Numerical analysis of conduction velocity/path relationships in a crustacean sensory neuron.

Experimental observations of the axonal conduction velocities of sensory neurons associated with near-field sensilla on the cephalothorax of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii indicate that neurons supplying sensilla farther from their connections with the central nervous system exhibit higher overall impulse conduction velocities. The conduction velocity/distance relationship is best described by an exponentially rising, asymptotic curve. A numerical model for regional variations in impulse conduction velocity in these sensory neurons was developed, based upon neuronal morphological metrics and physiological data.

Novel neurobiological properties of elements in the escape circuitry of the shrimp.

Escape behaviors in penaeid shrimp are mediated by large myelinated medial giant fibers which course from the brain to the last abdominal ganglion in the ventral nerve cord. In each abdominal segment, the medial giant axons make synaptic connections with paired myelinated motor giant axons that excite the abdominal deep flexor muscles and drive the tailflips that constitute the escape behavior. I examined (1) anatomical features of the abdominal motor giant fibers and (2) electrical properties of both the medial and motor giant axons in the pink shrimp, The motor giant axons in the paired third roots of shrimp abdominal ganglia emerge from a single fused neurite that originates from two clusters of cell bodies within the ganglion.

High throughput screening of mutants of oat that are defective in triterpene synthesis.

The triterpenes are a large and diverse group of plant natural products that have important functions in plant protection and food quality, and a range of pharmaceutical and other applications. Like sterols, they are synthesised from mevalonate via the isoprenoid pathway, the two pathways diverging after 2,3-oxidosqualene. During triterpene synthesis 2,3-oxidosqualene is cyclised to one of a number of potential products, the most common of these being the pentacyclic triterpene beta-amyrin.

L-alpha-glycerophosphocholine contributes to meat's enhancement of nonheme iron absorption.

In this research, our aim was to isolate and characterize the substance known as "meat factor," which is reported to enhance nonheme iron absorption. We used various analytical techniques, and the final step was a human study to measure the effect of a candidate compound on iron absorption. Lean beef was selected for study, as it is known to increase nonheme iron absorption.

Metabolic footprinting as a tool for discriminating between brewing yeasts.

The characterization of industrial yeast strains by examining their metabolic footprints (exometabolomes) was investigated and compared to genome-based discriminatory methods. A group of nine industrial brewing yeasts was studied by comparing their metabolic footprints, genetic fingerprints and comparative genomic hybridization profiles. Metabolic footprinting was carried out by both direct injection mass spectrometry (DIMS) and gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS), with data analysed by principal components analysis (PCA) and canonical variates analysis (CVA).