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ENDOPHYTIC AND RHIZOSPHERE MICROORGANISMS OF FIELD PENNYCRESS (THLASPI ARVENSE L.) PROMOTE PLANT ROBUSTNESS AND ARE ASSOCIATED WITH PLANT GENES MEDIATING PLANT-MICROBE INTERACTIONS
Get PDFPlants, both agricultural and wild-growing, form a plethora of mutualistic relationships with environmental microorganisms. These have been demonstrated to provide a wide array of benefits to their plant hosts. These benefits include improved access to nutrients, greater resistance to disease, and the lessening of the effects of abiotic stress. These benefits are achieved through a variety of biochemical mechanisms. Many mutualistic fungi and bacteria supply key nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to associated plant hosts. The production of microbial metabolites such as exopolysaccharides and siderophores have been demonstrated to prevent damage caused by a lack of water and to protect host plants from metal toxicity. The production of phytohormones by mutualistic organisms also has a measurable positive impact on hosts and has been demonstrated to impact aboveground community diversity and plant immune responses. These associations are engaged by complex molecular communication between plants and microbes. While these benefits to plants are well documentedthe continued stochasticity of these communities renders these advantages difficult to replicate. A potential avenue to stabilize microbial communities for reliable associations is the utilization of seed-associated microorganisms, those passed from generation to generation in the microbiome of plant seeds. Seed endophytes play a strong role in the initial microbiome of plants and must participate in a variety of molecular communication systems to circumvent plant immunity and gain access to plant seeds. By using field pennycress, an emerging oilseed crop, seed endophytes were tested for plant growth promoting characteristics. Additionally, 16S and ITS amplicons were correlated to SNPs in the pennycress genome to elucidate genetic mechanisms of association between community composition and pennycress as the host plant. This analysis confirmed the presence of PGP microorganisms inhabiting the pennycress seed endosphere. Taxa were also correlated to SNPs in the pennycress genome aligned to genes typically involved in plant-microbe symbiosis. Prediction of KEGG orthologies and subsequent analysis displayed enrichment of receptors for known plant-microbe communication molecules. Organisms significantly enriched in the seed endosphere were also less impacted by experimental sites (climate and soil differences) and highly heritable, indicating strong symbiosis between pennycress and a small number of its holobiont organisms
Beat the heat protecting northern highbush blueberry from extreme heat
No full textBlueberry production is increasingly threatened by extreme heat events in the Pacific Northwest. High temperatures during flowering reduce pollination and limit fruit development through direct damage to critical parts of the flower. Developing and ripe berries can also be directly damaged by extreme heat. The purpose of this publication is to describe both the conditions under which extreme heat can damage blueberry flowers and fruits and the likelihood of high temperatures occurring during critical developmental periods within Washington State. Spatial analogs of future heat stress and strategies to mitigate the negative effects of extreme heat are also reviewed. Information regarding future risks and mitigation measures will help the blueberry industry to protect their crop from the negative effects of extreme heat
Citizen science guide to wild bees and floral visitors in Western Washington
Get PDFLas abejas silvestres y otros polinizadores son fundamentales para la sostenibilidad de los ecosistemas naturales y controlados. Identificar la diversidad y la composición de especies de las comunidades de polinizadores puede ayudar a desarrollar planes de conservación y determinar si se satisfacen las necesidades de polinización. Esta guía pretende proporcionar las herramientas necesarias para identificar y monitorear las abejas silvestres y otros visitantes florales en la región del Estrecho de Puget. Dentro de la guía hay diagramas etiquetados que muestran las características morfológicas, el tamaño y la forma, el dispositivo de transporte de polen, las flores visitadas con frecuencia y el patrón de vuelo de cada grupo de abejas silvestres. Además, proporciona una clave dicotómica para facilitar la identificación. Esta guía de campo fue parte de nuestro programa de ciencia ciudadana, la Iniciativa de Ciencia Ciudadana para las Abejas (Citizen Science Initiative for Bees, CSI Bees), que buscaba ofrecer educación específica local basada en datos sobre las abejas silvestres del Estrecho de Puget. Esta guía no tiene por objeto la identificación taxonómica, sino que busca ser un medio para que los científicos ciudadanos se familiaricen con las abejas silvestres y las monitoreen en los jardines urbanos, granjas y paisajes del oeste de Washington. Dado que las abejas silvestres son difíciles de monitorear e identificar, esta guía sirve de documento introductorio para quienes deseen comprender la biodiversidad de las abejas silvestres y contribuir a su conservación mediante su monitoreo
Lincoln County Resource Guide - Washington
Get PDFCounty level and region-specific resource guides focused on mental health and substance use
Kittitas County Resource Guide - Washington
Get PDFCounty level and region-specific resource guides focused on mental health and substance use
LATERAL CATIONIC ISOTACHOPHORESIS-GUIDED MIGRATION ANALYSIS (LIGMA) FOR NEXT GENERATION LATERAL FLOW ASSAYS
