The 55th annual asm az/nv branch meeting  

Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building 4 (ISTB 4), Arizona State University Saturday April 16th, 2016

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

7:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. Registration and Breakfast / Poster set up (ISTB 4 - 1st floor) ISTB 4 - Marston Theater 8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Opening remarks

Dr. Joseph Blattman, ASM AZ/NV Branch President-elect Biodesign Institute and School of Life Sciences Arizona State University

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Keynote address

Dr. Pamela Marshall, Arizona State University ASM Distinguished Lecturer “Rexinoids in Eukaryotic Communication”

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Coffee break and vendor show (ISTB 4 – First floor) CogBooks (Platinum sponsor)

ASU Microbiology Graduate Students Association (Gold sponsor) VWR (Gold sponsor) Fisher Scientific (Silver sponsor)

10:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Session 1 and Session 2 Concurrent Oral presentations Session 1: Medical bacteriology (ISTB 4 - Marston Theater) Chair: Dr. Heather Bean 10:50 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. Victor Jimenez Jr., Northern Arizona University “Effects of Acute Alcohol Toxicity on Burkholderia thailandensis E264 –

Macrophage Interaction” 11:10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Michael Picker, University of Nevada Las Vegas “Identification and Characterization of a Novel Function of a

Transcriptional Regulator Essential for Virulence in Shigella flexneri” 11:30 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Farhan Anwar, University of Arizona

“Low-Toxin Producing Clostridium difficile Isolates Elicit Severe Disease”

11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Dr. Pawel Laniewski, University of Arizona, College of Medicine-

Phoenix “Ascending Vaginal Microbiota Impacts Human Endometrial Epithelial

Barrier Function and Integrity”

 

 

Session 2: Microbial diversity and ecology (ISTB 4 - room 240) Chair: Dr. Gillian Gile 10:50 a.m. – 11:10 a.m. Won Jong Kim, University of Arizona “The Impact of Autophagy on Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection” 11:10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Vanessa Hendrix, Arizona State University “Heterotrophic Bacteria from Three Contrasting Peatlands of the

Amazon Basin” 11:30 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. Bianca Cruz, Arizona State University “Marine Synechococcus Aggregation” 11:50 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Heather Mead, Northern Arizona University

“Culturing Coccidioides: Optimizing In Vitro Culture Media to Reflect Nutrient Availability In Vivo”

12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. LUNCH (ISTB 4 - Third floor) ISTB4 - Marston Theater 1:15 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. Keynote address

Dr. Michael J. Federle, University of Illinois at Chicago ASM Distinguished Lecturer

“Quorum Sensing in Bacteria” 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. 3-D Astronomy Show (highly recommended)

Tickets sold separately at ISTB4 reception. 3:40 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Session 3 and Session 4 Concurrent Oral presentations Session 3: Virology and Immunology (ISTB 4 - Marston Theater) Chair: Dr. Joseph Blattman 3:40 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Heather Harrington, Arizona State University “E3L Inhibits Vaccina Induced Necroptosis” 4:00 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. Bereket Estifanos, Arizona State University “Coronavirus Viroporin Envelope (E) Protein Transmembrane Domain

Role in Virus Assembly” 4:20 p.m. – 4:40 p.m. Jameson Gardner, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix “IL-36γ Limits Herpes Simplex Virus Replication in Human Vaginal

Epithelial Cells” 4:40 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Ilyssa Summer, Arizona State University “Optimizing Combination Oncolytic Viral and Immunotherapy Treatment

Strategies with a Predictive Model”

 

 

Session 4: Biofuels and bioengineering (ISTB4 - room 240) Chair: Dr. Xuan Wang 3:40 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Majid Neyestani, University of Nevada, Las Vegas “Microbial Community and Antibiotic Resistance in Biological

Wastewater Treatment” 4:00 p.m. – 4:20 p.m. Gavin Kurgan, Arizona State University “Small Multidrug Resistance Transporters Enhance Furfural Tolerance” 4:20 p.m. – 4:40 p.m. Jaime Lopez, Arizona State University “Characterization of the Importance of Bacterial Motility in Counter-

gradient Isolations Using Discrete-Element Modeling and Physical Experimentation”

