Schedule and Program - North Carolina Academy of Science
Schedule and Program - North Carolina Academy of Science
Schedule and Program - North Carolina Academy of Science
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Comparative Genomic Hybridization <strong>of</strong> BGP-2 with closely relatedKistimonas asteriae.Irina S. Severenchuk* <strong>and</strong> Michelle S. ThomasCampbell UniversityThis study compared the genomes <strong>of</strong> novel bacteria, designated BGPs, to the most closely related <strong>and</strong> previouslydescribed species, Kistimonas asteriae which was isolated from the gut <strong>of</strong> the starfish, Asterias amurenis. The BGPswere previously isolated from the gut <strong>of</strong> the marine polychaete, Nereis succinea, a surfactant rich environment.Previous rRNA analysis suggests that the BGP isolates will be placed into the phylum Proteobacteria, classGammaproteobacteria, order Oceanospirillales, family Hahellaceae, <strong>and</strong> genus Kistimonas, with the most closelyrelated species, K. asteriae. The goal <strong>of</strong> this study was to use hybridization assays to determine genomic similaritybetween K. asteriae <strong>and</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the BGP isolates, BGP-2. A slot blot assay was performed by denaturing <strong>and</strong> dilutingchromosomal DNA. These were applied to nylon membranes <strong>and</strong> hybridization was performed with synthesizedchromosomal probes. The BGP-2 <strong>and</strong> K.asteriae probes were labeled with Digoxigenin, <strong>and</strong> the hybridizedmembranes were immunodetected using chemiluminescence. The technique was first used on Escherichia coli<strong>and</strong> Micococcus luteus in order to verify the procedure with known <strong>and</strong> unrelated species. Percent hybridizationwas determined by comparing the self-hybridization signal to the hybridization signal <strong>of</strong> other species. The BGP-2<strong>and</strong> K. asteriae results suggest that they are separate species. BGP-2 is <strong>of</strong> a particular interest because it is surfactantresistant <strong>and</strong> may have possible use in bioremediation. Also, the genotypic analysis <strong>of</strong> BPG-2 is fundamental for thetaxonomic assignment <strong>of</strong> this organism into a genus <strong>and</strong> species.Digital Video Analysis <strong>of</strong> Water Waves <strong>of</strong> Coastal <strong>North</strong> <strong>Carolina</strong>.Sharma Ravi <strong>and</strong> Williams RobertCraven Community College, New Bern, NCThis report presents the results <strong>of</strong> a project to investigate the feasibility <strong>of</strong> using digital video analysis to provideintroductory physics students with a better underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> wave motions than is possible with the presentmethods <strong>of</strong> instruction. Methods are developed to provide instruction to the students using digital video analysis.Three environments were used in this study: a conventional ripple tank in a physics laboratory, estuarine waterbodies including creeks <strong>and</strong> rivers, near New Bern, <strong>and</strong> the surf zone <strong>of</strong> the ocean at Fort Macon State Park.Measurements <strong>of</strong> wavelength <strong>and</strong> wave speed from the video images using a plastic grid placed at the bottom <strong>of</strong>the tank compared well with those made using conventional means in the ripple tank. The measurements madein natural water bodies required the use <strong>of</strong> simple reference objects to determine scale. We constructed a wavecross consisting <strong>of</strong> crossed strips <strong>of</strong> wood painted gold <strong>and</strong> with black electrical tape markings placed every footon the arms <strong>of</strong> the cross, to scale wavelength, <strong>and</strong> a small fishing float to measure wave period. For the largerwaves, we constructed a wave staff painted gold, with tape markings every quarter meter. Similar staffs paintedgreen were also connected with a 3-m line to provide measurements <strong>of</strong> wavelength in natural water bodies.The measurements in the estuaries compared favorably with results obtained from shallow water wave theory.Measurements in the surf zone <strong>of</strong> the ocean proved more difficult.The effect <strong>of</strong> mutating the FMN riboswitch into the permanently <strong>of</strong>fposition on the virulence <strong>of</strong> P.lumenscens.Lydia B. Shedl<strong>of</strong>sky*Guilford CollegeThe survival <strong>of</strong> any organism is dependent on the control <strong>of</strong> specific gene expression. A common method<strong>of</strong> bacterial gene control is a highly conserved segment <strong>of</strong> RNA called a riboswitch. There are many knownriboswitches which are classified into three types by their method <strong>of</strong> regulation <strong>and</strong> into classes based on thelig<strong>and</strong> that they bind. All riboswitches include an aptamer domain <strong>and</strong> an expression platform. Specific lig<strong>and</strong>sbind to the aptamer domain causing a conformation change in the expression platform leading to control <strong>of</strong>66 - NC <strong>Academy</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Science</strong>
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