Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology Commons^™

Microbial Diversity And Community Structure In Sediments Associated With The Seagrass (Thallassia Testudinum) In Apalachicola Bay, Florida, Rahma Ahmed, Thomas Mcelroy, Troy Mutchler

Symposium of Student Scholars

Seagrass is an angiosperm which provides many ecosystem services in coastal areas, such as providing food, shelter and nurseries for many species, and decreasing the impact of waves on shorelines. A global assessment reported that 29% of known seagrass meadows are in a state of decline due to the effects of human activity. Seagrass is commonly found in shallow marine waters where they form meadows containing a microbiome that plays an important role in providing nutrients for seagrass growth, though little is known about the microorganisms within the seagrass meadow sediments. Our project collected sediments from seagrass meadows and adjacent …

Analysis And Identification Of Lipolytic Bacterial Species For The Degradation Of Wastewater Lipids, Lindsay C. Smoak

Honors College Theses

The aim of this study was to isolate native bacterial strains from the wastewater treatment facilities of Statesboro, GA to identify their lipolytic activities. Obtained bacterial strains were further assessed via morphological and biochemical methods to determine their enzymatic capabilities. Use of the detergent Tween-20 in growth mediums was the first criteria to assess lipase activity, and these isolates were further investigated to quantitatively measure lipase presence and activity. Lipase protein was precipitated and dialyzed to perform a lipase activity assay, followed by Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate–Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to confirm the presence of the lipolytic enzymes. Sanger sequencing was …

Developing An Electroporation Method For Transforming Streptomyces Nymphaeiformis, Heather Knott, Stephen Baron

Honors Projects

Streptomyces species are notoriously difficult to transform. Streptomyces nymphaeiformis is no different, so a method of electroporation was used to attempt to transform the cells. Multiple growth stages were used in order to alter the degree of development of the cell wall. The procedure did not kill the cells, but the cells were not transformed. Due to the lack of transformation with S. nymphaeiformis, transformation was attempted on two other Streptomyces strains, S. lividans and S. coelicolor. Neither was successfully transformed to thiostrepton (tsr) resistance, nor did they grow on a plate lacking thiostrepton. One possibility for the …

Prevalence Of Bacillus Licheniformis On Northern Saw-Whet Owls (Aegolius Acadicus), Lauren Benedict

Senior Honors Theses

Birds are hosts to a variety of bacteria and fungi including some that are keratinolytic. These feather degrading bacteria, including Bacillus licheniformis, are capable of degrading β-keratin which is a major component of feathers. While there is little evidence to indicate that feather degrading bacteria are capable of degrading feathers on live birds, there is ample evidence to indicate that many bird species experience altered feather coloration. There is significant variation in the reported prevalence of B. licheniformis on birds with percentages ranging from 6.7% to 99%. This study sought to provide further support for an overall prevalence of …

Microbial Contamination On Ambulance Surfaces: A Systematic Literature Review, Adam Obenza, Patricia Cruz, Mark Buttner, D. Woodard

Environmental & Global Health Faculty Research

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are infections that patients acquire while receiving medical treatment in a healthcare facility. During ambulatory transport, the patient may be exposed to pathogens transmitted from emergency medical service (EMS) personnel or EMS surfaces. The aim of this study was to determine whether organisms commonly associated with HAIs have been detected on surfaces in the patient-care compartment of ambulances. Five electronic databases – PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase and Google Scholar were used to search for articles using inclusion and exclusion criteria following the PRISMA checklist. Inclusion criteria consisted of articles published in English, between 2009 and …

Life Stage And Proximity To Roads Shape The Skin Microbiota Of Eastern Newts (Notophthalmus Viridescens), Vanessa P. Wuerthner, Jessica Hua, Obed Hernandez-Gomez

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Faculty Scholarship

Host-associated microbiomes play an essential role in the health of organisms, including immune system activation, metabolism, and energy uptake. It is well established that microbial communities differ depending on the life stage and natural history of the organism. However, the effects of life stage and natural history on microbial communities may also be influenced by human activities. We investigated the effects of amphibian life stage (terrestrial eft vs. aquatic adult) and proximity to roadways on newt skin bacterial communities. We found that the eft and adult life stages differed in bacterial community composition; however, the effects of roads on community …

