Microbiology Commons^™

The Antimicrobial Properties Of Honey And Their Effect On Pathogenic Bacteria, Shreena Himanshu Mody

Theses and Dissertations

Honey has been used to heal wounds since ancient times. There are many references in ancient literature that cite honey for its medicinal uses. It is used as an alternative agent to cure infections of wounds, burns, ulcers etc. Researchers have shown some of the antimicrobial properties of honey when used as an ointment. When applied to an affected area, it helps to promote the growth of healthy tissue. One of the factors on which the quality of the honey depends, is its geographical origin. Based on the location, honey types can vary as much as 100-fold from each other …

Galleria Mellonella As An Alternate Infection Model For Burkholderia Species And A Comparison Of Suspension And Surface Test Methods For Evaluating Sporicidal Efficacy, Joseph D. Thiriot

Theses and Dissertations

Melioidosis is a neglected tropical disease that continues unabated in many countries, particularly in Southeast Asia. There is no vaccine and antimicrobial treatment is expensive and complicated. Virulence models are important tools used to investigate genes involved in pathogenesis. Galleria mellonella is the larvae of the wax worm moth that has been used to model various infections. Based on previous studies, we attempted to establish an infection model using Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia thailandensis, a related species which is avirulent in humans. Injections of various forms of these species (fresh and frozen) were used to develop Kaplan-Meier plots. We …

Assembly And Display Of Surface Proteins In Actinomyces Oris, Sara Siegel

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Bacteria are an integral part of human health and disease. In the human host, dental plaques form as a result of up to 700 individual bacterial species colonizing oral surfaces and forming a multispecies biofilm. These biofilms are the cause of prevalent human diseases such as dental caries, gingivitis, and periodontitis. The microbes present in the oral biofilm are highly spatially and temporally structured and require a primary colonizing species to adhere to host tissue. As an important primary colonizer of the oral biofilm, the actinobacterium Actinomyces oris utilizes cell wall anchored proteins and glycoconjugates to initiate adherence to host …

Investigating The Single Cell Heterogeneity And Physiological Impact Of Mistranslation, Christopher Evans

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Bacterial populations grow clonal populations; however, individual cells have a variety of phenotypes. The physiological heterogeneity observed in populations has been attributed to variations in the processes of gene expression. For example, promoter expression has been shown to be heterogeneous within a population and contribute to increased stress tolerance in a subpopulation of cells. In comparison to transcription, the influence of translation on single cells is unclear. In this study, my collaborators and I have developed a dual-fluorescence reporter that allows us to measure the mistranslation rate in single cells in vivo. Using this reporter, we found that mistranslation …

Investigation Of Novel Virulence Mechanisms In Candida Albicans, Elisa Marie Tafoya Vesely

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Candida albicans is the most important fungal species associated with humans. Normally present in the human microbiome as a commensal colonizer, C. albicans is also the fourth most prevalent organism isolated from bloodstream infections in hospitals. Disseminated infections have an associated mortality rate of around 40%. The results of the work described in this dissertation cover the broad subject of C. albicans adaptation to the host and the mechanisms by which this organism is able to survive and cause infection through a variety of means. A key determinant in disease progression is interaction with innate immune cells, specifically macrophages and …

The Role Of Non-Neuronal Acetylcholine In Urogenital Chlamydial Infection, Jessica R. Lockhart

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Chlamydia trachomatiscauses a bacterial sexually transmitted infection, Chlamydia, that is often chronic and casues reproductive complications in women. We hypothesized that Chlamydia infection increases local acetylcholine (ACh) production, which regulates the host’s inflammatory response to the infection. Female mice infected with C. muridarumwere sacrificed at days 3, 9, 15, and 21 post-infection, genital tract tissues harvested, and immunohistochemistry performed to enumerate ACh-producing cells. Infection increased the number of ACh-producing cells in cervical tissue at days 3,15, and 21 post-infection (pi), uterine tissue at day 3 and 9 pi, and ovarian tissue day 3, 15, and 21 pi. These …

