Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) could possibly become one of the best vehicles for drug delivery created to date. The unique characteristics of MSNs allow for the packaging of medicines into miniscule particles that, once inhaled, allow drugs to be accurately and efficiently delivered to deeper-than-ever target sites in the lung. Much is still unknown about the long-term dynamics of deposition of MSNs in the lungs following initial exposure. In efforts to close this knowledge gap, lab mice were exposed to MSNs for 5 hours, andlung tissues were collected at 1, 7, or 21 days post-exposure. These tissue samples were collected andprepared for examination in a process called fluorescent immunohistochemistry. In this study, epithelial cells in the lungs were tagged with primary antibodies binding to CD11C—e-cadherin proteins. Once fluorescent secondary antibodies and DAPI stain were applied to the tissues, the epithelial cells, alveolar macrophages, and auto-fluorescent MSNs were seen using confocal microscopy. The images confirmed that MSNs were located in and surrounding the alveolar macrophages; however, they were not found in the epithelial cells. Future research may utilize these same methods to search for MSNs in other possible cells of interest in the lungs, such as dendritic cells.
 

Tyrosine O-sulfation, a post-translational modification, plays a crucial role in cell signaling and protein-protein interactions. This phenomenon was demonstrated to be essential in the binding of some pattern-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) to pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). PRRs activate downstream signal cascades, which generate the innate immune response. However, it is not known whether PRRs are tyrosine O-sulfated. In this study, computational methods were used to predict tyrosine O-sulfation sites in PRRs by using a position-specific scoring matrix to examine the similarity of tyrosine sites in PRRs to that of known sulfated sites. Tyrosine O-sulfation was predicted to exist in 57 PRRs observed, with 130 positive sites found. Furthermore, five predicted tyrosine sites were conserved between Toll-like receptors, an important family of PRRs. Predicting tyrosine O-sulfation sites in PRRs could elucidate the prevalence of tyrosine O-sulfation in the innate immune response and assist with developing drugs that target innate immunity.

Oil from motor vehicles can leak onto roads. This oil is flushed into nearby water bodies when it rains, potentially harming aquatic life. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of various dilutions of motor oil extracts on the embryonic development of Japanese Qurt Medaka fish (Oryzias latipes). The first batch of embryos was exposed to four different dilutions of motor oil extract and a field sample obtained from the UC Davis VP56 parking lot. A second batch was treated with 0.01% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to increase the permeability of the embryo’s chorion and subsequently exposed to an undiluted extract and four different dilutions of motor oil extract. All embryos were placed in a 96-well plate with 200 uL of their respective dilutions. Both batches were monitored for changes in morphology, delayed growth, and mortality. Some deformities were observed in the embryos but did not seem to be consistent with any particular group. However, embryos exposed to the field sample and the undiluted extract showed delayed growth and high mortality rates. The groups exposed to higher concentrations of motor oil extract seemed to have higher mortality rates. The data suggests that motor oil extracts may be harmful to aquatic life, but further studies and analysis would need to be conducted to determine if an imminent threat exists.

Berry cracking in a grape is a common problem that is unable to be predicted. Grape cracking causes an exposure of the inside of the grape, leading to an increased susceptibility to disease. In this project, existing data consisting of timelapse pictures was studied to determine whether a cause of grape cracking can be predicted based on the stretching of the grape’s skin. Random patterns of spray paint dots were applied to each grape, which were then submerged in water and photographed periodically to capture water-induced absorption and expansion. Each photo was analyzed and positional data was created based on the tracking of each dot, which was then converted into graphical representations. Initial observations revealed that fractures in the dots of paint were observed before cracks in the skin of the grape. Examination of the area change of the dots showed that dots of paint can stretch and increase their area over time without fracturing. Visual observations of dot fracturing also indicated that a crack may form in the skin of the grape before it is visible on the surface in areas without paint dots. These results show that an irreversible state of cracking could occur in the grape far before the point where the crack is visible on the grape’s surface. However, more research is needed to determine if fracturing in the dot occurs at the same time of cracking in the skin of the grape.

Studies have shown that organic farming techniques applied on soil leads to increased health and microbiota diversity. The optimal management of multitrophic interactions between soil microbial communities, crops, insect pests, and pathogens has the potential to increase plant health and agroecosystem productivity, resilience, and sustainability. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear, and the impact of soil health-building management practices on pest and virus resistance remains to be quantified in economically relevant crops. Experiments using soil from three field locations in Northern California and from the Russell Ranch Century Experiment investigated the effect of soil health and microbial community composition on processing tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plant growth and nutrition, induction of defense compounds, and attractiveness to insect vectors. These results support the hypothesis that organic practices decrease pest populations. The findings of this experiment pave the way for the next generation of insect control, leading to a cleaner future in which the natural defense systems of plants are utilized, instead of an over-reliance on chemical insecticides.