Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys are two pathogens that spread through ticks. These pathogens cause severe life-threatening illnesses, such as kidney problems and neurological issues, if the disease is untreated. There are no vaccines available to control these diseases. Swetha Madesh, a PhD student in comparative and experimental medicine, and Sree Rajeev, professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, have the long-term goal of developing protective vaccines against these pathogens. The primary objective of Madesh and Rajeev’s study is to identify and analyze ten promising potential peptide epitopes common to Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma platys. The aim is to evaluate their potential use as a vaccine or diagnostic candidate.   

Ascaris is a human and pig parasite of the small intestine. Human infections are primarily found among children living in developing regions, and infection can cause intestinal blockages and cognitive defects. Related parasites are becoming drug-resistant, which calls for new disease control and prevention measures. Brandon Estrem, a PhD student in biochemistry & cellular and molecular biology, and Jianbin Wang, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, aim to identify potential drug targets by studying the basic biology of Ascaris. A critical part of the Ascaris lifecycle is programmed DNA elimination (PDE), in which Ascaris loses about 18% of its genome from non-reproductive cells. However, the human and pig hosts do not undergo this process, making PDE a potential drug target. Estrem and Wang will use biochemical approaches to separate the retained and eliminated DNA; they will then use genomics and molecular biology to study the molecular processes of PDE. They anticipate that the resulting insights will lead to novel pathways and machinery that may serve as drug targets.     

The prevalence of obesity is increasing in the US and it is well-documented that obesity disproportionately impacts marginalized communities. Obesity constitutes a significant public health concern because it is a known risk factor for other severe conditions. Thus, there is a need to pay close attention to and correct the growing disparities. COVID-19 restrictions and the inequitable cost and access burdens associated with traditional in-person programs have led to the shifting of weight management interventions to remotely delivered mobile health (mHealth) practices. By removing barriers, mHealth interventions have greater potential to reach more minoritized populations, but little has been done to evaluate if the increased access has increased efficacy. Iyanuoluwa Oyetunji, a PhD student in nutritional sciences, and Angela Pfammatter, associate professor in the Department of Public Health, aim to build onto an existing national trial, Elements Vital to treat Obesity (EVO), to qualitatively explore perceived barriers and facilitators to mHealth engagement and behavioral enactment during mHealth weight management interventions. Findings from this study will inform practice and policy towards a more equitable delivery of intervention.     

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms are a global problem: they occur around the world, making water supplies undrinkable as well as killing wildlife and livestock. At the core of these problems is the interaction between species of the bacterium Microcystis and other members of the environment. While the impact of viral infection on Microcystis and its contribution to bloom toxicity is not yet fully understood, researchers have sought to understand the role viral infection plays in constraining or promoting cyanobacterial bloom events. Katelyn Houghton, a PhD student in microbiology, and Steven Wilhelm, professor in the Department of Microbiology, will be building on work at UT to develop a method for studying these interactions. While state-of-the-art molecular data are confounded by variability in natural communities, their method is designed to have the power of the latest tools but at the resolution of a single cell.      

Leptospirosis, caused by the numerous species and strains of the bacteria Leptospira, is a major worldwide disease passed by animals to humans, causing severe human morbidity and mortality. This disease is an underrecognized health and environmental problem worldwide, and it affects some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Pathogenic Leptospira colonize the renal tubules of mammalian hosts and evaluating Leptospira-host interactions at the renal tubular level will improve knowledge of the process of by which Leptospira promotes disease. Bryanna Fayne, a master’s student in comparative and experimental medicine, and Sree Rajeev, professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, will develop a renal tubuloid system grown from collected healthy mouse cortical kidney tissues. This tubuloid system will provide an alternative in vitro model to study Leptospira compared to the traditional animal models. This study will lead to an optimized protocol for preparing a tubuloid system to use in future studies using Leptospira.     

MeCP2 is a protein that helps to regulate brain plasticity, or the ability of the brain to change because of experience. The functionality of MeCP2 can be altered by the addition or removal of post-translational modifications (PTMs), chemical groups that influence properties like protein function, localization, and interactions with other molecules. The specific effect PTMs have on MeCP2 in response to learning experiences, and the impact on neuroplasticity is unknown. Logan Dunn, a PhD student in biochemistry & cellular and molecular biology, and Keerthi Krishnan, assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, aim to determine whether there are experience-dependent changes in MeCP2 in female mice brains. Based on previous research conducted by the BCMB lab, the female mice will undergo a social behavioral experience followed by a PTM analysis to compare PTM prevalence between naïve and experienced female brains as it relates to MeCP2 correlations and plasticity. This study will contribute to our understanding of the connection between brain and behavior.       

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau peptides, but little is known about the initial effects of these peptides on the brain. Victoria Norman, a PhD student in biochemistry & cellular and molecular biology, and Rebecca Prosser, professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, have designed a novel bubble-perfusion microfluidic device that can maintain healthy brain slices while collecting multiple forms of data to assess whether Aβ and tau accumulation is a cause or a response to AD pathology. They aim to compare the acute responses to Aβ and tau across brain regions. They expect regional differences in cell death in response to Aβ and tau exposure, which may help explain why certain brain regions appear more susceptible to AD pathology than others. The experiments may also help identify biomarkers of the disease before irreversible damage occurs.       

Studies show that one out of five college students is food and nutrition insecure in the United States due to factors such as rising tuition, housing concerns, and food costs. Being food and nutrition insecure is associated with both poor academic performance and health outcomes. There are many interventions, programs, and policies being developed and implemented to address this issue. However, effective interventions are lacking, and Mohammad Rahanur Alam, a PhD student in nutrition, and Sarah Elizabeth Colby, professor in the Department of Nutrition, are working on a novel approach: the Bean Ambassador Program. Understanding that one approach to address the problem is for students to consume more low-cost, nutrient dense foods, like beans, the Bean Ambassador Program aims to promote messages around health, cost, environmental impact, convenience, and cooking of legumes or pulses. This award will allow them to pilot test a toolkit developed using methods in which students and faculty researchers are equal partners. This tested toolkit will be made available to colleges and universities nationwide to improve students’ nutritional knowledge and reduce food and nutrition insecurity.