Aqueous Ozone Inactivation Of Viruses And Bacteria On Biotic And Abiotic Surfaces, Cailin Dawley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Produce is susceptible to contamination by foodborne pathogens. Food service establishments utilize sanitizing agents to reduce microbes on produce surfaces. The research objectives were to evaluate the efficacy of aqueous ozone 1) on the inactivation of viruses and bacteria on produce; 2) on the inactivation of viruses on stainless steel; and 3) against viruses in association with bacteria on produce surfaces. For objective 1, Boston bibb lettuce and cherry tomatoes were spot inoculated with a cocktail of viruses (murine norovirus (MNV) and MS2 bacteriophage) or bacteria (Enterobacter cloacae and Bacillus cereus) and washed for 40 min with samples taken every …

Genetic And Genomic Analyses Of Bacterial Responses To Different Stress Environments, Sakshi Rampal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Bacteria encounter a plethora of environmental stresses and have evolved different mechanisms to recognize and respond to various harmful conditions. Understanding and elucidating common themes as well as unique aspects of the molecular mechanisms underlying stress adaptation is important and can provide valuable strategies for applications. This study focuses on stress responses in three different bacteria, namely, Acidothermus cellulolyticus, Mycobacterium smegmatis and Escherichia coli. The thermophilic and acidophilic organism A. cellulolyticus was used as a model system to understand the effects of lignin phenolic acids on cellulolytic bacteria. Lignin phenolic acids pose a significant challenge to microbial deconstruction of lignocellulosic …

Herbivorous Turtle Ants Obtain Essential Nutrients From A Conserved Nitrogen-Recycling Gut Microbiome, Yi Hu, Jon G. Sanders, Piotr Łukasik, Catherine L. D'Amelio, Mark P. Schotanus

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

Nitrogen acquisition is a major challenge for herbivorous animals, and the repeated origins of herbivory across the ants have raised expectations that nutritional symbionts have shaped their diversification. Direct evidence for N provisioning by internally housed symbionts is rare in animals; among the ants, it has been documented for just one lineage. In this study we dissect functional contributions by bacteria from a conserved, multi-partite gut symbiosis in herbivorous Cephalotes ants through in vivo experiments, metagenomics, and in vitro assays. Gut bacteria recycle urea, and likely uric acid, using recycled N to synthesize essential amino acids that are acquired by …

Mastering Mycological Mysteries With Explorations Of Harpellales Associated With Culicidae And Other Dipterans In Idaho, Michael Mccormick

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Presented is the first field survey and laboratory-based study focused on Harpellales gut fungi found in Culicidae (mosquito) larvae collected from various parts of Idaho. Overall, 34 sites were sampled ranging from urban storm drains and irrigation puddles to pristine stream-side puddles. These sites yielded 17 different species of mosquitoes and three previously described species of gut fungi. Three species of mosquitoes were the first recorded observations as hosts of the following gut fungi: Culiseta alaskaensis was infested with Zancudomyces culisetae (from Renwyck Creek), Culex tarsalis with Smittium culicis (from Cottonwood Creek), and Ochleratus sp. with Smittium minutisporum (from Bear …

Biofilm Producing Clinical Staphylococcus Aureus Isolates Augmented Prevalence Of Antibiotic Resistant Cases In Tertiary Care Hospitals Of Nepal, Sarita Manandhar, Anjana Singh, Ajit Varma, Shanti Pandey, Neeraj Shrivastava

Student Publications

Staphylococcus aureus, a notorious human pathogen, is a major cause of the community as well as healthcare associated infections. It can cause a diversity of recalcitrant infections mainly due to the acquisition of resistance to multiple drugs, its diverse range of virulence factors, and the ability to produce biofilm in indwelling medical devices. Such biofilm associated chronic infections often lead to increase in morbidity and mortality posing a high socio-economic burden, especially in developing countries. Since biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance function dependent on each other, detection of biofilm expression in clinical isolates would be advantageous in treatment decision. …

