesis using various cellular machinery.

UvrA forms a head-to-head dimer (UvrA₂) with two ATPase sites …

Protein Phosphatase 2a Suppresses Spindle Elongation In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, Shoily P. Khondker

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Eukaryotic cell division is an essential process that is carried out by the cell cycle, a tightly controlled process that has been extensively studied in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The cell cycle is driven by Cyclin Dependent Kinase (Cdk1) activity. Protein phosphatase 2A-Cdc55 (PP2A^Cdc55) reverses Cdk1 phosphorylation events during late stages of the cell cycle to ensure the correct order of events. This thesis presents evidence that the anaphase inhibitor Pds1 is a PP2A^Cdc55 target. Pds1 binds to and inhibits separase (Esp1). Esp1 triggers sister chromatid segregation by cleaving the cohesin complex that holds the …

Multi-Generational Effects Of ∆9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Exposure On Gene Expression In Liver Tissue, Kayla Lovitt

Honors Theses

Cannabis is the most commonly used, cultivated, and trafficked illicit drug worldwide. Increased availability and acceptance of cannabis and cannabinoid-containing products provide the necessity for understanding how these substances influence aging. In this study, zebrafish (Danio rerio) were exposed to concentrations of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (0.08, 0.4, 2 µM) during embryonic-larval development, the effects on aging were measured 30 months later and in the offspring of the exposed fish (F1 generation. We observed results indicating a biphasic and hormetic effect. Treatment with the lowest concentration of THC significantly increased egg production, while higher concentrations resulted in impaired …

The Impact Of E-Cigarette Smoking On Pulmonary Responses To Maximal Exercise, Chelsea N. Robinson

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have emerged as popular alternatives to smoking conventional tobacco, particularly in a younger demographic. However, there is emerging and conflicting evidence on the magnitude of airway damage with e-cigarette usage. While evaluating airway health can be challenging, using a stimulus such as exercise may be used to elucidate the effects of e-cigarettes on the pulmonary system. Purpose: To determine the impact of an acute maximal exercise on changes in pulmonary function (i.e. bronchodilation and bronchoconstriction) in young adult exclusive e-cigarette smokers (S) compared to nonsmokers (NS). We hypothesized that S will have lower post-exercise bronchodilation after an …

Presence Of Dirofilaria Immitis In Mosquitoes In Southeastern Georgia, Angelica C. Tumminello

Honors College Theses

Canine heartworm disease is caused by the filarial nematode Dirofilaria immitis, which is transmitted by at least 25 known species of mosquito vectors. This study sought to understand which species of mosquitoes are present in Bulloch County, Georgia, and which species are transmitting canine heartworm disease. This study also investigated whether particular canine demographics correlated with a greater risk of heartworm disease. Surveillance of mosquitoes was conducted in known heartworm-positive canine locations using traditional gravid trapping and vacuum sampling. Mosquito samples were frozen until deemed inactive, then identified by species and sex. The mosquitoes were then either dissected under …

The Current Neuroscientific Understanding Of Alzheimer's Disease, Rachel A. Brandes

Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee

Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative neurological illness characterized by the deterioration of brain regions implicated in memory and cognitive function. While researchers have yet to find a cure or effective treatment, they have gained a better understanding of its pathology and development. Through years of neuroscience research, scientists have discovered much of what happens in the brain during Alzheimer’s disease onset and how this causes its symptoms; many hypotheses regarding this aspect of the illness involve temporal lobe atrophy, neurofibrillary tangles, and amyloid plaques. Although Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of people every day, it seems that most are unaware of …