The Pacific Treefrog (Pseudacris regilla) is commonly encountered throughout the Pacific Northwest and can be an indicator for ecosystem health. At each life stage P. regilla utilizes a different habitat and therefore it is important to understand habitat use at all life stages to properly manage the ecosystem, however, few...
Various flavonoid-rich plant extracts have shown efficacy in the treatment of diabetes. Although it is often assumed that dietary flavonoids exert biological antioxidant effects, it is possible that the observed effects work in carbohydrate metabolism. In this study we evaluated the effect of catechins and catechin containing extracts on α-amylase...
This thesis project has the following specific objectives: (i) Determine pathogenicity of Globodera ellingtonae to potato utilizing two trials conducted over a 16 week period, (ii) Elucidate the host range of G. ellingtonae using a variety of different Solanum weed species and crop species, and (iii) Characterize population decline of...
Mycobacterium avium subspecies hominissuis (MAH) causes potentially lethal opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals. Lack of a good animal model system currently hinders in vivo study of MAH virulence. Here we applied the tractable organism Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), as a surrogate host to study the virulence of MAH. Worms were...
Current protein immobilization techniques lack defined control over protein orientation. Protein orientation is important for making biosensors and biomaterials that are sensitive and efficient and can be crucial for designing some devices such as immunosensors or direct electron transferring biocells. A new method of protein immobilization is proposed that takes...
Seeds are an essential component of plant life histories, and seed endophytes have the potential to influence germination, seedling establishment and development. That said, seed endophytes are a relatively new area of study, both in the factors that influence which taxa are present and how these microbes alter plant function....