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Solving the Structure of an Ancestral Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase
Get PDFProtein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) regulate cell signaling by removing phosphate groups from tyrosine residues. Malfunction of these enzymes can lead to diseases such as diabetes and cancer. A conserved feature among PTPs is the catalytic acid loop, essential for phosphate removal. Computational analysis of PTP structures revealed that ancestral PTPs have considerable variation in conformations of this loop, sparking interest in their further study. The Asgard group, identified as ancestral to eukaryotic PTPs, was successfully expressed and purified under optimized conditions. Current efforts focus on optimizing crystallization to obtain larger crystals for structural analysis. This project will investigate the allosteric regulation of acid and catalytic loops, and the evolution of backup catalytic mechanisms in archaeal PTPs, using computational, kinetic, structural, and spectroscopic approaches and will help us identify common themes that nature decided to preserve
Vaccine Stabilization With Spider Silk
Get PDFMost vaccines must be stored between 2 - 8°C to maintain their efficacy, with some vaccines requiring temperatures as low as -70°C for long-term storage. These temperature requirements pose issues for vaccine distribution, notably to remote/rural areas, in hotter climates, and low- and middle-income countries which are largely dependent on vaccine imports. [1
\u3ci\u3ePseudomonas parafulva\u3c/i\u3e Confirmed to Have Antifungal Properties When Grown in Conjunction With \u3ci\u3eBotrytis cinerea\u3c/i\u3e
Get PDFWidespread antibiotic use has led to antibiotic resistance of infectious bacteria. (Young, 2017) As part of the TinyEarth Program, the lab group collected and tested local soil samples for bacteria with hopes of finding novel antibiotic properties. From the soil samples, a bacteria was isolated, subsequently sequenced, and determined to be Pseudomonas parafulva. P. parafulva is a Gram-negative bacterium that has been known to frequent rice paddies of eastern Asian countries and has been collected in select regions of North America, including that of Cache Valley. P. parafulva has been linked to anti-fungal activities on plants. (Lui et al, 2015) Botrytis cinerea is a common plant fungi that affects more than 1400 plant species and is responsible for 10-100 billion USD of annual losses due to worldwide crop damage. (Roca-Couso R et al, 2021) We hypothesized that P. parafulva will show measurable zones of inhibition against B. cinerea when placed in the same environment. In rice fields in Asia, P. parafulva has been shown to be antagonistic to several prevalent fungi, but not including B. cinerea (Qunen et al, 2015). Due to the nature of P. parafulva against these fungi, we predict that it will show antagonistic characteristics to B. cinerea
Effects of Inhibitor Diffusion and Threshold Limits on Edge Detection With Reaction-Diffusion Equations
Get PDFThe purpose of this project is to model edge detection using the Nomura et al\u27s1 reaction-diffusion equation. Edge detection is an important visual processing tool for human sight, allowing for object detection and visual enhancement. This project explored the effects of inhibitor diffusion, Di, and threshold limits, a, on edge detection in this model. This project also discovered the limit of Nomura et al\u27s1 model on the simultaneous detection of multiple edges in a step-wise intensity gradient and attempted to overcome that limitation
Biophilic Design and the Human Experience
Get PDFBiophilia is the idea that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life. It stems from the Greek meaning love of life. Biophilic design is an innovative approach to architecture and interior design that integrates natural elements into built environments to enhance human well-being. This design philosophy seeks to create spaces that promote physical, mental, and emotional health by incorporating elements such as natural light, greenery, water features, and organic materials. This research examines the benefits of biophilic design and how implementing these principles affects the Human Experience . In this project the research was applied to the Orchid Biophilic Hotel as a way to study the extent to which biophilic design enhances overall well-being
Characterizing the Hydrology of Rock Glaciers and Other High-Mountain Stream Types in the Intermountain West, USA
Get PDFRock glaciers are high mountain landforms composed of an ice core covered and insulated by unconsolidated talus (Figure 1). Rock glaciers—like other forms of mountain snow and ice (e.g., surface ice glaciers)—are vital water sources in high mountain ecosystems. However, the relevance of rock glaciers for mountain hydrology has been largely overlooked. For this project, I helped to collect and analyze stream flow data from 17 sites across the Wasatch, Teton, and Northern Rockies mountain ranges including rock glacier and non-rock glacier streams. By including multiple sources, our goal was to place rock glacier streams in context
The Roles and Challenges of Child Language Brokering
Get PDFChild Language Brokering (CLB) refers to the informal act of interpreting and translating performed by bilingual children, often referred to as child interpreting . This typically arises in response to cultural and linguistic divides, which can have varying effects on the individuals involved. CLB is especially common among immigrant Latino families, because the children adapt to the culture much faster
Perceptions That Parents of Autistic Children Have on Music Therapy and Music Lessons for Their Child
Get PDFThe purpose of this project is to investigate the perceptions that parents of children with Autism have on music therapy and music lessons for their child. Specifically, we are interested in learning about how much knowledge parents have on music therapy and if there is a difference in perception between music therapy and music lessons for their child/children
Relaxation of the Leaf Economics Spectrum Within and Across Quaking Aspen \u3ci\u3ePopulus tremuloides\u3c/i\u3e Genotypes
No full textPlant functional traits typically show strong covariation, e.g. as in the worldwide leaf economics spectrum (LES). Covariation is thought to arise from selective forces and physical constraints. However, processes shaping covariation at interspecific scales may differ from those at intraspecific scales. Potential sources of intraspecific trait variation include variation in genetics, abiotic environment, and biotic environment; any of these factors may cause divergence from interspecific patterns. Quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides (Salicaceae), is a widespread tree species ideal for assessing these processes\u27 role in the intraspecific LES, due to its clonal growth along environmental gradients, intraspecific variation in cytotype (ploidy level), and variation in biotic interactions (herbivory pressure). Here, we investigate genotype, cytotype, microclimate and herbivory as potential drivers in shaping LES trait–trait and trait–environment relationships at intra-specific scales. We studied 15 quaking aspen genotypes that varied in cytotype (diploid or triploid) along an elevation gradient in southwestern Colorado. We show that LES tradeoffs substantially weaken at the intraspecific scale in this species. Among genotypes, trait–trait slopes ranged from positive, weak, strong, negative, or absent compared to the global LES. We also found that cytotypes varied in resource-use tradeoffs, and that increasing insect herbivory pressure decreased the strength of several trait–trait relationships. Microenvironment was a weak predictor of intraspecific functional trait variation in quaking aspen. Synthesis. In quaking aspen, there are relaxed constraints on LES trait co-variation. Variation in genotype, cytotype, and herbivory pressure each contribute to this pattern. Relaxation of the LES may enable more flexible responses to environmental stressors through both genetic and plastic mechanisms
Draft Genome Data Including Functional Annotation of an Emerging Fungal Pathogen (\u3ci\u3eNeodothiora populina\u3c/i\u3e) Causing a Canker Disease of Trembling Aspen in Interior Alaska
No full textNeodothiora populina is a black yeast-like fungus in the family Dothioraceae. It causes an aggressive canker disease of trembling aspen that results in widespread mortality of aspen across the boreal forest of Interior Alaska. Here we report a high-quality draft genome including functional annotation of this emerging fungal pathogen based on Oxford Nanopore Technologies long-read sequences. Our initial genome assembly totaled 23,960,169 bp and contained 18 contigs, and we identified 7,343 genes. This resource announcement provides new genomic data that are useful long term for improving our understanding of forest health in Alaska