4:40 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Dr. Bradley Lusk, Arizona State University “pH Shifts in the Anode Potential Response from Thermincola

ferriacetica Suggest the Presence of a Rate Limiting Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Protein”

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. POSTER SESSION (ISTB 4 -Third floor) 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Closing remarks and awards presentations (Marston Theater) 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Mixer at Postino Annex (615 S College Ave., Tempe, AZ 85281)

Organized by the Microbiology Graduate Students Association at ASU

Organizing Committee

Dr. Susan Holechek (Chair) Joshua Carmen Kavita Manhas Natalie Mitchell

Britney Tillis Peaches Ulrich

 

 

POSTER SESSION P1 Mohamed Mahmoud, Arizona State University

“Electrochemical Techniques Reveal that Ammonia Stress Stimulates High Respiration Rates in Bacterial Anode Biofilm: What does not Kill Them Makes Them Stronger”

P2 Dr. Boo Shan Tseng, University of Nevada, Las Vegas “Ecotin in the Extracellular Matrix Protects P. aeruginosa Biofilms from Proteolytic Attack” P3 Lindsay Sidak-Loftis, Northern Arizona University

“Testing the Pathogenicity of Close Phylogenetic Relatives of Burkholderia pseudomallei in a Laboratory Mouse Model”

P4 Lina Franco, Arizona State University

“Sequence-Specific Detection of Different Strains LCMV in a Single Sample Using Tentacle Probes”

P5 Kylie Sage, Northern Arizona University “Ecological Niche Modeling of Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever in the Western US” P6 Rey Allen, Arizona State University

“Towards a Model Organism for Phototrophic Biofilm Formation: Axenic Biofilms of Synechocystis PCC 6803 Require Cell Surface Structures and Occur Under Nutrient Limitation”

P7 Carlyn Harrris, Arizona State University

“Activity of Synbody 14 Against Methicillin-Resistance Staphylococcus aureus Cell Membrane” P8 Mikaela Garcia, Daniel Jasso-Selles & Trevor Merrell, Arizona State University “Characterization of the Protist Hindgut Community in Heterotermes aureus” P9 Bereket Estifanos, Arizona State University “Coronavirus Viroporin Envelope (E) Protein Transmembrane Domain Role in Virus Assembly” P10 Dr. Sergio Velasco Ayuso, Arizona State University “Restoration in Arid Lands: Can we produce Biocrusts in Greenhouse Facilities?” P11 Ana Giraldo Silva, Arizona State University “Recovering Arid Lands: Cyanobacteria Conditioning for Biological Soil Crust Restoration” P12 Andrew Flores, Arizona State University

“Engineering A Co-Culture System for Enhanced Lignocellulose-Derived Sugar Mixture Utilization”

P13 Won Jong Kim, University of Arizona

“The Impact of Autophagy on Neisseria gonorrhoeae Infection” P14 William Martelly, Arizona State University “HIV-1 Virus-like Particles as Stimulators of Innate Immunity” P15 Julia Hull, Northern Arizona University “Co-occurrence and Timing of Fungal Endophyte Infection of Aphid Galls”

 

 

P16 Gavin Kurgan, Arizona State University “Small Multidrug Resistance Transporters Enhance Furfural Tolerance” P17 Amanda Kidman, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“Development of the K-state Promotes Mutagenesis, Independent of DNA-uptake, in Stressed Bacillus subtilis Cells”

P18 Morgan Brown, University of Arizona “How Neisseria gonorrhoeae Avoids Killing by the Complement Cascade” P19 Alyson Hockenberry, University of Arizona

“Attenuation of the Type IV Pilus Retraction Motor Affects the Social and Infection Behavior of Neisseria gonorrhoeae”

P20 Aidan Schneider, Arizona State University “Investigation of Lactate Export in Escherichia coli” P21 Darrin Anderson, Charity Bhebhe & Nathan Dacasin, Arizona State University

