Un Paseo Encantado, an enchanted walk, is a collection of my observations and experiences in a study abroad program in Oviedo, Spain. My commentary on Spanish culture is based on reading I did prior my departure, in combination with my observations while in Spain. In six chapters, I explore the...
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading cause of bronchopneumonia in infants and elderly. Knowledge of viral and host protein interactions is important for better understanding of the viral pathogenesis and may lead to development of novel therapeutic drugs. Here, we show that RSV Matrix (M) protein interacts with cellular...
Dental disease is a very prevalent and costly disease in which the symptoms, not the disease, are currently being treated. The disease is caused by pathogenic oral bacteria, many of which are a part of the Mutans Streptococci. The objective of this thesis was to find a natural substance that...
Maintenance of optimal nutrient supplies is fundamental to the functioning of
vertebrate, invertebrate, bacterial and plant physiology. Organisms on this planet compete
with each other primarily to fulfill nutritional needs in order to maximize their health,
wellbeing, and reproductive success. Here we examine nutrient concentrations in several
different grass species...
Rhodococcus fascians is a Gram-positive, pleiomorphic actinomycete that causes leafy gall formation in a wide range of plant hosts. This particular phytopathogen has been a focus of research at the Oregon State University Plant Clinic, a diagnostic laboratory. Phylogeny of R. fascians isolates obtained from Plant Clinic submissions was determined...
DNA mismatch repair (MMR) is an evolutionary conserved process that functions to maintain genomic integrity through the correction of mismatches that have escaped proofreading. Mutations in the MMR gene Mlh1 are associated with approximately 50% of all cases of Lynch syndrome, a hereditary predisposition to colorectal cancer, through varying and...