Contamination of recreational and shellfish waters with fecal pollution is a major water quality issue with associated economic impacts and human health risks. Reliable fecal source identification and rapid, quantitative analyses are essential components of risk assessment. Enteric bacteria that are endemic to specific hosts have a potential role as...
Cnidarians, such as anemones and corals, engage in an intracellular symbiosis with
photosynthetic dinoflagellates. Corals form both the trophic and structural foundation of
reef ecosystems. Despite their environmental importance, little is known about the
molecular basis of this symbiosis. In this dissertation we explored the cnidariandinoflagellate symbiosis from two perspectives:...
Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have the potential to de-repress epigenetically silenced genes in cancer cells, leading to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Dietary HDAC inhibitors derived from natural phytochemicals are promising anticancer agents. In this thesis, metabolites from natural organosulfur and organoselenium compounds, i.e. allyl mercaptan (AM), β-methylselenopyruvate (MSP) and...
In this dissertation, excited state proton transfer (ESPT) and its inhibition in solution and protein environments are revealed using both femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy and femtosecond stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS). Using a tunable Raman pump to enhance transient vibrational features of the photoacidic chromophore HPTS in methanol and methanol...
Gadusol is a UV-B-absorbent compound found in fish and other marine organisms where it is presumed to play a role as a sunscreen and antioxidant. In light of commercial potential as a replacement for problematic synthetic sunscreens, a process to produce recombinant gadusol in the yeast Saccharomcyces cerevisiae was investigated....
The inverse electron demand Diels Alder reaction between tetrazines and strained alkenes is an exceptionally useful tool in functionalizing to biomolecules since it is orthogonal to the chemistry of most living systems and have exceptionally high rate constants. In particular reactions between strained trans-cyclooctenes (sTCO) and tetrazines can achieve second...
Cell division, arguably the most important event during the life cycle of the eukaryotic cell, is achieved through a complicated yet beautiful machinery. The mitotic spindle — a microtubule-based bipolar structure—is the cellular machinery responsible for the correct segregation of the genetic material, chromosomes. The protein-based nanomachines termed molecular motors...