A commentary on the benefits of undergraduate research participation.
关于本科生参与研究的好处的评论。
{"title":"Objective Lens","authors":"Hannah DeWitt","doi":"10.33043/ff.5.1.5-13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33043/ff.5.1.5-13","url":null,"abstract":"A commentary on the benefits of undergraduate research participation.","PeriodicalId":87255,"journal":{"name":"Fine focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"74389944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Many academic institutions offer professional development programs to prepare graduate students to meet the changing expectations of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty. Peer mentoring is not widely adopted in graduate professional development, yet incorporating this approach can better facilitate the transition from graduate student to faculty member. Using evidence from experience as peer mentors (2011-2017), we examine established characteristics of peer mentoring and evaluate their strengths in the context of a future faculty professional development program. Peer mentors coached mentees by sharing common experiences related to teaching and learning, provided a safe space for mentees to discuss their experiences, and acted as a liaison between mentees and faculty advisors. These benefits translate into increased competency for future faculty to engage in research, teaching, and mentoring.
{"title":"Peer Mentoring: the Missing Piece in Graduate Professional Development","authors":"Kateri R. Salk, LeighAnn Tomaswick, A. Rober","doi":"10.33043/ff.5.1.15-21","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33043/ff.5.1.15-21","url":null,"abstract":"Many academic institutions offer professional development programs to prepare graduate students to meet the changing expectations of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) faculty. Peer mentoring is not widely adopted in graduate professional development, yet incorporating this approach can better facilitate the transition from graduate student to faculty member. Using evidence from experience as peer mentors (2011-2017), we examine established characteristics of peer mentoring and evaluate their strengths in the context of a future faculty professional development program. Peer mentors coached mentees by sharing common experiences related to teaching and learning, provided a safe space for mentees to discuss their experiences, and acted as a liaison between mentees and faculty advisors. These benefits translate into increased competency for future faculty to engage in research, teaching, and mentoring.","PeriodicalId":87255,"journal":{"name":"Fine focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85462267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Olivia J. Rickman, M. A. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Oddur Vilhemsson
Nine xylanolytic bacterial strains were isolated from fen and heath soils in northern Iceland. They were found by 16S rRNA gene sequencing to belong to the genera Paenibacillus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas. Using a simple, plate-based semiquantitative assay with azo-crosslinked xylan as the substrate, it was determined that although isolated from cold environments, most of the strains displayed greater xylanolytic activity under mesophilic conditions, with only the paenibacilli displaying markedly cold-active xylanolytic activity. Indeed, for one isolate, Paenibacillus castaneae OV2122, xylanolytic activity was only detected at 15°C and below under the conditions tested. Of the nine strains, Paenibacillus amylolyticus OV2121 displayed the greatest activity at 5°C. Glycohydrolase family-specific PCR indicated that the paenibacilli produced multiple xylanases of families 10 and 11, whereas a family 8 xylanase was detected in Pseudomonas kilonensis AL1515, and a family 11 xylanase in Stenotrophomonas rhizophila AL1610.