“Developing Breath-Based Diagnostics to Detect P. aeruginosa Exoproducts in CF Lung Infections”

P22 Jessica Spring, Arizona State University “Evaluating Phage Effect on Heterotrophic Decomposition in Amazon Peatland Soils” P23 Amanda Gonzales, Arizona State University “Salmonella Typhi Peyer’s Patches Targeting Strategies Tested in an M cell Culture Model” P24 Logan Kurgan, Arizona State University “Characterization of a Synergistic Network of Malate Exporters in Escherichia coli” P25 Amritha Venguideshe & Lea Witzel, Arizona State University

“Developing Breath-Based Diagnostics to Detect P. aeruginosa Motility and Antibiotic Resistance in CF Lung Infections”

P26 Brian Johnson, Arizona State University “IBT-Resistance and Murine Cell Tropism are Unlinked Traits in Monkeypox Virus” P27 Jason Maarsingh, Arizona State University

“Influence of the Mycobacterial PrrAB Two-Component System on Metabolism and Lipid Biosynthesis”

P28 Dr. Bradley Lusk, Arizona State University

“pH Shifts in the Anode Potential Response from Thermincola ferriacetica Suggest the Presence of a Rate Limiting Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Protein”

P29 Dr. Michael Mallozzi, University of Arizona

“Characterization of Spore Germination Profiles and Coat and Protein Composition of Epidemic and Non-Epidemic Strains of Clostridium difficile”

P30 Dr. Robert Lawrence, Arizona State University “Investigation of Virus Structure with X-ray Free-Electron Laser (XFEL) Methods” P31 Dr. Ron Deckert, Northern Arizona University “Fungal Twig Endophytes of Pinus edulis (Pinyon Pine) Respond to Host Plant Genetics”

 

 

P32 Kaitlyn Tylor, Arizona State University “Evaluating the Drivers of Chemodenitrification in Tropical Peat Soil” P33 Joy Immak, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“Characterization of the DNA Binding Site for a Transcriptional Regulator Essential for Virulence of the Human Pathogen: Shigella”

P34 Zuena Mushtaq, Arizona State University “Optimization of Measles Viral Antigen Expression for Serologic Assays” P35 Rachna Nath, Arizona State University “Ontogeny of the Hypopharyngeal and Salivary Glands in Honey Bees” P36 Zacary Zamora, Arizona State University “Manipulation Experiments on N2O Reduction in Amazon Peatland Soils” P37 Dr. Natasha Weatherspoon-Griffin & Monika Karney, University of Nevada, Las Vegas “In Vitro and In Vivo Binding of a Regulator Essential for Shigella Virulence” P38 Britney Tillis, Arizona State University “Neuropathogenesis of LCMV Using Clone 13 Carriers” P39 Arron Shiffer, Northern Arizona University

“The Exercise Microbiome Project, Assessing the Effect of Physical Activity on the Human Gut Microbiome”

P40 Aaron Brussels, University of Arizona

“Flagellin Glycosylation Influences Flagellar Assembly, Autoaggregation, and Toxin Production in Clostridium difficile”

P41 William Mercurio, Northern Arizona University “Creating an Optimal Multiple Sequence Alignment Workflow for Phylogenetic Diversity Analyses” P42 Rachel Meyer, Northern Arizona University “Detecting Melioidosis: Development of MagPix Assays to Limit Disease” P43 Bianca Varda, Arizona State University “Creating an Artificial Antigen Presenting Cell System for HPV16 Proteins” P44 Náthali Lima, Arizona State University & Sao Paulo State University

“Recognition of two New Cryptic Species of Wilmottia (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) Based on 16S rRNA and ITS Molecular Analyses”

P45 Tatiana Ermi, University of Nevada, Las Vegas “Stationary Phase Mutagenesis in Bacillus subtilis Mediated by Induction of comK” P46 Lydia Meador, Arizona State University

