The Influence Of Sampling Frequency On Bee Species Richness,
2023
Providence College
The Influence Of Sampling Frequency On Bee Species Richness, Courtney Caccamo
Biology Student Scholarship
As one of Earth’s most valuable pollinators, bees provide important pollination services to wild plant species and crops alike (Winfree 2010). But, in recent years, bee populations appear to be declining due to a variety of anthropogenic drivers (Potts et al. 2010). Quantifying the extent of bee population decline is difficult because there is currently a lack of a standardized protocol for how best to survey bee populations (Tepedino & Portman 2021). One of the commonly used survey methods is pan trapping, which involves leaving out yellow, white, and blue bowls filled with soapy water to passively sample the species …
Considerations For The Use Of Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculants In Coal Mine Reclamation And Reforestation In Appalachia: A Guide Of Best Practices And Management Recommendations,
2023
University of San Francisco
Considerations For The Use Of Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculants In Coal Mine Reclamation And Reforestation In Appalachia: A Guide Of Best Practices And Management Recommendations, Cole Hansen Reistrup
Master's Projects and Capstones
Nearly all terrestrial plants form symbiotic relationships with mycorrhizal fungi. These beneficial soil microbes support plant health by increasing plants’ access to nutrients and water, protecting them from pathogens, improving soil properties, and more. A challenge to restoring forests on coal mined land in Appalachia is that mine soils are often degraded in a number of ways, including lacking mycorrhizal fungi, which makes mine soils difficult for trees to grow upon. Substantial improvements to coal mine reforestation success have been made since the development of the Forestry Reclamation Approach in 2005 that provides guidelines for how to create a suitable …
Exploring The Dynamics Of Bacterial Populations In The Gut Microbiota,
2023
Florida State University
Exploring The Dynamics Of Bacterial Populations In The Gut Microbiota, Shaikh Obaidullah
Biology and Medicine Through Mathematics Conference
No abstract provided.
Mechanistic Examination Of Protist-Mediated Plant Growth Through The Comparative Development Of Medicago Truncatula,
2023
University of Connecticut - Storrs
Mechanistic Examination Of Protist-Mediated Plant Growth Through The Comparative Development Of Medicago Truncatula, Shane Connolly
University Scholar Projects
Protists are known to increase plant growth through two main mechanisms: the microbial loop and the alteration of the root microbiome. The microbial loop is a nutrient recycling method in which protists provide inorganic nitrogen ions to the plant. Alteration of root microbiome leads to the removal of plant pathogens and shifting communities towards plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). This study aimed to elicit which mechanism could produce the largest boost in shoot weight for Medicago truncatula. A series of microcosm experiments were explored in which M. truncatula was grown with variable microbiome structures to allow for mechanism differentiation. The …
Comparative Analysis Of Rhizosphere And Endosphere Microbiome Of Different Blueberry Species (Vaccinium Sp.),
2023
The University of Southern Mississippi
Comparative Analysis Of Rhizosphere And Endosphere Microbiome Of Different Blueberry Species (Vaccinium Sp.), Niladri Bhowmik
Master's Theses
Blueberries are an important agricultural commodity in all over the United States. Due to its health benefits, there is a huge demand globally, thus expanding the industry. Breeding programs are essential to maintain such industries. Challenges that play a role in contemporary breeding programs are various biotic and abiotic stress factors. Studies have shown that microorganisms are recruited by plants to alleviate them during stressful conditions. Though blueberries have been cultivated for about 100 years, how the microbiome has been affected due to this is poorly understood. We hypothesized that interspecific crosses and artificial selection have significantly changed the microbiome …
The Response Of Microcystis And The Microbiome To Exogenous Hydrogen Peroxide,
2023
James Madison University
The Response Of Microcystis And The Microbiome To Exogenous Hydrogen Peroxide, Bryan A. Puma
Masters Theses, 2020-current
