Research
Faculty Research
The Development of Arabidopsis in Altered Environmental Conditions
The growth of plants in outer space will be dependent on how plants respond to altered
atmospheric pressure, gravity, and modified light. The purpose of Dr. Jim Taylor's research is to further investigate the development of Arabidopsis plants at lower atmospheric pressure and distorted gravity by using a clinostat inside
of a hypobaric chamber. This picture shows plastic plates containing Arabidopsis seedlings, on a rotating clinostat, within a reduced-pressure vacuum box. These
studies will give more insight to how plants develop at lower pressure and in altered
gravity which will give a better understanding to how plants may develop during long
term space travel.Identification of the expression patterns of candidate apoptosis genes in transgenic
tobacco plants
Programmed cell death (PCD) is an essential cellular process characterized by cell
shrinkage, nuclear condensation and fragmentation that leads to the selective elimination
of cells and has been reported to play a major role in cystic fibrosis, oncogenesis
and other disease occurrences. There appears to be some evolutionarily conserved
signaling pathways for an apoptotic-like programmed cell death in plants. Dr. Nathan Reyna's research uses a tobacco plant model to identify new genes associated with oxidative
stress and apoptosis. In this picture, blackening indicates hydrogen peroxide-induced
oxidative damage.
Environmental Influences on Biofilm Formation
Dr. Ruth Plymale collaborates with student researchers to design a unique microbiological project
for each student. Many of these projects study biofilms, communities of bacteria
encased within a sticky matrix that adheres the bacteria to a surface. Biofilms are
both medically and environmentally significant, making them a relevant research topic.
Recent research projects have surveyed the distribution of biofilm-forming bacteria
in fountain-beverage machines and investigated the ability of commercial mouthwashes
to prevent biofilm formation. This picture shows the differential effects of mouthwash
on biofilm formation; lighter wells indicate decreased biofilm formation.