“Immunological Characterization of Virus-Like Particles Produced Both in Plants and by Live Vaccinia Virus Vectors as a Vaccine Candidate for HIV”

P47 Sharon Wu, Arizona State University “Analysis of the Acyl Carrier Protein in the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803”

 

 

P48 Asad Mansoor, University of Arizona

“Clostridium difficile Infection Surveillance in a Tertiary Medical Center Reveals Significant Strain Variation”

P49 Jonathan Burbige, Arizona State University “Modulating T Cell Homing and Differentiation via Culturing with Vitamin A Analogues” P50 Ryan LaMarca, Arizona State University

“Exploring the Role of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Putative Toxin-Antitoxin Rv3642c-Fic During Macrophage Infection”

P51 Duane Barbano, Arizona State University Growth Phase Affects MALDI-TOF Mass Spectra of Chlorella vulgaris Cultures” P52 Michele Chu, University of Arizona

“Genes Within a Clostridium difficile Capsule Biosynthetic Locus Influence Bacterial Shape, Polysaccharide Production and Virulence”

P53 Siavosh Naji-Talakar, Arizona State University

“Interactions Between the HIV-1 Protein gp41 and Calmodulin and its Effect on Cytotoxicity When Expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana”

P54 Alexander Karabachev, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

“Reevaluation of DNA Sequences Required for Transcriptional Regulation of the Virulence Gene, icsP, in Shigella flexneri”

P55 Adrian Esqueda, Arizona State University

“Plant-Derived Monoclonal Antibodies as Efficacious and Safe Therapeutics to Treat Dengue Virus Infection”

P56 Jillian Socea, University of Nevada, Las Vegas “Subcellular Localization of VirB in Shigella flexneri” P57 Charles Miller, Arizona State University “Quantifying the Effect of Anti-viral Vaccination by Memory CD8+ T Cells” P58 Shylaja Ramamurthy, University of Arizona “Role of the Secreted Protein EspZ in the Virulence of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli” P59 Kristen Morrow, Arizona State University “Establishing a Mouse Model for Congenital LCMV Infection” P60 Andrew Clark, University of Arizona

“Clostridium difficile Flagellar Components Influence Toxin Synthesis, Pathogenicity and Activation of Innate Immune Responses”

P61 Nicole Labban, Arizona State University “Combination Therapy for Pediatric Metastatic Osteosarcoma” P62 Hyun Jae Cho, Arizona State University “Mutational Activation of Drug Efflux Pump Genes in Escherichia coli”

 

 

P63 Samantha Cotsmire, Arizona State University “Inhibition of VACV E3 N-Terminal Deletion Mutants Can be PKR-Independent” P64 Heather Centner, Northern Arizona University “Genotyping Yersinia pestis from North America Using Amplicon Sequencing” P65 Isaiah Self, Northern Arizona University

“MAGPIX: a New Technological Tool for Diagnostics and New Vaccines Development for Infectious Diseases”

P66 Megan McFeely, Arizona State University “Characterization of TolC-AcrB Interactions in Efflux Pumps in Escherichia coli” P67 Lauren Pristo, Northern Arizona University

“Development of Antibody Reactive Markers to Rapidly Diagnose Patients Infected with Burkholderia pseudomallei”

P68 Mellecha Blake, Arizona State University

“Characterization of Functionally Relevant Residues Associated with the Drug Binding and Translocation Pathway of Escherichia coli Multi-drug Efflux Pump Protein AcrB”

P69 Joshua Carmen, Arizona State University “T-Cell Inducing Vaccines Offer Promising Potential and Significant Challenges” P70 Michelle Stephens, Arizona State University

“Regulation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Cytochrome bd by the Essential PrrAB Two-Component System”

P71 Emily Yee, Arizona State University “Factors that Modulate Production of Tryptophan and Serotonin by Gut Bacteria” P72 Kenneth Barker, Arizona State University

“Heterotrophic Bacteria from Three Contrasting Peatlands of the Amazon Basin”

 

 

Mixer&

Mee'ng& Parking&