Microcystis spp. produce prolific annual blooms in freshwater systems worldwide. The success of these blooms depends heavily on the Microcystis spp. overcoming environmental factors such as oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydrogen peroxide. Most Microcystis genomes do not contain many genes for responding to oxidative stress, including those that encode the enzyme catalase. Other cyanobacteria such as Prochlorococcus that also lack hydrogen peroxide degrading enzymes have been shown to benefit from partnerships with heterotrophic bacteria. Microcystis spp. may also receive similar benefits from heterotrophic bacteria in the phycosphere. To test this hypothesis, we examined the …
Causes And Consequences Of Lasr Mutant Selection In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Populations,
2023
Dartmouth College
Causes And Consequences Of Lasr Mutant Selection In Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Populations, Dallas L. Mould
Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations
Change is the only constant in life, and these changes, though random in nature, can have consequences. Quorum sensing is heterogeneous in phenotype and prone to negative selection. In P. aeruginosa, the regulator LasR is frequently non-functional in phylogenetically diverse isolates. Through repeated experimental evolution and mathematical modeling, we show that differences in growth enable lasR mutant evolutionary success and this requires a system enabling metabolic choices, known as carbon catabolite repression (or catabolite repression). The differences in catabolite repression between wild type and lasR mutants enable altered metabolite preferences, and the resulting differences in metabolic states enable intraspecies …
Gene Expression Changes Linked To Phenylpropanoid-Based Resistance To Fusarium Head Blight Of Wheat,
2023
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Gene Expression Changes Linked To Phenylpropanoid-Based Resistance To Fusarium Head Blight Of Wheat, Shiv Singla
Department of Plant Pathology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research
Fusarium graminearum is a devastating pathogen of wheat that causes Fusarium head blight (FHB) and contaminates the grain with the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). Resistance to FHB is quantitative and it is important to identify additional genes conferring resistance against it. The goal of this thesis was to examine if the constitutive expression of two sorghum phenylpropanoid pathway genes, SbCCoAOMT (encoding caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase) and SbC3’H (encoding p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase), in the moderately-susceptible spring wheat CB037 can provide Type-I and Type-II resistance to F. graminearum and determine the underlying mechanisms of the enhanced resistance. The constitutive expression lines (CCoAOMT413, CCoAOMT421, C3H112, …
The Effect Of Algal Wastewater Treatment Systems On Microbial Communities,
2023
Northeastern Illinois University
The Effect Of Algal Wastewater Treatment Systems On Microbial Communities, Alexis Leach
University Honors Program Senior Projects
In collaboration with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and Gross-Wen Technologies, I examined the microbial communities in experimental tertiary wastewater treatment systems employing algal phytoremediation. Three algal phytoremediation systems were examined: two vertical conveyor belt systems, known as the 10-foot belt system and the series 4 system, and a third system lacking a converter belt in which planktonic algae grew in a control pond. I used EcoPlates to measure carbon substrate utilization by microorganisms in each system. EcoPlates contain thirty-one different carbon substrates, with a dye that indicates microbial use of each substrate. I conducted a Principal …
Elucidating Mechanisms Involved In Host Microbial-Tumor Interactions,
2023
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Houston Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Elucidating Mechanisms Involved In Host Microbial-Tumor Interactions, Vidhi Chandra
Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)
Cancer is a rising cause of mortality worldwide. Microbiota is the collection of micro-organisms that live inside our bodies and can impact the host health and disease by interacting with the immune and metabolic systems. The relationship between the microbiota and cancer is complex. Gut and intratumoral microbiota can affect cancer development and progression by influencing patient outcomes and therapy responsiveness in several cancer types. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer surrounded by a highly immuno-suppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) which limits efficacy of most available therapies. The tumoral niche provides a privileged microenvironment for microbial colonization that can …
Inhibiting Survival Of Salmonella During Desiccation Through The Use Of Naturally Occurring Signals,
2023
East Tennessee State University
Inhibiting Survival Of Salmonella During Desiccation Through The Use Of Naturally Occurring Signals, Joseph Headrick
