Longitudinal analysis of the Five Sisters hot springs in Yellowstone National Park reveals a dynamic thermoalkaline environment.

Research focused on microbial populations of thermoalkaline springs has been driven in a large part by the lure of discovering functional enzymes with industrial applications in high-pH and high temperature environments. While several studies have focused on understanding the fundamental ecology of these springs, the small molecule profiles of thermoalkaline springs have largely been overlooked. To better understand how geochemistry, small molecule composition, and microbial communities are connected, we conducted a three-year study of the Five Sisters (FS) springs that included high-resolution geochemical measurements, 16S rRNA sequencing of the bacterial and archaeal community, and mass spectrometry-based metabolite and extracellular small molecule characterization.

Integrating CUREs in Ongoing Research: Undergraduates as Active Participants in the Discovery of Biodegrading Thermophiles.

Research-based courses are a powerful way to engage undergraduates in the scientific process while simultaneously teaching participants relevant laboratory, analysis, and scientific communication skills. In most programs, students conduct a simulated project which effectively improves student conceptions of scientific thinking but does not produce research-quality data. The course described here delivered an authentic research experience by assigning undergraduates an objective from an active grant-funded project.

An emerging view of the diversity, ecology and function of Archaea in alkaline hydrothermal environments.

The described diversity within the domain Archaea has recently expanded due to advances in sequencing technologies, but many habitats that likely harbor novel lineages of archaea remain understudied. Knowledge of archaea within natural and engineered hydrothermal systems, such as hot springs and engineered subsurface habitats, has been steadily increasing, but the majority of the work has focused on archaea living in acidic or circumneutral environments. The environmental pressures exerted by the combination of high temperatures and high pH likely select for divergent communities and distinct metabolic pathways from those observed in acidic or circumneutral systems.

Validating an Automated Nucleic Acid Extraction Device for Using Whole Cell Microbial Reference Standards.

NASA has made great strides in the past five years to develop a suite of instruments for the International Space Station in order to perform molecular biology in space. However, a key piece of equipment that has been lacking is an instrument that can extract nucleic acids from an array of complex human and environmental samples. The team has developed the μTitan (simulated micro() gravity ested nsrument for utomated ucleic acid) system capable of automated, streamlined, nucleic acid extraction that is adapted for use under microgravity.

Facultative and anaerobic consortia of haloalkaliphilic ureolytic micro-organisms capable of precipitating calcium carbonate.

Aims: Development of biomineralization technologies has largely focused on microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) via Sporosarcina pasteurii ureolysis; however, as an obligate aerobe, the general utility of this organism is limited. Here, facultative and anaerobic haloalkaliphiles capable of ureolysis were enriched, identified and then compared to S. pasteurii regarding biomineralization activities.

Safety and efficacy of venom immunotherapy: a real life study.

Introduction: Venom immunotherapy (VIT) is recommended as the first-line treatment for patients allergic to Hymenoptera venom.

Aim: To analyze the safety and efficacy of VIT in a real life setting.

Material And Methods: One hundred and eighty patients undergoing VIT were studied to evaluate the safety, efficacy, incidence and nature of symptoms after field stings and adverse reactions to VIT.

In situ gene expression profiling of the thermoacidophilic alga Cyanidioschyzon in relation to visible and ultraviolet irradiance.

Ultraviolet and high-intensity visible radiation generate reactive intermediates that damage phototrophic microorganisms. In Yellowstone National Park, the thermoacidophilic alga Cyanidioschyzon exhibits an annual seasonal biomass fluctuation referred to as 'mat decline', where algal viability decreases as ultraviolet and visible irradiances increase during summer. We examined the role irradiance might play in mat decline using irradiance filters that uncouple ultraviolet and visible effects along with custom microarrays to study gene expression in situ.

Cyanidiales diversity in Yellowstone National Park.

The Cyanidiales are unicellular red algae that are unique among phototrophs. They thrive in acidic, moderately high-temperature habitats typically associated with geothermally active regions, although much remains to be learned about their distribution and diversity within such extreme environments. We focused on Yellowstone National Park (YNP), using culture-dependent efforts in combination with a park-wide environmental polymerase chain reaction (PCR) survey to examine Cyanidiales diversity and distribution in aqueous (i.

Genetic dissection of the functions of the melanocortin-3 receptor, a seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptor, suggests roles for central and peripheral receptors in energy homeostasis.

The melanocortin-3 receptor (MC3R) gene is pleiotropic, influencing body composition, natriuresis, immune function, and entrainment of circadian rhythms to nutrient intake. MC3Rs are expressed in hypothalamic and limbic regions of the brain and in peripheral tissues. To investigate the roles of central MC3Rs, we inserted a "lox-stop-lox" (LoxTB) 5' of the translation initiation codon of the mouse Mc3r gene and reactivated transcription using neuron-specific Cre transgenic mice.

Dietary composition specifies consumption, obesity, and lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster.

The inability to properly balance energy intake and expenditure with nutrient supply forms the basis for some of today's most pressing health issues, including diabetes and obesity. Mechanisms of nutrient homeostasis may also lie at the root of dietary restriction, a manipulation whereby reduced nutrient availability extends lifespan and ameliorates age-related deteriorations in many species. The traditional belief that the most important aspect of the diet is its energetic (i.

Characterization of glucagon-expressing neurons in the chicken retina.

We recently identified large glucagon-expressing neurons that densely ramify neurites in the peripheral edge of the retina and regulate the proliferation of progenitors in the circumferential marginal zone (CMZ) of the postnatal chicken eye (Fischer et al. [2005] J Neurosci 25:10157-10166). However, nothing is known about the transmitters and proteins that are expressed by the glucagon-expressing neurons in the avian retina.

Flies and their golden apples: the effect of dietary restriction on Drosophila aging and age-dependent gene expression.

Reduced nutrient availability (dietary restriction) extends lifespan in species as diverse as yeast, nematode worms, Daphnia, Drosophila, and mammals. Recent demographic experiments have shown that moderate nutrient manipulation in adult Drosophila affects current mortality rate in a completely reversible manner, which suggests that dietary restriction in Drosophila increases lifespan through a reduction of the current risk of death rather than a slowing of aging-related damage. When examined in the light of the new demographic data, age-dependent changes in gene expression in normal and diet-restricted flies can provide unique insight into the biological processes affected by aging and may help identify molecular pathways that regulate it.

Diet, metabolism and lifespan in Drosophila.

Dietary restriction (DR) by dilution of the food medium can extend lifespan in Drosophila. DR results in a state that is characterized by reduced fecundity, increased starvation resistance and higher total lipid levels. In the past, each of these correlated phenotypes has been proposed to play a causal role in the lifespan-extending effects of food reduction.