{"title":"Xylanolytic Psychotrophs From Andosolic Sedge Fens and Moss Heaths in Iceland","authors":"Olivia J. Rickman, M. A. Sigurbjörnsdóttir, Oddur Vilhemsson","doi":"10.33043/FF.4.2.171-186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33043/FF.4.2.171-186","url":null,"abstract":"Nine xylanolytic bacterial strains were isolated from fen and heath soils in northern Iceland. They were found by 16S rRNA gene sequencing to belong to the genera Paenibacillus, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Stenotrophomonas. Using a simple, plate-based semiquantitative assay with azo-crosslinked xylan as the substrate, it was determined that although isolated from cold environments, most of the strains displayed greater xylanolytic activity under mesophilic conditions, with only the paenibacilli displaying markedly cold-active xylanolytic activity. Indeed, for one isolate, Paenibacillus castaneae OV2122, xylanolytic activity was only detected at 15°C and below under the conditions tested. Of the nine strains, Paenibacillus amylolyticus OV2121 displayed the greatest activity at 5°C. Glycohydrolase family-specific PCR indicated that the paenibacilli produced multiple xylanases of families 10 and 11, whereas a family 8 xylanase was detected in Pseudomonas kilonensis AL1515, and a family 11 xylanase in Stenotrophomonas rhizophila AL1610.","PeriodicalId":87255,"journal":{"name":"Fine focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79068955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Healthcare institutions have seen an increase in infections caused by antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Current antibiotics have become less potent against pathogenic bacteria due to their overuse and misuse. In recent years, scientists have revisited local environments in search of novel antibioticproducing microbes to address the increasing threat of resistance. One species of bacteria was isolated from anthill sediment in coastal North Carolina. This environment was selected for its abiotic properties, including organic substrates, moisture saturation and aeration. Anthill isolate A2, inhibited various Grampositive and negative ESKAPE pathogens or their surrogates, including Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, in crossstreak tests. 16S rRNA sequencing identified isolate A2 as Pseudomonas koreensis. Mass spectrometry and small-molecule analysis performed on ethyl-acetate extracts of culture supernatant were used to evaluate bioactivity and identify the probable structure of one potential antimicrobial compound, monolauryl maleate. Discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds to replace overused antibiotics may help reduce the impact of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
{"title":"Characterization of Antibioticproducing Bacterium Isolated From Anthill Sediment With Activity Against ESKAPE Pathogens","authors":"Cody A. Postich, K. B. Kiser","doi":"10.33043/FF.4.2.189-201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33043/FF.4.2.189-201","url":null,"abstract":"Healthcare institutions have seen an increase in infections caused by antibiotic-resistant ESKAPE pathogens. Current antibiotics have become less potent against pathogenic bacteria due to their overuse and misuse. In recent years, scientists have revisited local environments in search of novel antibioticproducing microbes to address the increasing threat of resistance. One species of bacteria was isolated from anthill sediment in coastal North Carolina. This environment was selected for its abiotic properties, including organic substrates, moisture saturation and aeration. Anthill isolate A2, inhibited various Grampositive and negative ESKAPE pathogens or their surrogates, including Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, in crossstreak tests. 16S rRNA sequencing identified isolate A2 as Pseudomonas koreensis. Mass spectrometry and small-molecule analysis performed on ethyl-acetate extracts of culture supernatant were used to evaluate bioactivity and identify the probable structure of one potential antimicrobial compound, monolauryl maleate. Discovery of novel antimicrobial compounds to replace overused antibiotics may help reduce the impact of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.","PeriodicalId":87255,"journal":{"name":"Fine focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84779213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Grutsch, Pierre S. Nimmer, Rachel H. Pittsley, Katherine G. Kornilow, J. McKillip
The bacterial species Bacillus cereus accounts for 1.4-12% of foodborne illness outbreaks worldwide, a statistic that is certainly an underestimate. This bacterial genus is capable of contaminating a wide range of food products, including rice, chicken, vegetables, spices, and dairy products. B. cereus endospores are partially resistant to pasteurization, dehydration, gamma radiation, and other physical stresses used in food processing, and their adhesive characteristics promote biofilm-forming capability on a variety of substrates in dairy operations. B. cereus and other closely-related species produce several types of exotoxins, including at least four hemolysins, three phospholipases, a heat/acid stable emetic toxin called cereulide, and three well-studied heat-labile enterotoxins that all cause gastroenteritis following ingestion. While a great deal of information on virulence gene presence and expression is known in B. cereus, very little has been done to explore the virulence potential of thermoduric spore-formers that may be found in ultrahigh temperature (UHT) pasteurized milk, and their ability to produce biofilms. Biofilm production is understood to be under similar regulation as toxins and other extracellular virulence determinants. This chapter describes the current status of knowledge with Bacillus spp. relevant to the dairy industry, virulence potential, and biofilm production from the perspective of food safety.