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
A rising problem in agriculture is the increase of antibiotic-resistant Salmonella cases associated with chicken eggs, which transmit infection to humans. To counter this, new approaches to combat Salmonella in chickens and desiccated on eggshells are vital in the prevention of human foodborne illness. Disrupting signaling pathways with naturally occurring compounds provides a potential novel avenue for prevention of Salmonella infections, as this would disrupt sensing of these environments and inhibit subsequent optimal gene expression. Starting with signals identified in previous studies, salicylic acid was found to inhibit Salmonella desiccation survival on both eggshells and plastic. To expand upon this, …
“Pinkalicious": Outer Membrane Vesicles Isolated From Pseudoalteromonas Rubra Carry Prodigiosin Antibiotics As Cargo,
2023
University of Rhode Island
“Pinkalicious": Outer Membrane Vesicles Isolated From Pseudoalteromonas Rubra Carry Prodigiosin Antibiotics As Cargo, Margaret Hill
Senior Honors Projects
Astrangia poculata, the state coral of Rhode Island, is susceptible to infection by Vibrio coralliilyticus RE22, which is a common marine pathogen affecting various invertebrate species. The settlement of coral larvae prior to the establishment of colonies is mediated by crustose coralline algae (CCA). This process may be induced by CCA-associated protective bacteria that colonize corals in early metamorphosis; furthermore, such bacteria potentially have downstream effects in the susceptibility of corals to pathogens. Strains of Pseudoalteromonas rubra isolated from CCA have been shown to induce larval settlement of tropical corals. We hypothesize that P. rubra induces the settlement of …
Investigating The Impact Of Edaphobacter Aggregans (Wbg-1) On Arabidopsis Thaliana Development,
2023
University of Missouri, St. Louis
Investigating The Impact Of Edaphobacter Aggregans (Wbg-1) On Arabidopsis Thaliana Development, Julia Talbert
Undergraduate Research Symposium
Acidobacteria is a phylum of bacteria that make up 50% of soil microbes. While making up a large proportion of bacteria found in soil, this phylum is largely unexplored with limited information about the bacteria and their impact on plant growth. The selected target of this study is Edaphobacter aggregans, WBG-1, which is a part of a subdivision of acidobacteria. Examining the bacteria’s effects on the development of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana will provide insight into understanding this unknown phylum of soil-dwelling bacteria. Acidobacteria are an important realm to investigate as they affect agriculture practices. With Missouri being such …
Analysis Of Microbial Abundance On Marine Snow In The Deep Ocean,
2023
Gallaudet University
Analysis Of Microbial Abundance On Marine Snow In The Deep Ocean, Matthew Qilan Thompson
Undergraduate University Honors Capstones
The ocean plays a critical role in the carbon cycle, with phytoplankton serving as a source of energy and nutrients (such as nitrogen and phosphorus) to larger organisms in upper trophic levels. Additionally, marine snow, a cluster of components including dead zooplankton, organic carbon debris, and polymers as carbohydrates, proteins, and DNA, transport these nutrients and associated microorganisms to the deeper parts of the ocean. However, the relationship between microbial abundance and particle sizes of marine snow across the water column is not well understood. Previous studies suggest that microbial abundance is lower in the bathypelagic zone (1,000m - 4,000m) …
A Forensic Assessment Of Current Water Quality Using Idexx Techniques In The Himmarshee Canal And New River In Fort Lauderdale, Florida,
2023
Nova Southeastern University
A Forensic Assessment Of Current Water Quality Using Idexx Techniques In The Himmarshee Canal And New River In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Catherine Margaret Bilodeau
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
Fecal contamination has continued to plague local communities around the United States and the world, especially in highly populated areas like Southern Florida. Newer techniques are beginning to be used to track microbes properly as they are found in waterways. Some more recent techniques in Microbial Source Tracking (MST) use IDEXX kits to detect fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). Two IDEXX kits Colilert-18® which detects total coliforms and Escherichia coli in water or fecal coliforms in wastewater, and Enterolert®, which targets enterococci, were used in the waterways of the Himmarshee Canal and South Fork of the New River …
Effects Of Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms On The Microbial Community Within Lake Okeechobee, Fl, Usa,
