Smokejumper Magazine, January 2025

This issue of the National Smokejumper Association (NSA) Smokejumper Magazine, contains the following articles: Message from the President; Ring of Fire: The Gobi Part II; A Smokejumper\u27s Memory; Fire Town USA; The One I\u27d Like to Forget; Quartz Lake, Alaska, 1965; Basics of Military Contracting Work; Message from Lori Messenger; A Smokejumper\u27s Western Legacy; No One Left to Say I\u27m Sorry ; Introducing the 2024 NSA Scholarships Recipients; Feedback From the Field; My Dad Was Also on the Bataan Death March; Smokejumpers Who Left; North Needs to Fix Forest Fuels; Sounding Off; Notes From the Ranks; Odds and Ends; The Jump List; NSA Fund Contributions; Chasing Trains; National Smokejumpers Reunion Announcement (June 20-23, 2025).https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_mag/1143/thumbnail.jp

Testing the Lytic Capability of Recombinant P100.1 Phage Endolysin against \u3ci\u3eCutibacterium acnes\u3c/i\u3e

Acne vulgaris is one of the most common skin diseases globally. It is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit (hair follicle, hair shaft, and sebaceous gland collectively). The integumentary, endocrine, and immune systems all play roles in acne development and severity in addition to microbiotic colonization. One key aspect of acne pathogenesis is a disturbance of healthy strain diversity of the skin bacterium Cutibacterium acnes. Many acne treatments revolve around topical peroxides, antibiotics, and topical or systemic retinoids all of which directly, or indirectly target C. acnes. These treatments carry a variety of side effects and contribute to rising antibiotic resistance. Bacteriophages (or phage) are viruses that infect bacteria. Some phages produce enzymes called endolysins which contribute to a lytic life cycle wherein the phage kills the infected cell. Bacteriophages have been studied and successfully demonstrated reduction of C. acnes load in acne lesions, as well as reduced symptoms in patients. All current research uses live phages. This provides logistical challenges as the phages must be cultured, maintained, and kept alive until treatment. Here, we seek to recombinantly produce, and extracellularly excrete the endolysin protein responsible for targeting and killing C. acnes in a Lactococcus lactis production system. We hypothesize that the enzyme will retain its cell binding, and lytic capabilities through recombinant production and will cause significant reduction in C. acnes load when exposed to cultures. If successful, phage therapies do not contribute to raising antibiotic resistance, allow low-cost long-term storage, and allow scalable production

\u3ci\u3e Accidental Connection \u3c/i\u3e

In 2023 the us surgeon general released a 72pg document addressing the loneliness and isolation epidemic affecting our country. It outlines the rapid decline in social connection within our communities following the pandemic and the infinite growth of social media. This piece of art is a 44 frame containing a square 42 image, almost entirely wrapped in matting. The matting is scored on the backside, allowing for the audience to participate, tearing off portions of the image to reveal the bigger picture. Each piece of matting has a note of affirmation to be taken by the viewer. The hope is that the connection between the art and viewer holds just enough power to remind them they aren\u27t alone

Smokejumper Obituary: Bordelon, Mike (Fairbanks 1976)

https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_bios/2745/thumbnail.jp

Smokejumper Obituary: Lungren, Edward Clarence “Ed” (McCall 1951)

https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_bios/2729/thumbnail.jp

Smokejumper Obituary: Pattison, Warren Frank “Pat” (North Cascades 1953)

https://dc.ewu.edu/smokejumper_bios/2713/thumbnail.jp