Biofilm Producing Clinical Staphylococcus Aureus Isoates Augmented Prevalence Of Antibiotic Resistant Cases In Tertiary Care Hospitals Of Nepal, Sarita Manandhar, Anjana Singh, Ajit Varma, Shanti Pandey, Neeraj Shrivastava

Student Publications

Staphylococcus aureus, a notorious human pathogen, is a major cause of the community as well as healthcare associated infections. It can cause a diversity of recalcitrant infections mainly due to the acquisition of resistance to multiple drugs, its diverse range of virulence factors, and the ability to produce biofilm in indwelling medical devices. Such biofilm associated chronic infections often lead to increase in morbidity and mortality posing a high socio-economic burden, especially in developing countries. Since biofilm formation and antibiotic resistance function dependent on each other, detection of biofilm expression in clinical isolates would be advantageous in treatment …

A Rapid And Sensitive System For Recovery Of Nucleic Acids From Mycobacteria Sp. On Archived Glass Slides, Balkis A. Talip, William J. Snelling, Roy D. Sleator, Colm Lowery, James S.G. Dooley

Department of Biological Sciences Publications

The field of diagnostics continues to advance rapidly with a variety of novel approaches, mainly dependent upon high technology platforms. Nonetheless much diagnosis, particularly in developing countries, still relies upon traditional methods such as microscopy. Biological material, particularly nucleic acids, on archived glass slides is a potential source of useful information both for diagnostic and epidemiological purposes. There are significant challenges faced when examining archived samples in order that an adequate amount of amplifiable DNA can be obtained. Herein, we describe a model system to detect low numbers of bacterial cells isolated from glass slides using (laser capture microscopy) LCM …

Minimal Information For Studies Of Extracellular Vesicles 2018 (Misev2018): A Position Statement Of The International Society For Extracellular Vesicles And Update Of The Misev2014 Guidelines, Clotilde Théry, Kenneth W. Witwer, Elena Aikawa, Maria Jose Alcaraz, Johnathon D. Anderson, Ramaroson Andriantsitohaina, Anna Antoniou, Tanina Arab, Fabienne Archer, Georgia K. Atkin-Smith, D. Craig Ayre, Jean-Marie Bach, Daniel Bachurski, Hossein Baharvand, Leonora Balaj, Shawn Baldacchino, Natalie N. Bauer, Amy A. Baxter, Mary Bebawy, Carla Beckham, Apolonija Bedina Zavec, Adberrahim Benmoussa, Anna C. Berardi, Paolo Bergese, Ewa Bielska, Cherie Blenkiron, Sylwia Bobis-Wozowicz, Eric Boilard, Wilfred Boireau, Antonella Bongiovanni, Ivan Vechetti

Physiology Faculty Publications

The last decade has seen a sharp increase in the number of scientific publications describing physiological and pathological functions of extracellular vesicles (EVs), a collective term covering various subtypes of cell-released, membranous structures, called exosomes, microvesicles, microparticles, ectosomes, oncosomes, apoptotic bodies, and many other names. However, specific issues arise when working with these entities, whose size and amount often make them difficult to obtain as relatively pure preparations, and to characterize properly. The International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) proposed Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (“MISEV”) guidelines for the field in 2014. We now update these “MISEV2014” guidelines …

Novel Inactivation Of The Causative Fungus Of White Nose Syndrome With Methoxsalen And Ultraviolet A Light, Colin J. Hartman, Joseph Mester Phd, Alan Cohen Md

Posters-at-the-Capitol

White Nose Syndrome (WNS) is a newly recognized disease responsible for the rapid mass destruction of the North American bat populations. This study addressed the novel inactivation of fungal spores from Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the causative agent of WNS, using ultraviolet A (UVA) light at 365nm and methoxsalen, a photosensitizer from a family of compounds known as furanocoumarins. Penicillium crustosum, an environmental fungus, was studied as a comparator.