{"title":"Molecular Pathogenesis of Bacillus spp., with Emphasis on the Dairy Industry","authors":"A. Grutsch, Pierre S. Nimmer, Rachel H. Pittsley, Katherine G. Kornilow, J. McKillip","doi":"10.33043/FF.4.2.203-222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33043/FF.4.2.203-222","url":null,"abstract":"The bacterial species Bacillus cereus accounts for 1.4-12% of foodborne illness outbreaks worldwide, a statistic that is certainly an underestimate. This bacterial genus is capable of contaminating a wide range of food products, including rice, chicken, vegetables, spices, and dairy products. B. cereus endospores are partially resistant to pasteurization, dehydration, gamma radiation, and other physical stresses used in food processing, and their adhesive characteristics promote biofilm-forming capability on a variety of substrates in dairy operations. B. cereus and other closely-related species produce several types of exotoxins, including at least four hemolysins, three phospholipases, a heat/acid stable emetic toxin called cereulide, and three well-studied heat-labile enterotoxins that all cause gastroenteritis following ingestion. While a great deal of information on virulence gene presence and expression is known in B. cereus, very little has been done to explore the virulence potential of thermoduric spore-formers that may be found in ultrahigh temperature (UHT) pasteurized milk, and their ability to produce biofilms. Biofilm production is understood to be under similar regulation as toxins and other extracellular virulence determinants. This chapter describes the current status of knowledge with Bacillus spp. relevant to the dairy industry, virulence potential, and biofilm production from the perspective of food safety.","PeriodicalId":87255,"journal":{"name":"Fine focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80383045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Editorial from Fine Focus Managing Editor John L. McKillip.
Fine Focus总编辑John L. McKillip的社论。
{"title":"Objective Lens","authors":"J. McKillip","doi":"10.33043/ff.4.1.9-11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33043/ff.4.1.9-11","url":null,"abstract":"Editorial from Fine Focus Managing Editor John L. McKillip.","PeriodicalId":87255,"journal":{"name":"Fine focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84147447","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Shirali, Wilson Minter Huijsmans, M. Sottocornola
In this study, we aim to amplify the secretory pathway of Penicillium Chrysogenum within the ISS or similar simulated microgravity using the miniPCR and/or RTQ-PCR and then optimizing Penicillium Chrysogenum function using CRISPR cas-9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), a new technology in the genetics which can help in gene alteration for better drug production. The secretory pathway of Penicillium Chrysogenum is controlled by genes pcbAB , pcbC and penDE
在这项研究中，我们的目标是利用miniPCR和/或RTQ-PCR扩增青霉菌在ISS或类似的模拟微重力下的分泌途径，然后利用CRISPR cas-9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)优化青霉菌的功能，这是遗传学中的一项新技术，可以帮助基因改变以更好地生产药物。青霉菌的分泌途径受pcbAB、pcbC和penDE基因控制
{"title":"Letter to the Editor: Genetic Editing of Secretory Pathway of Penicillium Chrysogenum After Observation of Increased Secretory Rates in an Increased Stress Environment (Microgravity), a Research Proposal by High School Students in Dubai","authors":"A. Shirali, Wilson Minter Huijsmans, M. Sottocornola","doi":"10.33043/FF.4.2.163-169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33043/FF.4.2.163-169","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, we aim to amplify the secretory pathway of Penicillium Chrysogenum within the ISS or similar simulated microgravity using the miniPCR and/or RTQ-PCR and then optimizing Penicillium Chrysogenum function using CRISPR cas-9 (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), a new technology in the genetics which can help in gene alteration for better drug production. The secretory pathway of Penicillium Chrysogenum is controlled by genes pcbAB , pcbC and penDE","PeriodicalId":87255,"journal":{"name":"Fine focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79121711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"ReBUILDetroit and Fine Focus Collaboration to Foster Successful Stem Education Opportunities","authors":"Stephanie B. Conant","doi":"10.33043/FF.4.2.155-157","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33043/FF.4.2.155-157","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":87255,"journal":{"name":"Fine focus","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88027616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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