An Ultrahigh-throughput Microfluidic Platform for Single-cell Genome Sequencing.

Sequencing technologies have undergone a paradigm shift from bulk to single-cell resolution in response to an evolving understanding of the role of cellular heterogeneity in biological systems. However, single-cell sequencing of large populations has been hampered by limitations in processing genomes for sequencing. In this paper, we describe a method for single-cell genome sequencing (SiC-seq) which uses droplet microfluidics to isolate, amplify, and barcode the genomes of single cells. Cell encapsulation in microgels allows the compartmentalized purification and tagmentation of DNA, while a microfluidic merger efficiently pairs each genome with a unique single-cell oligonucleotide barcode, allowing >50,000 single cells to be sequenced per run. The sequencing data is demultiplexed by barcode, generating groups of reads originating from single cells. As a high-throughput and low-bias method of single-cell sequencing, SiC-seq will enable a broader range of genomic studies targeted at diverse cell populations

Sustainability with an Ethical Aim: Lessons from an American Nun in Amazonia

Research Topic Human imagination, an ethical aim and action are the progenitors for reconciliation between humans and their environment. Two examples of such reconciliation are found in Brazil and are the result of the tireless work of an American Nun, Sister Dorothy Stang and the staff of the Iracambi Atlantic Rainforest Research and Conservation Center. The present inquiry portrays the history, current programs, and the potential for the findings to shape the lives of those committed to work toward creating a balance between human endeavors and sustainable environments. Theory and Protocol This research is grounded in critical hermeneutics and follows an interpretive approach to field research and data analysis (Herda 1999). This orientation places the researcher and participants in a collaborative relationship that exemplifies the power of conversation and the importance of language to unveil new understandings about our world. Research Categories Three primary critical hermeneutic concepts, drawn from the theory of Paul Ricoeur (1992), provided the categories for this research. These categories served as the boundaries for both data collection and analysis: Ethical Aim, understood from a critical hermeneutic orientation, promotes living with and for others in a socially just manner; Imagination is the creative act of envisioning a different future that can be inhabited; and Praxis fosters the practical application of ethical aim and imagination through action. Findings The participants, who lived their ethics daily in the practical application of sustainable practices, argued that we must collectively re-imagine what it means to be interconnected with the earth, because the current one-sided relationship between humans and their environment is unsustainable. The following findings were derived from the conversations with participants: (1) sustainable praxis is the responsibility of everyone; (2) education can lead to sustainability in real world contexts; (3) an ethical aim includes esteem for people and the earth’s resources

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Ameliorate the Negative Effects of Drought on Blanket Flower

Root colonizing arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) are primarily known to help plants acquire nutrients and grow. However, recent research suggests that, AMF colonization may also enhance plant drought tolerance. In a field experiment in western Montana, we tested whether AMF colonization improves growth and ameliorates the effects of drought on the native forb Gaillardia aristata (Blanket flower). In 2017, we transplanted greenhouse-grown AMF-colonized and non-colonized Blanket flower seedlings to a field experimentally devoid of AMF. Each colonization type was further subjected to two watering regimes: one receiving mostly ambient precipitation and one receiving supplemental water. In mid-July (when plants were still growing) and in August (when plants started to flower) I destructively sampled plants from each treatment to examine the effect of AMF colonization on growth and plant water status. Irrespective of moisture treatment, AMF-colonized plants grew more, allocated relatively less biomass to roots and produced more flowers relative to non-colonized plants. Water treatments had modest effects on soil moisture and, consequently, on growth. However, supplemental water drastically increased reproduction in AMF-colonized plants relative to non-colonized plants. AMF colonization did not affect plant growth and water status under supplemental water. However, under ambient soil moisture (drier) AMF-colonized plants had better water status than non-colonized plants. Our results show that Blanket Flower benefits from AM fungi colonization and that such benefit increases under drought. Globally, drought is intensifying in magnitude and duration with potentially severe ecological and societal repercussions. Recent advances in soil ecological research have emphasized the role of complex below-ground biotic interactions on plant community distribution and resilience to drought. Our results add to a growing body of evidence that AMF contribute to plant drought tolerance. Further research should identify the physiological mechanisms involved and the ecological implications

Historical Sketch of The Indiana University

Historical sketch of Indiana University from its founding until 1889. It is unknown when this piece was written or if it was published