Spore suspensions were soaked in specific concentrations of methoxsalen and subsequently exposed to UVA light. The plates were examined for both spore inactivation and resultant inhibition of colony growth. The results demonstrated …

Microbial Diversity In Urban Environments: Concern For Antibiotic Resistance, Ality Aghedo, Mangala Tawde, Nazrul I. Khandaker

Publications and Research

We are almost oblivious to the presence of microorganisms in our daily lives, but they exist and come into contact with us all the time. While some bacteria are harmless, and even beneficial, other bacteria can cause infections. A common treatment to bacterial infections is antibiotics and the success of an antibiotic depends on the resistance of the bacteria to the antibiotic. We conducted experiments to identify the types of bacteria that can be found on surfaces or within soil environments that come into contact with a vast number of people on a daily basis and how this can affect …

Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia Coli From Retail Poultry Meat With Different Antibiotic Use Claims, Gregg S. Davis, Kara Waits, Lora Nordstrom, Heidi Grande, Brett Weaver, Katerina Papp, Joseph Horwinski, Benjamin Koch, Bruce A. Hungate, Cindy M. Liu, Lance B. Price

Civil and Environmental Engineering and Construction Faculty Research

Background We sought to determine if the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli differed across retail poultry products and among major production categories, including organic, “raised without antibiotics”, and conventional. Results We collected all available brands of retail chicken and turkey—including conventional, “raised without antibiotic”, and organic products—every two weeks from January to December 2012. In total, E. coli was recovered from 91% of 546 turkey products tested and 88% of 1367 chicken products tested. The proportion of samples contaminated with E. coli was similar across all three production categories. Resistance prevalence varied by meat type and was highest among E. …

Evaluating Human-Associated Escherichia Coli Marker Genes For Microbial Source Tracking Applications In Florida, Jacob K. Senkbeil

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Fecal pollution of surface water can lead to human health issues because waterborne transmission of pathogens is a common cause of gastroenteritis. Genetic markers developed for human-associated Escherichia coli (H8, H12, H14, and H24) are promising tools for microbial source tracking (MST) of sewage in environmental waterbodies but are untested in the US. H gene marker performance characteristics (specificity, sensitivity, and prevalence) were assessed, with the goal of developing a quantitative PCR assay for the markers with the best performance. Individual E. coli isolates from reference samples were tested to determine end-point PCR assay performance. Three hundred E. coli strains …

Identification And Characterisation Of Novel Phages Of Pectobacterium And Erwinia, Colin Buttimer

PhDs

Losses in crop yields due to disease need to be reduced to meet increasing global food demands associated with growth in the human population. There is a well-recognised need to develop new environmentally-friendly control strategies to combat bacterial crop diseases. There are several crop diseases for which no effective bactericidal agents are currently available, such as potato blackleg and soft rot disease caused by Pectobacterium atrosepticum and other members of soft rot Enterobacteriaceae (Czajkowski et al., 2011). Furthermore, current control measures involving the use of traditional chemicals or antibiotics are losing their efficacy due to the natural development of bacterial …

Triatomines: Trypanosomatids, Bacteria, And Viruses Potential Vectors?, Caroline Barreto Viera, Yanna Reis Praça, Kaio Luis Da Silva Bentes, Paula Beatriz Santiago, Sofia Marcelino Martins Silva, Gabriel Dos Santos Silva, Flávia Nader Motta, Izabela Marques Dourado Bastos, Jaime Martins De Santana, Carla Nunes De Araújo

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Triatominae bugs are the vectors of Chagas disease, a major concern to public health especially in Latin America, where vector-borne Chagas disease has undergone resurgence due mainly to diminished triatomine control in many endemic municipalities. Although the majority of Triatominae species occurs in the Americas, species belonging to the genus Linshcosteus occur in India, and species belonging to the Triatoma rubrofasciata complex have been also identified in Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and in the Western Pacific. Not all of Triatominae species have been found to be infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, but the possibility of establishing vector transmission …