Ohio Anuran Gut Microbiomes, Serena Hoffman

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Projects

Recent studies focusing on the skin and gut microbiome of vertebrates have found how important microbiomes are to maintaining host health. Understanding the role the gut microbiome plays to host health is of great importance for conservation. Less is known about the gut microbiome than the skin microbiome for amphibians. Literature is especially lacking for local Ohio anuran species. The purpose of this study was to establish the baseline composition of the gut microbiome for local Ohio anurans and to determine whether host species or habitat is the best predictor of gut microbiome composition. Tadpoles were collected from seven different …

Microbiological Contamination Associated With The Proximity Of A Refuse Dumpsite To A River Situated In Okada, Edo State, Nigeria, Ebere J. Okafor-Elenwo, Odaro S. Imade, Osazee E. Izevbuwa

Journal of Bioresource Management

This study was performed to evaluate the potential contamination of the Okponha river situated near a dumpsite in Okada, Edo State, Nigeria. Water samples were collected and analyzed for bacteriological and parasitological quality using standard procedures. Isolation and enumeration of bacterial colonies were performed by pour plate technique and the isolated bacteria were identified by standard phenotypic tests. Helminths and protozoa were screened by the direct smear technique. The values of HPC (3.79 ± 0.12 log₁₀ CFU/ml) and TCC (2.20 ± 0.14 log₁₀ CFU/ml) obtained from the river water samples exceeded WHO and NAFDAC recommended limits (≤ 2 …

Linking Soil Microbial Community Structure To Potential Carbon Mineralization: A Continental Scale Assessment Of Reduced Tillage, Elizabeth L. Rieke, Shannon B. Cappellazzi, Michael Cope, Daniel Liptzin, Gregory Mac Bean, Kelsey L.H. Greub, Charlotte E. Norris, Paul W. Tracy, Ezra Aberle, Amanda Ashworth, Oscar Bañuelos Tavarez, Andy I. Bary, Roland L. Baumhardt, Alberto Borbón Gracia, Daniel C. Brainard, Jameson R. Brennan, Dolores Briones Reyes, Darren Bruhjell, Cameron N. Carlyle, James J.W. Crawford, Cody F. Creech, Steve W. Culman, Bill Deen, Curtis J. Dell, Justin D. Derner, Thomas F. Ducey, Sjoerd W. Duiker, Miles F. Dyck, Benjamin H. Ellert, Avelino Espinosa Solorio, Steven J. Fonte, Simon Fonteyne, Ann-Marie Fortuna, Jamie L. Foster, Lisa M. Fultz, Audrey V. Gamble, Charles M. Geddes, Deirdre Griffin-Lahue, John H. Grove, Stephen K. Hamilton, Xiying Hao, Zachary D. Hayden, Nora Honsdorf, Julie A. Howe, James A. Ippolito, Gregg A. Johnson, Mark A. Kautz, Newell R. Kitchen, Sandeep Kumar, Kirsten S.M. Kurtz, Francis J. Larney, Katie L. Lewis, Matt Liebman, Antonio Lopez Ramirez, Stephen Machado, Bijesh Maharjan, Miguel Angel Martinez Gamiño, William E. May, Mitchel P. Mcclaran, Marshall D. Mcdaniel, Neville Millar, Jeffrey P. Mitchell, Amber D. Moore, Philip A. Moore, Manuel Mora Gutiérrez, Kelly A. Nelson, Emmanuel C. Omondi, Shannon L. Osborne, Leodegario Osorio Alcalá, Philip Owens, Eugenia M. Pena-Yewtukhiw, Hanna J. Poffenbarger, Brenda Ponce Lira, Jennifer R. Reeve, Timothy M. Reinbott, Mark S. Reiter, Edwin L. Ritchey, Kraig L. Roozeboom, Yichao Rui, Amir Sadeghpour, Upendra M. Sainju, Gregg R. Sanford, William F. Schillinger, Robert R. Schindelbeck, Meagan E. Schipanski, Alan J. Schlegel, Kate M. Scow, Lucretia A. Sherrod, Amy L. Shober, Sudeep S. Sidhu, Ernesto Solís Moya, Mervin St Luce, Jeffrey S. Strock, Andrew E. Suyker, Virginia R. Sykes, Haiying Tao, Alberto Trujillo Campos, Laura L. Van Eerd, Nele Verhulst, Tony J. Vyn, Yutao Wang, Dexter B. Watts, Bryan B. William, David L. Wright, Tiequan Zhang, Cristine L.S. Morgan, C. Wayne Honeycutt

