Phylogenetics

ELVIS (Extraterrestrial Landing Vehicle Integrated Sampler) was placed on Mars to collect soil samples from the surface of the planet. The scientist’s goal, when ELVIS was launched, was to obtain soil samples from the planet that contained microbes distinguishable from those on Earth. However, when ELVIS returned home it was terribly damaged. The suit material and skin of ELVIS had degraded during the mission. Our goal as microbiologists was to determine if the microbes present in the soil…

Evolution: The Mindless Mechanism Life began on earth 3.5 billion years ago with the presence of primitive single-celled organisms. It is from these organisms that all life evolved. Species diverge from one another through mechanisms of change such as mutation, migration, genetic drift, and natural selection. Though a mechanism of change, natural selection does not strive for perfection. Rather, it is a process resulting from variation in heritable traits. A mindless mechanism with no objective…

Introduction Plants and pollinators have co-evolved characteristics and features that enable them greater success in interactions. This mutualistic relationship between the two allows the plant to benefit from the attraction of a specific pollinator species, to hopefully ensure its reproductive success is carried out. This is achieved by the pollinator physically moving the pollen from one flower to another. The pollinator itself will benefit from its interaction with the plant species, as it…

these claudovirales bacteriophages are categorized based on their structure and the possession of potential homologous genes. Caudovirales or tailed bacteriophages are found in over 140 prokaryote genera which covers the bacterial and archaeal phylogenetic trees. Viruses are not classified as living because they do not have any of the traditional properties of life but it can reproduce. Viruses can not respond to the environment, can not grow independently, can not utilize energy, can not…

The Indian subcontinent has served as a major corridor for the genetic diversity of its inhabitants. Modern-day human population dispersal routes is punctuated with delineating migrations that eventually led anatomically modern humans (AMH) to spread over most parts of the world within the past 100,000 years (Cavalli- Sforza, Menozzi and Piazza 1994; Lahr and Foley 1994). Migration waves are influenced by landscape traversed and thus, natural inter continental passageways acting as corridors…

notes. This along with using reliable websites and articles is how I gathered my information on the concepts. I was able to learn more about these topics and implement the material in the discussion questions, and the module projects. 2. Describe phylogenetic relationships…

than 30 cultivated in Brazil (Queiroz et al. 2012) for production of cellulose, charcoal, essential oils, furniture, planks, and paper. Eucalyptus has a remarkable native phytophagous fauna in Brazil (Rinaldi 2005), which can be explained by its phylogenetic proximity to the Brazilian flora, with high Myrtaceae diversity (Zanuncio et al.…

Cellulose is a linear polysaccharide that consists of glucose residues with β-1, 4-glycosidic linked in the main chain and is the most common natural renewable biopolymer. Its degradation is made by the hydrolytic action of the cellulase, a multiple enzymatic system. Cellulase due to its massive applicability has been used in various industrial processes such as biofuels like bioethanol, lactic acid and single cell protein, through saccharification lignocellulosics or hydrolysis of cellulosic…

As a child, risotto was my favorite dish that my mom, strictly following her father’s recipe, would make. Today, risotto has become an innately Italian dish. In most Italian restaurants, you will find at least one type of risotto on the menu. Strangely, despite it’s inherent Italian-ness, rice and risotto are relatively new introductions to Italian cuisine. Rice has a long history of domestication in Asia and was not brought to Italy for several thousand years after being domesticated (P. Huang…

Background: Francisella tularensis (F.tularensis) is the etiological microorganism for tularemia. There are different forms of tularemia such as respiratory tularemia. Respiratory tularemia is the most severe form of tularemia with a high rate of mortality; if not treated. Therefore, traditional microbiological tools and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) are not useful for a rapid, reliable, accurate, sensitive and specific diagnosis. But, DNA microarray technology does. DNA microarray technology…