Undergraduate Research Projects
Community overlap between foliar fungal endophytes and leaf decay fungi associated with Quercus chrysolepis leaves (2022)
Foliar fungal endophytes are ubiquitous microorganisms that colonize plant leaves to form intimate symbiotic relationships. These endophytes represent a species-rich plant microbiome without obvious negative effects to the host. Some endophytes have been shown to be beneficial to plants, playing critical roles in plant biochemistry and physiology. Many are thought to be commensal waiting for leaves to senesce. Leaves that fall to the ground make up leaf litter that is decomposed by a species-rich assemblage of fungi and other microorganisms. Fungi are considered the primary decomposers of dead plant material. However, the extent to which endophyte communities and decay communities overlap is not well understood. The primary goal of this research is to examine the extent of overlap between endophyte and decay communities. To characterize these communities, fungi were isolated by surface sterilizing leaves followed by DNA extraction. We then used high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the fungal barcode regions to characterize endophyte and decay communities of Quercus chrysolepis (canyon live oak) from BCCER. Molecular sequences were analyzed for alpha and beta diversity to understand how the communities overlap. We found that endophyte and decay communities were significantly different from each other with less than 25% occurring in both substrates. These results indicate that there is some overlap between the two communities, and that foliar fungal endophytes may play important roles in the composition of leaf decay communities as early colonizers.
Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in Chico State on-campus resident population (2022)
Since its emergence in late 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic has had devastating and far-reaching effects on human lives. The constant rise and fall of case numbers make it difficult to predict times of increased healthcare burden. Estimating case number increases relies heavily on evaluating trends in clinically reported cases. These data sets are often incomplete as they do not represent populations that are asymptomatic or have unequal access to testing. One potential solution to this problem is to utilize wastewater surveillance to monitor levels of SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA shed by infected individuals. Since RNA shedding has been demonstrated to begin prior to symptom presentation, wastewater surveillance can allow for early warning of impending case increases and ensures all that use the wastewater system will be counted, irrespective of symptom presentation or access to testing. In this surveillance study, trends in SARS-CoV-2 prevalence on campus were evaluated by collecting and analyzing wastewater samples from the effluent of the 9 campus dormitories of CSU Chico. Wastewater samples were analyzed via quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to determine viral RNA concentrations in wastewater as genome copies per liter (gc/L). Observed trends in RNA concentrations have demonstrated the efficacy of campus preventative measures and have afforded a means to predict impending case increases within the on-campus resident population. This wastewater surveillance suggests an effective, more wholistic approach to study patterns in transmission rates and SARS-CoV-2 prevalence. Data obtained from wastewater surveillance can be used to inform public health policy and help mitigate the effects of community-wide outbreaks.
Stem cell conditioned media aids the successful treatment of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) (2022)
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common form of hair loss that affects up to 50% of males between 18 and 40 years old. 80% of Caucasian men will experience some form of AGA before they reach 70 years of age. Testosterone is necessary for AGA to develop, and a genetic susceptibility locus in the androgen receptor is present in a minority of men with AGA. However, additional factors contributing to this disorder remain unknown. Many previous studies indicate that there are a multitude of molecules involved in the control of the hair cycle. Although not normally used to treat this condition, stem cell conditioned media (CM) from adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs) contains prostaglandins, cytokines, and anti-inflammatory proteins that are missing in AGA patients. For this reason, we believe that the CM will have a positive effect on hair growth. To perform this study, CM, the prostaglandin PGE2 (found in CM and linked directly to hair growth), minoxidil (which has an unknown method of action, but likely signals through PGE2), redensyl (has an unknown method of action), and the empty vehicle were used to see an effect on murine hair growth. A double-blind clinical trial was conducted with 10 mice (5 males and 5 females) per condition. Mouse bellies were depilated and 25uL of various treatments were applied daily to the ventral left side of the mice. Preliminary results indicate that all treatments somewhat accelerated hair growth, but the application of a combination of the factors worked the best to restore hair growth. While more studies need to be completed, it appears that stem cell conditioned media and supplements caused significant hair growth in mice.