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Potential carbon mineralization (Cmin) is a commonly used indicator of soil health, with greater Cmin values interpreted as healthier soil. While Cmin values are typically greater in agricultural soils managed with minimal physical disturbance, the mechanisms driving the increases remain poorly understood. This study assessed bacterial and archaeal community structure and potential microbial drivers of Cmin in soils maintained under various degrees of physical disturbance. Potential carbon mineralization, 16S rRNA sequences, and soil characterization data were collected as part of the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM). Results showed that type of cropping system, intensity of physical …

Tiny Earth, Tinier Microbes: An Experiential Learning Approach To Antibiotic Discovery, Emily Kassing

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the greatest global health challenges of the 21^st century as antibiotic discovery has slowed even as scientific knowledge about AMR has progressed. At the same time, science education has turned to active learning approaches like CUREs, or course-based undergraduate research experiences, to achieve educational objectives while engaging students in real-life research. The Tiny Earth Project is a global research initiative that seeks to crowdsource antibiotic discovery by recruiting undergraduate students to screen soil samples for antibiotic producers. The goal of this study was to determine the viability of translating the Tiny Earth programming to …

Characterization Of Streptomyces Nymphaeiformis Sp. Nov., And Its Taxonomic Relatedness To Other Polyhydroxybutyrate-Degrading Streptomycetes, Gary R. Hix, Muhammad S. Khan, Mikayla T. Miller, Elisha C. Napier, Allison L. O'Brien, Roger P. White, Stephen F. Baron Ph.D.

Biology Faculty Scholarship

A polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB)-degrading actinomycete, strain SFB5A^T, was identified as a species of Streptomyces based on its membrane fatty acid profile and the presence of LL-diaminopimelic acid in the cell wall. It formed sporulating mycelia on most agar media, but flat or wrinkled, moist colonies on trypticase soy agar. Spores were smooth, cylindrical, and borne on long, straight to flexuous chains. It produced a light brown diffusible pigment, but not melanin. Comparison of genomic digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values indicated that strain SFB5A^T was related to Streptomyces litmocidini JCM 4394^T , Streptomyces …

Development Of A Methodology For The Quantification Of Reaerosolization Of A Biological Contaminant Surrogate Particle From Military Uniform Fabric, George D. Cooksey

Theses and Dissertations

During a mass casualty medical evacuation after a bioaerosol attack, a decontamination method is needed that is effective at both decontamination and preventing the secondary hazard of biological particles reaerosolizing from contaminated clothing. However, neither the efficacy of current decontamination methods nor the risk of biological particle reaerosolization is significantly explored in existing literature. The goals of this thesis were to develop a repeatable methodology to quantify the reaerosolization of a biological contaminate off Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) fabric swatches, and to test the efficacy of one decontamination method (high-volume, low-pressure water) using 1 mpolystyrene latex (PSL) spheres as a …

Your Next Celebration At Us National Parks: A Case Emphasizing Lyme Neuroborreliosis (Bannwarth Syndrome), Ganesh Arun, Farhan Ali, Sowmya Srinivas, Harsha Surath, Justin Nistico, Dayakar Reddy

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Introduction:

Bannwarth syndrome is synonymous with Lyme neuroborreliosis. The neurological component consists of neuropathy, radicular pain, and lymphocytic pleocytosis. This is due to inflammation of the nerve fibers by Borrelia Burgdorferi. Borrelia Borgdorferi is a spirochete bacteria transmitted hematogenously from the Ixodes tick vector to the human host. The commonly known Lyme disease is diagnosed with symptoms of arthritis, heart block, and integumentary signs. Lyme disease can present as early disseminated or late manifestations of disease. Bannwarth syndrome takes it a step further and emphasizes the neurologic sub set of symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates …

The Coxsackievirus And Adenovirus Receptor Has A Short Half-Life In Epithelial Cells, Poornima Kotha Lakshmi Narayan, James M. Readler, Mahmoud S. Alghamri, Trisha L. Brockman, Ray Yan, Priyanka Sharma, Vladislav Snitsarev, Katherine J.D.A Excoffon, Abimbola O. Kolawole

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

The coxsackievirus and adenovirus receptor (CAR) is an essential cellular protein that is involved in cell adhesion, cell signaling, and viral infection. The 8-exon encoded isoform (CAREx8) resides at the apical surface of polarized epithelia, where it is accessible as a receptor for adenovirus entering the airway lumen. Given its pivotal role in viral infection, it is a target for antiviral strategies. To understand the regulation of CAREx8 and determine the feasibility of receptor down regulation, the half-life of total and apical localized CAREx8 was determined and correlated with adenovirus transduction. Total and apical CAREx8 has a relatively short half-life …