2023
Nova Southeastern University
Effects Of Cyanobacteria Harmful Algal Blooms On The Microbial Community Within Lake Okeechobee, Fl, Usa, Paisley S. Samuel
All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations
The Lake Okeechobee (Lake O) watershed is a Floridian freshwater ecosystem that has been affected by the increased frequency and intensity of harmful cyanobacterial bloom (cyanoHAB) events occurring over recent decades. Lake O has several ecological and economic purposes such as providing habitats for various organisms and providing drinking water to urban communities surrounding the lake. Toxic cyanoHAB events are posing a threat to the ecosystem and economy of the lake due to the degradation of water quality. This study investigates how the microbial community structure within Lake O is affected by annual cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms over several years …
The Application Of Microbial Source Tracking To Aid In Site Prioritization For Remediation In Lower Michigan,
2023
Grand Valley State University
The Application Of Microbial Source Tracking To Aid In Site Prioritization For Remediation In Lower Michigan, John J. Hart
Masters Theses
Non-point source fecal pollution is a threat to both the environment and public health. Climate change, aging infrastructure, and intensified agricultural practices are predicted to accentuate this issue. In Michigan, due to the high instance of aging infrastructure and intensified agriculture, non-point source fecal pollution has caused many waterbodies to exceed the state standards posing a risk to recreational activities and source water. Due to this threat, there is an increased effort to identify and remediate these sources. My study focused on improving the identification of non-point source fecal pollution through a combination of culture-based and molecular fecal indicator bacteria …
Microbial Community Interactions Between Honey Bee Symbionts,
2023
Indiana University - Bloomington
Microbial Community Interactions Between Honey Bee Symbionts, Jillian P. Lewis
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Bombella apis is a bacterial honey bee symbiont that benefits larvae by supplementing their nutrition and protecting them from pathogenic fungi. B. apis co-occurs with another bee-associated bacterium, Apilactobacillus kunkeei, in certain hive niches: nectar, larvae, honey stomachs of nurse bees, the queen gut, and royal jelly. Because bacterial species existing in the same ecological niche are apt to form microbial communities that interact, these interactions may modulate B. apis’ positive impact on the honey bee larvae. We hypothesize that due to its faster growth, A. kunkeei outcompetes B. apis for shared resources in nutrient rich conditions such …
Variation In Synthetic Floral Microbiome Composition Is Largely Ignored By Foraging Bumblebees,
2023
University of Pittsburgh - Main Campus
Variation In Synthetic Floral Microbiome Composition Is Largely Ignored By Foraging Bumblebees, Nevin P. Cullen
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Most flowers are occupied by diverse communities of microbes, which can alter floral attractiveness to key pollinators and floral fitness by interacting with floral traits. Different species of flower often acquire unique communities of microbes. Consequently, pollinators are frequently forced to choose between two flowers with distinct floral microbiomes while foraging. However, it is currently unknown whether pollinators have an inherent preference for flowers containing one floral microbiome over another, and whether microbial preference is modified by variation in floral traits. We investigated this knowledge gap using distinct bacteria and yeasts cultured from a nickel-hyperaccumulating plant and its non-accumulating relative. …
An Optimal Patch Use Model For Nitrogen Foraging In Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi,
2023
Ohio State University - Main Campus
An Optimal Patch Use Model For Nitrogen Foraging In Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, Xin Lin
2023 Midwest Ecology & Evolution Conference
Optimal Foraging Theory has been widely used to study animal foraging behaviors, but has seldom been applied to symbiotic microbes like arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. To date we know little about how AM fungi make decisions to forage in different nutrient patches. To help address this gap we here apply Optimal Foraging Theory to understand how AM fungi forage for nitrogen. We focus on nitrogen because AM fungi need more nitrogen than their plant hosts and soil nitrogen availability can shift the relationship between AM fungi and their hosts from mutualism to parasitism. We present a stochastic dynamic programming model …
