Undergraduate Research: A Bridge to Graduate Education in Agricultural Biotechnology for Hispanics

Hispanics lag behind all other U.S. ethnic groups in education, and are especially poorly represented in science careers. Undergraduate research is an efficient method to attract undergraduate students to science, and many universities are taking advantage of this; however, much still needs to be done to fully explore its potential. In 2000, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, in collaboration with the University of Texas at Brownsville and the University of Texas Pan-American, initiated a undergraduate research internship program in citrus biotechnology to channel Hispanic undergraduate students into graduate education. To date, 51 internships have been provided, and 20 students have been channeled into graduate school, including four at the doctoral level. Most were first-generation college students

Screening Potential Citrus Rootstocks for Phytophthora nicotianae Tolerance

Seeds from four citrus rootstocks including sour orange, Bitters-C22 citrandarin, Sarawak pummelo 3 Rio Red grapefruit, and Sarawak pummelo 3Bower mandarin were exposed to high inoculum levels of Phytophthora nicotianae to screen for tolerance. Inoculation of pregerminated seeds (PGIS) and non-PGIS was carried out. The average P. nicotianae propagule counts from the soil samples where these seedlings were raised ranged from 424 to 1361 colony forming units/cm3. The proportion of live to dead plants was recorded at 11months postinoculation, which showed that Sarawak3Bower performed significantly better than other rootstocks. Evaluation of the rootstocks 18 months postinoculation resulted in only one surviving sour orange plant, which suggests potential rootstock resistance

La investigación artística en el contexto universitario: estudio de caso en el perfil danza contemporánea

Los referentes epistemológicos de la investigación artística en los procesos de creación, desarrollados en las prácticas artísticas, del perfil Danza Contemporánea en la Universidad de las Artes de Cuba, se fundamentan a partir del estudio de la configuración de la noción investigación artística (I.A.) en el contexto universitario. El estudio se fundamenta desde los referentes teóricos que avalan el estado del arte de la cuestión y el estudio de caso, como metodología cualitativa. Su reconstrucción se realiza desde la perspectiva cultural de la investigación. Esta posibilita la comprensión de la I.A. inmersa en un entramado de relaciones establecidas por un grupo humano acerca de la investigación tanto científica como artística. Asimismo, devela al ser humano no solo como sujeto que participa en esta dinámica, sino que construye sus formas de llevarla a cabo a partir de la cosmovisión que del asunto tiene, de la configuración de la matriz epistémica que posee acerca de qué es investigación y cómo se investiga. Los referentes epistemológicos de la investigación artística en los procesos de creación, desarrollados en las prácticas artísticas, del perfil Danza Contemporánea en la Universidad de las Artes de Cuba, se fundamentan a partir del estudio de la configuración de la noción investigación artística (I.A.) en el contexto universitario. El estudio se fundamenta desde los referentes teóricos que avalan el estado del arte de la cuestión y el estudio de caso, como metodología cualitativa. Su reconstrucción se realiza desde la perspectiva cultural de la investigación. Esta posibilita la comprensión de la I.A. inmersa en un entramado de relaciones establecidas por un grupo humano acerca de la investigación tanto científica como artística. Asimismo, devela al ser humano no solo como sujeto que participa en esta dinámica, sino que construye sus formas de llevarla a cabo a partir de la cosmovisión que del asunto tiene, de la configuración de la matriz epistémica que posee acerca de qué es investigación y cómo se investiga.The epistemological references of the artistic research in the creation processes, developed in the artistic practices, of the profile Contemporary Dance in the University of the Arts of Cuba, are based on the study of the configuration of the notion artistic research (AR) in the university context. The study is based on the theoretical references that support the state of the art of the question and the case study, as a qualitative methodology. Its reconstruction is carried out from the cultural perspective of the investigation. This makes it possible to understand the AR. Immersed in a framework of relationships established by a human group about both scientific and artistic research. It also reveals the human being not only as a subject that participates in this dynamic, but also builds his ways of carrying it out from the cosmovision of the subject, from the configuration of the epistemic matrix that it possesses about what is research and how it is investigated.Tesis Univ. Jaén. Departamento Didáctica de la Expresión Musical, Plástica y Corporal. Leída el 3 de febrero de 201