The Use Of Probiotic Applications In Early Life Stages To Mitigate Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis Infections In Rana Luteiventris (Columbia Spotted Frogs), Autumn N. Holley

2022 Symposium

Chytridiomycosis, an amphibian skin disease caused by a chytrid fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been linked to global amphibian declines. Some amphibian populations are resistant to severe infection due to symbiotic antifungal skin bacteria, but attempts to develop probiotics from these bacteria have been inconsistently successful because bacteria fail to persist on the skin. Studies have largely been conducted on adult and juvenile amphibians, despite amphibians having fewer known mechanisms for microbiome regulation prior to metamorphosis. We hypothesize that probiotics will persist longer and thus be more effective against pathogen infection if they are applied at an early life …

Novel Microbe-Resistant Clay Dressing For Healing Burn Wounds, Kasey L. Rigby

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Every year, about 550,000 patients receive medical attention for minor and major burns in the United States.¹ In 2020, it was estimated that 11 million people worldwide suffered from burn injuries, with 150,000 of those burns being fatal.² Burns are among the most painful and debilitating recalcitrant wounds that can often turn terminal when infection occurs. The different grades for burns that we aim to treat are first, second, and third degrees.² Each burn type is susceptible to secondary infection that can be life threatening, and as a result, are extensively treated with antimicrobial agents.2 At present, …

Exertional Heat Stroke In A Male High School Runner With Disordered Eating: A Disablement Model Case Study, Brittni G. Hoover, Rebecca M. Hirschhorn, Allison B. Smith, Amy F. Hand

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

A 16-year-old male high school cross country athlete collapsed at the end of an afternoon 5K cross country meet. The patient was unable to stand, and after outwardly displaying confusion and agitation, his coaches sought assistance from the athletic trainers (ATs). The patient consumed one cup of water and a granola bar on the day of the meet. The ambient air temperature was 90°F with 69% humidity. Differential diagnoses included exertional heat stroke (EHS), exertional heat exhaustion, exertional collapse associated with sickle cell trait, heat syncope, dehydration, malnutrition, and hypoglycemia. Approximately 20 minutes passed between activation of the emergency action …

Microbial Labilization And Diversification Of Pyrogenic Dissolved Organic Matter, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Andrew S. Wozniak, Kyle W. Bostick, Andrew R. Zimmerman, Siddhartha Mitra, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

With the increased occurrence of wildfires around the world, interest in the chemistry of pyrogenic organic matter (pyOM) and its fate in the environment has increased. Upon leaching from soils by rain events, significant amounts of dissolved pyOM (pyDOM) enter the aquatic environment and interact with microbial communities that are essential for cycling organic matter within the different biogeochemical cycles. To evaluate the biodegradability of pyDOM, aqueous extracts of laboratory-produced biochars were incubated with soil microbes, and the molecular changes to the composition of pyDOM were probed using ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry (Fourier transform–ion cyclotron resonance–mass spectrometry). Given that solar irradiation …

The Influence Of Salinity On The Structure And Function Of Soil Prokaryotic Communities In Coastal Freshwater Wetlands, Joseph C. Morina Ii

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities are critical biological components of the world’s ecosystems, and their respiratory pathways are directly involved in the biogeochemical cycling of essential nutrients. As genomic technologies advance, allowing for more detailed profiling of microbial communities, efforts have successfully linked microbial community composition to ecosystem-level functions and have shown microbial communities are susceptible and resistant to disturbance events. The goal of this dissertation is to address the temporal scales in which microbial communities respond to the disturbance of salinization, and the repercussions this has on microbially-meditated carbon and nitrogen cycling. Coastal freshwater wetlands are an excellent study system to investigate …

Drivers Of 20th Century Sea-Level Change In Southern New Zealand Determined From Proxy And Instrumental Records, Ed Garrett, W. Roland Gehrels, Bruce W. Hayward, Rewi Newnham, Maria J. Gehrels, Craig J. Morey, Sönke Dangendorf

CCPO Publications

In this paper we present new proxy-based sea-level reconstructions for southern New Zealand spanning the last millennium. These palaeo sea-level records usefully complement sparse Southern Hemisphere proxy and tide-gauge sea-level datasets and, in combination with instrumental observations, can test hypotheses about the drivers of 20th century global sea-level change, including land-based ice melt and regional sterodynamics. We develop sea-level transfer functions from regional datasets of salt-marsh foraminifera to establish a new proxy-based sea-level record at Mokomoko Inlet, at the southern tip of the South Island, and to improve the previously published sea-level reconstruction at Pounawea, located about 110 km to …