As part of an HHMI funded research project, I showed that overexpression (OE) of actin (ACT2) in Arabidopsis thaliana alters the expression of genes involved in plant immunity. Others have previously shown that knockout (KO) mutants of actin depolymerizing factor 4 are affected in the same gene as ACT2-OE. For...
Saccharina sessilis, lettuce kelp, is a macroalgae that contributes to the primary production in the intertidal zone off of the Oregon Coast. Macroalgae can serve as a bioindicator of increased nutrient input, water quality, and shifts in the intertidal environment. Competition for light exists between macroalgae species and with other...
Sea stars are well known on the Pacific coast as being keystone species. Pisaster ochraceus plays a major role in controlling the lower limits of the high zone mussel beds, normally preying on medium to large-sized species. Leptasterias hexactis is often found feeding on smaller prey. According to the competitive...
Atmospheric carbon dioxide has increased by approximately 40% since preindustrial times from 280 ppm (parts per million) to 400 ppm. The rise in Pco₂ is causing the ocean to become more acidic due to the uptake of carbon dioxide by the water, termed “ocean acidification”. As the Pco₂ in the...
Glioblastoma, which occurs in adults primarily between ages of 40 to 70 years and accounts for 15% of all brain tumors, is a devastating diagnosis with a median survival rate of less than a year. Invasiveness of glioblastoma cells significantly reduces the effectiveness of current treatments, highlighting the importance of...
Corals form the foundation for coral reef ecosystems and contain symbiotic dinoflagellates which greatly contribute to reef primary productivity. Loss of dinoflagellates from animal (host) cells results in cnidarian bleaching which leads to decreased coral fitness, and reef deterioration. Elevated temperature, caused by global warming, is the primary environmental stressor...
Understanding species distributions temporally and spatially will facilitate effective conservation efforts and catalyze informed environmental management decisions. The predicted distributions of 31 species of European bat (Mammalia: Chiroptera) were mapped across Europe using species presence records and environmental data from 72 environmental variables (annual mean temperature, precipitation, etc.). In order...
Plant litter decomposition plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, and contributes large amounts of carbon to soils, which store more carbon than any other terrestrial pool of organic matter. Decomposition plays a fundamental role in nutrient cycling and alters soil properties that shape plant community composition and...
A period of over forty years (1913-1954) of gold dredging dramatically changed
the landscape of Sumpter Valley, Oregon into a rocky, uninhabitable terrain. The Defrees
Ranch LLC used cattle feeding to increase top soil, vegetation, and habitat on the dredge
tailings. This thesis investigated the use of feeding cattle as...
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is the primary cause of community-acquired pneumonias, including what is commonly known as walking pneumonia. This disease affects people from all demographics, but especially children and older adults. Outbreaks are a significant public health concern and work to develop new pharmacological agents is currently being researched. How M....