Integration of biology, mathematics and computing in the classroom through the creation and repeated use of transdisciplinary modules.

The integration of biology with mathematics and computer science mandates the training of students capable of comfortably navigating among these fields. We address this formidable pedagogical challenge with the creation of transdisciplinary modules that guide students toward solving realistic problems with methods from different disciplines. Knowledge is gradually integrated as the same topic is revisited in biology, mathematics, and computer science courses.

Environmental and spatial determinants of enteric pathogen infection in rural Lao People's Democratic Republic: A cross-sectional study.

clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02342860).

Adherence Factor Expression in -Like Conditions.

The species are Gram-negative, facultative intracellular pathogens that invade the colonic epithelium and cause significant diarrheal disease. Despite extensive research on the pathogen, a comprehensive understanding of how initiates contact with epithelial cells remains unknown. maintains many of the same adherence gene operons; however, at least one critical gene component in each operon is currently annotated as a pseudogene in reference genomes.

Metagenomic Signatures of Gut Infections Caused by Different Pathotypes.

is a leading contributor to infectious diarrhea and child mortality worldwide, but it remains unknown how alterations in the gut microbiome vary for distinct pathotype infections and whether these signatures can be used for diagnostic purposes. Further, the majority of enteric diarrheal infections are not diagnosed with respect to their etiological agent(s) due to technical challenges. To address these issues, we devised a novel approach that combined traditional, isolate-based and molecular-biology techniques with metagenomics analysis of stool samples and epidemiological data.

Associations between soil-transmitted helminthiasis and viral, bacterial, and protozoal enteroinfections: a cross-sectional study in rural Laos.

Background: Humans are susceptible to over 1400 pathogens. Co-infection by multiple pathogens is common, and can result in a range of neutral, facilitative, or antagonistic interactions within the host. Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are powerful immunomodulators, but evidence of the effect of STH infection on the direction and magnitude of concurrent enteric microparasite infections is mixed.

Insights into enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli diversity in Bangladesh utilizing genomic epidemiology.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) cause more than 500,000 deaths each year in the developing world and are characterized on a molecular level by the presence of genes that encode the heat-stable (ST) and/or heat-labile (LT) enterotoxins, as well as surface structures, known as colonization factors (CFs). Genome sequencing and comparative genomic analyses of 94 previously uncharacterized ETEC isolates demonstrated remarkable genomic diversity, with 28 distinct sequence types identified in three phylogenomic groups. Interestingly, there is a correlation between the genomic sequence type and virulence factor profiles based on prevalence of the isolate, suggesting that there is an optimal combination of genetic factors required for survival, virulence and transmission in the most successful clones.

Analysis of Shigella flexneri Resistance, Biofilm Formation, and Transcriptional Profile in Response to Bile Salts.

The species cause millions of cases of watery or bloody diarrhea each year, mostly in children in developing countries. While many aspects of colonic cell invasion are known, crucial gaps in knowledge regarding how the bacteria survive, transit, and regulate gene expression prior to infection remain. In this study, we define mechanisms of resistance to bile salts and build on previous research highlighting induced virulence in strain 2457T following exposure to bile salts.

Survival of the Fittest: How Bacterial Pathogens Utilize Bile To Enhance Infection.

Bacterial pathogens have coevolved with humans in order to efficiently infect, replicate within, and be transmitted to new hosts to ensure survival and a continual infection cycle. For enteric pathogens, the ability to adapt to numerous host factors under the harsh conditions of the gastrointestinal tract is critical for establishing infection. One such host factor readily encountered by enteric bacteria is bile, an innately antimicrobial detergent-like compound essential for digestion and nutrient absorption.

Examination of the Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Population Structure during Human Infection.

Unlabelled: Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) can cause severe diarrhea and death in children in developing countries; however, bacterial diversity in natural infection is uncharacterized. In this study, we explored the natural population variation of ETEC from individuals with cholera-like diarrhea.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli secretes a highly conserved mucin-degrading metalloprotease to effectively engage intestinal epithelial cells.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a leading cause of death due to diarrheal illness among young children in developing countries, and there is currently no effective vaccine. Many elements of ETEC pathogenesis are still poorly defined. Here we demonstrate that YghJ, a secreted ETEC antigen identified in immunoproteomic studies using convalescent patient sera, is required for efficient access to small intestinal enterocytes and for the optimal delivery of heat-labile toxin (LT).