Get PDFThis dissertation presents the development and validation of a novel diagnostic platform integrating cationic isotachophoresis (ITP) with lateral flow assays (LFAs) to overcome the limitations of traditional paper-based diagnostic devices. By enhancing analyte preconcentration and separation, this work addresses the longstanding challenges of sensitivity and specificity in point-of-care (POC) testing for low-abundance biomarkers in complex biological samples.Chapter 1 introduces the constraints of conventional LFAs, including their reliance on passive capillary flow and susceptibility to interference from high-abundance serum pro-teins, which hinder their diagnostic accuracy. It further highlights the untapped potential of cationic ITP, particularly for the analysis of negatively charged proteins, as a transformative approach to improving assay performance. Chapter 2 details the modification of nitrocellulose membranes to enhance biomolecule retention and minimize non-specific interactions, ensuring compatibility with the strong electrophoretic forces inherent to ITP. These modifications laid the groundwork for robust and stable capture-line immobilization under cationic ITP conditions. Chapter 3 provides a systematic guide to designing and optimizing discontinuous electrolyte systems essential for ITP. This chapter evaluates the effects of buffer composition, ionic strength, and pH on analyte stacking and separation, demonstrating how these parameters impact the performance of cationic ITP-enhanced LFAs. Chapter 4 focuses on the synthesis and engineering of avidin-functionalized gold nanoparticles as modular cationic probes. Covalent functionalization strategies were employed to stabilize the bio-nano interface under dynamic ITP conditions, ensuring the reliable migration of target-probe complexes. Zeta potential analyses confirmed the capability of avGNPs to modify the charge of biotinylated protein complexes, rendering them suitable for cationic ITP while maintaining robust signal generation. Chapter 5 validates the platform’s performance in simulated serum samples, demonstrating a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.97 nM and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 4.12 nM for human IgG. These results represent a 10-fold improvement in sensitivity compared to traditional LFAs, achieved with minimal sample volume (1 μL) and rapid assay times (<2 minutes). The chapter also describes the construction of a portable, battery-operated system for field-deployable applications, emphasizing its potential for resource-limited settings. Finally, Chapter 6 summarizes the findings, underscoring the potential of cationic ITP-enhanced LFAs as a next-generation diagnostic platform. Recommendations for future work include expanding the scope to multiplex detection, higher sample volumes, and diverse analytes such as nucleic acids, extracellular vesicles, and whole cells, as well as integration with complementary sensitivity-enhancing methods.This work demonstrates a significant step forward in the field of paper-based diagnostics, offering a modular, sensitive, and rapid solution for addressing the limitations of conventional LFAs while maintaining their simplicity and affordability
HEP Class of 2025, Santa Rosa Junior College
No full textClass photo for the High School Equivalency Program at Santa Rosa Junior College, 2025
Produce Safety Rule harvest intervals validated Escherichia coli die-off data for Washington apples
Get PDFThe Produce Safety Rule (PSR), established under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sets science-based standards aimed at reducing microbial contamination during the growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables intended for human consumption (FDA 2015, 2024). Recognizing that agricultural water may serve as a route of produce contamination, the PSR requires growers to conduct a written preharvest agricultural water assessment. The preharvest agricultural water assessment determines whether additional measures are needed to minimize the risks associated with any of these preharvest agricultural water usage practices. One possible mitigation measure is extending the interval between the last application of agricultural water and harvest, allowing time for microbial die-off. In Washington, overhead evaporative cooling with untreated surface water is commonly used to mitigate sunburn in apples. While this method helps prevent economic losses for farmers, it often involves applying water to the apples close to harvest. More information is needed on the die-off of generic Escherichia coli on apple surfaces to understand the appropriate time-to-harvest interval after overhead evaporative cooling. Research studies conducted by Washington State University and the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission have provided scientifically valid data on the die-off rate of generic E. coli on in-field apples. These data offer Washington apple growers valuable information for making informed decisions regarding safe time-to-harvest intervals
BLACK MEMOIR AS INTELLECTUAL FRAMEWORKS IMAGINING A REVOLUTIONARY AND RADICAL SHIFT IN SOCIETY
Get PDFThis thesis works to offer thoughtful literary analysis of Patrisse Khan-Cullors’ When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir. Using Khan-Cullors’ text, this project aims to critically consider the social and political function of memoir, and how memoir can function as a form of activism. Rooted in a desire to advocate for ethical and empathetic representations of identity throughout society, this project offers analysis and critique of systems of power and oppression, as well as neoliberal conceptualizations of love and care. Through this analysis and critique, this thesis suggests the need for the return to a pre-neoliberal love ethic, which prioritizes care for Black and brown people, and creates space for Black and brown abundance, joy, and liberation
CloverGram, July 2025
No full textIn this issue: Sewing Prepare-For-Fair; Need Host Families; Required Training for Volunteers; Latino Expo 4-H Outreach; Host a 4-H Teen from Japan; 4-H Outreach; National Night Out 8/