Bacteriophages as a Biocontrol agent of Soft Rot in Potatoes

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Bacteriophages as a Biocontrol agent of Soft Rot in Potatoes Hodson, Trevor Faculty Mentor: Don Breakwell, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction Pectobacterium carotovorum (Pcc) is a principle causative agent of soft rot in potatoes. It causes losses of up to 60% in potato yields in the USA (Mantsebo et. Al, 2014) and approximately $50-$100 million […]

Development of an Animal Model in Which to Study HIV-2

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Rasmussen, Taalin Development of an Animal Model in Which to Study HIV-2 Faculty Mentor: Berges, Bradford Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) attacks and destroys the cells of the immune system necessary to mounting an effective immune response to successfully fight off infection. Unchecked, an HIV infection leads to a gradual deterioration […]

A Phenome Wide Association Study of Multiple Sclerosis and COmorbidities

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Frodsham, Scott A Phenome Wide Association Study of Multiple Sclerosis and Comorbidities Faculty Mentor: Davis, Mary, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction Genome wide association studies (GWAS) have identified relationships between many different genes and diseases. GWAS studies scan whole genomes of many individuals and then associate genetic variants with diseases that the individuals […]

Illuminating novel genes for Escherichia coli growth in varying phosphate conditions using TnSeq and Illumina Sequencing

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Robinson, Tanner Illuminating novel genes for Escherichia coli growth in varying phosphate conditions using TnSeq and Illumina Sequencing Faculty Mentor: Dr. William R McCleary, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Department Introduction The purpose of my project is to identify novel genes in the genome of Escherichia coli ( E coli) associated with phosphate homeostasis under high […]

Visualizing Hemocyte Extracellular Traps in Galleria Mellonella

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Siebach, Timothy Visualizing Hemocyte Extracellular Traps in Galleria mellonella Faculty Mentor: David Erickson, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) were recently found to be an additional method that neutrophils use to combat pathogens. They are composed of nuclear DNA and proteins that possess anti-microbial properties. Some studies suggest that in addition to […]

Membrane on the Frontier

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Erin Wu and David Erickson, Microbiology & Molecular Biology Introduction Antimicrobial chemokines is a type of host defense protein that play an important role in the natural defenses of many organisms such as defending skin and mucosal tissues against bacterial infections.These peptides have a net positive charge, which contributes to membrane permeabilization and/or cell penetration. It […]

The Role of PAS Kinase and the Gut Microbiome In Metabolism and Diabetes Onset in Mice

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Andrew Rees and Laura Bridgewater, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Diabetes and obesity are among the most prevalent health concerns in the modern world. However, prevention of their onset and control of their symptoms are still largely limited by our understanding of how these diseases arise. Recent research has indicated that the composition of the gut […]

Discovery and Characterization of Bacteriophage to control MRSA

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Jacob B. Hatch and Bradford Berges, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Introduction About 20% of humans are carriers of Staphylococcus aureus (SA). There were an estimated 11,000 deaths in the United States in 2005 attributed to SA, with the majority caused by MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) isolates [1]. Many MRSA isolates have developed resistance to […]

The use of bacteriophage for surface sterilization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in poultry facilities

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Trevor Wienclaw and Bradford Berges, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Staphylococcus aureus (SA) is potentially dangerous pathogen that can infect humans and animals alike1. The primary treatment for such infections has been antibiotics, but even shortly after antibiotics began to be used, antibiotic-resistant strains, known as MRSA, were discovered. These resistant strains have since spread, and […]

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Accelerated Telomere Shortening

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Rebecca Winner and Dr. Brent Nielsen, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology Telomeres are protective deoxyribonucleic acid caps on the ends of chromosomes which help prevent the chromosome itself from shortening during replication. As a person ages, normal telomere shortening occurs due to chromosome replication. However, accelerated telomere shortening is abnormal and has been linked […]