Browsing Auburn University Graduate School by Department "Biological Sciences"
Now showing items 21-40 of 339
Causes and consequences of fitness component variation in wild non-model animal systems
(2025-12-09)
Patterns of adaptive variation in organismal traits are mechanistic drivers of population-level patterns of demography and viability. It is therefore crucial to investigate the evolutionary processes underlying this trait ...
Changes in Concentrations of Heat Shock Protein 60, 70 and 90 of a Wild Songbird in Responses to Distinct Stress Challenges
(2013-01-09)
Wild songbirds, such as the House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) require physiological mechanisms to maintain the homeostasis in face of stress threats. One of the primary mechanisms to protect system integrity is production ...
Characterization of CRF domain containing ERF genes- Solanum lycopersicum Cytokinin Response Factors SlCRF3 and SlCRF5 in tomato development
(2013-07-19)
Cytokinin is an important hormone involved in numerous aspects of plant growth and development. A newly identified group of transcription factors- Cytokinin Response Factors (CRFs) has been included as a side branch to ...
Characterization of iron uptake into mitochondria of Saccharomyces cerevisiae
(2015-07-29)
Iron is abundant in the environment in the oxidized ferric state. However this form is not bioavailable. Cells require soluble ferrous iron and therefore many reduction strategies have evolved. FRE5 encodes a putative iron ...
Characterization of phagocytic hemocytes within the hemolymph of the American cockroach
(2025-04-22)
Phagocytosis is a function of the immune system found across eukaryotes that is necessary for both innate and adaptive immune systems. Much of our current knowledge of immune functions traces back to the ability of specialized ...
Characterization of RHIM Domain Functionality in Viral Pathogens Through Interaction with Necroptotic Machinery
(2025-07-30)
Necroptotic cell death occurs following cellular stress conditions in which there is a
potential benefit to the host to encouraging an inflammatory response. Often, this is an additional
defense against pathogens, although ...
Characterization of the global regulatory network of trans-translation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(2017-07-25)
Recycling stalled ribosomes is a bioenergetically important process for survival and propagation of bacteria. The primary ribosome rescuing mechanism in bacteria is trans-translation which is catalyzed by transfer messenger ...
Characterization of the Glyoxylate Pathway in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(2009-12-17)
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections are the leading cause of lung dysfunction and mortality in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients. Adaptation of P. aeruginosa to become a chronic pathogen of the CF lung includes acquisition of ...
Characterization of the Role of dadA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Virulence Factor Production
(2011-07-28)
Chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections remain the leading cause of lung dysfunction and mortality in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients. Many other bacteria reside within the CF lung, but P. aeruginosa utilizes novel ...
Characterization of tmRNA function and regulation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
(2013-04-23)
Transfer messenger RNA (tmRNA) encoded by ssrA, is a hybrid RNA with tRNA and mRNA domains that catalyzes recycling of stalled ribosomes. This bioenergetically important process appears to play diverse functions in the ...
Characterization of Tomato Cytokinin Response Factor Genes SlCRF1 and SlCRF2 in Tomato Growth and Development
(2013-07-16)
Cytokinin is a plant hormone that plays a myriad of roles in plant growth and development. Cytokinin is perceived in plants by a multiple-step phosphorelay that is similar to bacterial two component system (TCS). In addition ...
Characterization of Viral Communities in Soil, Activated Sludge, and Influent
(2009-07-15)
Viruses are the most abundant yet uncharacterized biological entities on the planet. This thesis is a survey of viral communities in soil, activated sludge (AS), and influent (IN). Both culture-dependent and culture-independent ...
Characterizing and Changing Course Elements in Undergraduate Biology Education
(2023-04-17)
I conducted a set of four studies to catalogue and examine course elements, including active learning strategies and evidence-based teaching practices, and their influence on student experiences and performance in college ...
Characterizing the Chemical and Structural Basis of Animal Coloration from an Evolutionary Perspective
(2023-04-20)
Many questions regarding how animals produce their striking range of colors remain
unanswered, particularly when pigments and structures are combined. In this dissertation, I
completed four studies centered around ...
Characterizing the genetic and morphological responses to a changing environment in Strongylocentrotus purpuratus
(2024-04-24)
Anthropogenic climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves which may broadly impact the health of marine invertebrates. Rising ocean temperatures lead to increases in disease prevalence in ...
Classical Techniques in an Unconventional System: Investigation of the Insect Immune System and Gut Microbiome
(2024-12-05)
The role of the gut microbiome in development and function of the host immune system has long been an area of interest, investigated across taxa for decades. As mammalian systems can sometimes provide a prohibitive challenge ...
A combined approach toward resolving the phylogeny of Mollusca
(2013-04-22)
With estimates of up to 200,000 extant species, Mollusca is second in number of species only to Arthropoda. Moreover, with species as different as meiofaunal worms and giant squid, Mollusca is one of the most morphologically ...
Combining morphological, acoustic, and genetic techniques to better understand hybridization of the most abundant toad in Alabama: Anaxyrus fowleri
(2016-04-29)
The Anaxyrus americanus species complex has provided an interesting group of species to study hybridization. Two species in particular, Anaxyrus americanus and Anaxyrus fowleri, are known to hybridize in northern portions ...
The comparative evolution of developmental plasticity across Anolis lizards
(2025-11-25)
Developmental plasticity describes the sensitivity of phenotypes to early-life environmental conditions, and occurs widely across organisms and traits. Depending on the spatial and temporal environmental context, developmental ...
Comparative Genomic Analysis and Evaluation of Control Strategies for Hypervirulent Aeromonas hydrophila in Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
(2019-07-01)
This dissertation is a reflection of the insight gained through the genetic analyses of a hypervirulent pathotype of the Gram-negative pathogen, Aeromonas hydrophila, (vAh) in the context of enzymatic, challenge, growth, ...