Transcriptome analysis of Huanglongbing-infected sweet orange leaves using RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) methods provide a complete description of RNA transcripts including alternative splicing and small RNA characterization. RNA-seq performed in our laboratory on healthy and Huanglongbing (HLB)-infected young leaves revealed that 4,044 transcripts were up-regulated and 2,562 were down-regulated in the diseased trees. Moreover, a number of genes showed alternative splicing events including exon skipping, intron retention, and 5' and 3' alternative splicing. Furthermore, quantitative PCR (qPCR) performed on 20 randomly chosen genes with high differential expression (10 up and 10 down regulated) showed that all were consistent with RNA-seq data. Additionally, variation in levels of gene expression was observed between young and mature leaves. These early host plant response genes due to HLB-infection might be useful in the development of early HLB-detection methods before manifestation of disease symptoms in the infected plants

Candidatus Liberibacter asisticus detection in the leaves, roots from infected trees and leaves of new shoots from the stumps of the infected sweet orange trees in Texas

A total of 108 root and corresponding symptomatic leaf samples from four different quadrants were collected from 27 6 year old sweet orange trees in which the presence of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) was previously confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the level of infection as determined by threshold cycle (Ct) values between different types of tissue tested. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that there is no significant difference (p>0.05) in test results among different distances from the trunk or quandrants where the root samples were collected. The stumps of the infected trees were covered in a psyllid-proof cage and leaves from the new shoots emerged from these stumps did not show the presence of CLas where as the roots showed the presence of CLas.  Moreover, there was no significant difference between roots from infected trees and roots from infected stumps.  Additionally, there was a significant difference with an average Ct value difference of 2.97 cycles between the DNA samples extracted from roots using two different commercially available kits

Candidatus Liberibacter asisticus detection in the leaves, roots from infected trees and leaves of new shoots from the stumps of the infected sweet orange trees in Texas

A total of 108 root and corresponding symptomatic leaf samples from four different quadrants were collected from 27 6 year old sweet orange trees in which the presence of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas) was previously confirmed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the level of infection as determined by threshold cycle (Ct) values between different types of tissue tested. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that there is no significant difference (p>0.05) in test results among different distances from the trunk or quandrants where the root samples were collected. The stumps of the infected trees were covered in a psyllid-proof cage and leaves from the new shoots emerged from these stumps did not show the presence of CLas where as the roots showed the presence of CLas.  Moreover, there was no significant difference between roots from infected trees and roots from infected stumps.  Additionally, there was a significant difference with an average Ct value difference of 2.97 cycles between the DNA samples extracted from roots using two different commercially available kits

Undergraduate Research: A Bridge to Graduate Education in Agricultural Biotechnology for Hispanics

Hispanics lag behind all other U.S. ethnic groups in education, and are especially poorly represented in science careers. Undergraduate research is an efficient method to attract undergraduate students to science, and many universities are taking advantage of this; however, much still needs to be done to fully explore its potential. In 2000, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, in collaboration with the University of Texas at Brownsville and the University of Texas Pan-American, initiated a undergraduate research internship program in citrus biotechnology to channel Hispanic undergraduate students into graduate education. To date, 51 internships have been provided, and 20 students have been channeled into graduate school, including four at the doctoral level. Most were first-generation college students

Screening Potential Citrus Rootstocks for Phytophthora nicotianae Tolerance

Seeds from four citrus rootstocks including sour orange, Bitters-C22 citrandarin, Sarawak pummelo 3 Rio Red grapefruit, and Sarawak pummelo 3Bower mandarin were exposed to high inoculum levels of Phytophthora nicotianae to screen for tolerance. Inoculation of pregerminated seeds (PGIS) and non-PGIS was carried out. The average P. nicotianae propagule counts from the soil samples where these seedlings were raised ranged from 424 to 1361 colony forming units/cm3. The proportion of live to dead plants was recorded at 11months postinoculation, which showed that Sarawak3Bower performed significantly better than other rootstocks. Evaluation of the rootstocks 18 months postinoculation resulted in only one surviving sour orange plant, which suggests potential rootstock resistance

Transformation of glycerol and cellulosic materials into high energy fuels

The present invention includes a system and method for making a biofuel comprising: providing a nitrogen-limiting, minimal growth media comprising glycerol, sugars generated from cellulosic biomass or both, under conditions in which an oleaginous microbe converts the growth media into at least one of triacylglycerol, neutral lipids, fatty acids, long-chain fatty acids, and hydrocarbons that is secreted by the microbe.U