http://hdl.handle.net/10453/23 Thu, 23 May 2013 02:17:32 GMT 2013-05-23T02:17:32Z http://hdl.handle.net/10453/19430 Strategies for Vaccination and Control of Apicomplexan Protozoan Parasites Wallach Michael A. Mendez-Vilas Over the past several decades a great deal of effort has been invested in developing new control and vaccination strategies for apicomplexan protozoan parasites. These organisms are the cause of some of the most significant and harmful diseases in both humans and animals worldwide and include as examples; Plasmodium (malaria) and Cryptosporidium in humans, Toxoplasma in humans and animals, Babesia and Neospora in cattle, and Eimeria the cause of coccidiosis in animals (poultry, sheep, cattle, etc.). In spite of a great deal of progress made in understanding at the molecular level how these organisms invade, survive and transmit in their respective hosts, there has been a paucity of new vaccines commercially developed against these parasitic protozoa over the past few decades. In this chapter, we will discuss the types of strategies being developed to help control these parasites, which includes the development of live and subunit (both native and recombinant DNA based) vaccines, the search for and use of new or existing drugs (such as artemisinin combination therapy against malaria), as well as simpler management & hygiene strategies that can be employed to help alleviate the burden of parasitic diseases. Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10453/19430 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10453/19079 Development of a SNP multiplex assay for the inference of biogeographical ancestry and pigmentation phenotype Castel Charmain; Piper Anita Angel Carracedo SNPs exhibiting strong associations with specific populations and/or pigmentation phenotypes have been identified in mitochondrial, Y chromosome and autosomal DNA. Ancestry and phenotype inferences gained from DNA may assist forensic investigations of unknown perpetrators or aid identification of missing persons and disaster victims. To test the predictive power of combining SNPs from all three DNA types, 21 coding region mitochondrial SNPs, 28 Y chromosome SNPs and 14 autosomal SNPs were selected and analysed in a hierarchical multiplex assay. Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10453/19079 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10453/18206 Microbial diversity of biofilm communities in microniches associated with the didemnid ascidian Lissoclinum patella Behrendt Lars; Larkum Anthony; Trampe Erik; Norman Anders; Sã¸Rensen Sã¸Ren; Kuhl Michael We assessed the microbial diversity and microenvironmental niche characteristics in the didemnid ascidian Lissoclinum patella using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, microsensor and imaging techniques. L. patella harbors three distinct microbial communities spatially separated by few millimeters of tunic tissue: (i) a biofilm on its upper surface exposed to high irradiance and O-2 levels, (ii) a cloacal cavity dominated by the prochlorophyte Prochloron spp. characterized by strong depletion of visible light and a dynamic chemical microenvironment ranging from hyperoxia in light to anoxia in darkness and (iii) a biofilm covering the underside of the animal, where light is depleted of visible wavelengths and enriched in near-infrared radiation (NIR). Variable chlorophyll fluorescence imaging demonstrated photosynthetic activity, and hyperspectral imaging revealed a diversity of photopigments in all microhabitats. Amplicon sequencing revealed the dominance of cyanobacteria in all three layers. Sequences representing the chlorophyll d containing cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina and anoxygenic phototrophs were abundant on the underside of the ascidian in shallow waters but declined in deeper waters. This depth dependency was supported by a negative correlation between A. marina abundance and collection depth, explained by the increased attenuation of NIR as a function of water depth. The combination of microenvironmental analysis and fine-scale sampling techniques used in this investigation gives valuable first insights into the distribution, abundance and diversity of bacterial communities associated with tropical ascidians. In particular, we show that microenvironments and microbial diversity can vary significantly over scales of a few millimeters in such habitats; which is information easily lost by bulk sampling Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10453/18206 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10453/18205 Biofilm growth and near-infrared radiation-driven photosynthesis of the chlorophyll d-containing cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina Behrendt Lars; Schrameyer Verena; Qvortrup Klaus; Lundin Luisa; Sã¸Rensen Sã¸Ren; Larkum Anthony; Kuhl Michael The cyanobacterium Acaryochloris marina is the only known phototroph harboring chlorophyll (Chl) d. It is easy to cultivate it in a planktonic growth mode, and A. marina cultures have been subject to detailed biochemical and biophysical characterization. In natural situations, A. marina is mainly found associated with surfaces, but this growth mode has not been studied yet. Here, we show that the A. marina type strain MBIC11017 inoculated into alginate beads forms dense biofilm-like cell clusters, as in natural A. marina biofilms, characterized by strong O-2 concentration gradients that change with irradiance. Biofilm growth under both visible radiation (VIS, 400 to 700 nm) and near-infrared radiation (NIR, similar to 700 to 730 nm) yielded maximal cell-specific growth rates of 0.38 per day and 0.64 per day, respectively. The population doubling times were 1.09 and 1.82 days for NIR and visible light, respectively. The photosynthesis versus irradiance curves showed saturation at a photon irradiance of E-k (saturating irradiance) >250 mu mol photons m(-2) s(-1) for blue light but no clear saturation at 365 mu mol photons m(-2) s(-1) for NIR. The maximal gross photosynthesis rates in the aggregates were similar to 1,272 mu mol O-2 mg Chl d(-1) h(-1) (NIR) and similar to 1,128 mu mol O-2 mg Chl d(-1) h(-1) (VIS). The photosynthetic efficiency (alpha) values were higher in NIR-irradiated cells [(268 +/- 0.29) x 10(-6) m(2) mg Chl d(-1) (mean +/- standard deviation)] than under blue light [(231 +/- 0.22) x 10(-6) m(2) mg Chl d(-1)]. A. marina is well adapted to a biofilm growth mode under both visible and NIR irradiance and under O-2 conditions ranging from anoxia to hyperoxia, explaining its presence in natural niches with similar environmental conditions. Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10453/18205 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z